5 Questions: Commando

This past Saturday marked the 29th Anniversary of the release of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, Commando.

In honor of that special occasion I popped Commando into my Blu-ray player and began to relive this action masterpiece, but as I am prone to do while watching movies, I started questioning things as I watched…

1. Who did Alyssa Milano think was the cooler dad, Arnold or Tony Danza? 

Sure, Arnold saved her from the bad guys, but Tony would have never put her in the position to be kidnapped to begin with. I already know which dad would win a fist fight.

2. Haven’t I seen this mall before?

There are a lot of familiar faces in Commando that action movie fans may recognize… guys like Bill Duke, Bob Minor, Bill Paxton and Branscombe Richmond  But as I watched the scenes in the mall, the mall itself looked familiar. Now I did my research and found that the mall in question was the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Having never been to California, I knew I didn’t see it in person so I must have seen it in another movie… upon further research I learned that the Sherman Oaks Galleria was also a filming location for a multitude of movies including Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Night of the Comet, Back to the Future Part II and one of my favorites to watch this time of year, Chopping Mall.

3. Did Vernon Wells believe that chainmail was slimming?

The interesting fashion choice of Bennett (Vernon Wells), one the top villains in Commando, seems to be an ill fated attempt to mask the fact that Mr. Wells pales in comparison to the super ripped and buff Arnold.

4. Who needs a boiler room in Val Verde?

The fact that Arius’ estate has a boiler room, let alone such an expansive boiler room, in a climate like Val Verde is a real mystery to me. What were they heating? The jungle?

5. Where’s the sequel? 

I have been patiently waiting now for 29 years for the sequel to Commando! At the end of the movie, John Matrix (Arnold) and Major General Franklin Kirby (James Olson) have this memorable exchange, after Kirby asks Matrix to get his team back together…

Matrix: “This was the last time.”

Slight pause.

Kirby: “Until the next time.” 

Matrix and Jenny (Alyssa Milano) walks towards Cindy (Rae Dawn Chong) who is standing at the sea plane.

Matrix: “Not a chance!”

But then Kirby has a smug little smile on his face like he knows a man like John Matrix can never truly get out of the Commando game. So that HAD to mean there was going to be a Commando 2!

My research into this dug up an interesting fact… there was a sequel written but Arnold had no interest in reprising the role. So they took the script, reworked it and out popped Die Hard. Not sure if this information has been substantiated, but if it is true, what an interesting twist of fate.