Bullet Points: Black Eagle
Jean-Claude Van Damme is a surprisingly versatile actor. I say versatile because he is effective and convincing as a protagonist or an antagonist. I say surprisingly, because like most action stars of the 80s and 90s, you will mostly find him as the hero. That means you have to look to Van Damme’s early work before he became a bona fide star, or to his later work to find some villainous JCVD, and even in those situations there are not too many. One such film that has Van Damme shine as a bad guy is the 1988 movie Black Eagle with the one and only Sho Kosugi. Van Damme may say fewer words in Black Eagle than are in this paragraph, but that is not going to stop me from giving you some Black Eagle Bullet Points.
- The Maltese Aardvark – The US loses three F-111 Aardvarks while flying over the Mediterranean, but we don’t get to see this presumably action packed attack on the fighters as it is all played out through the audio recordings during the opening of Black Eagle. The planes have an advanced laser tracking system that everyone wants to get their hands on, especially the Soviets. One of the planes went down near Malta, a hotbed for espionage due to its location. Col. Klimenko may be in charge of recovering the tracking system, but it is right hand man Andrei (Jean-Claude Van Damme, No Retreat, No Surrender) who is the muscle and true villain of Black Eagle.
- Show Time – The CIA is racing to recover the planes before anyone else and they bring in their top man, Ken Tani (Sho Kosugi, Revenge of the Ninja) who goes by the code name Black Eagle (just like the title!) Tani is not happy about going to Malta because this is supposed to be the two weeks he gets every summer to spend with his two sons Brian and Denny, played by Kane and Shane Kosugi in the roles they were born to play. So what does the CIA do? The CIA brings Brian and Shane to Malta and we have ourselves a Tani Maltese Vacation. Throw in CIA operative Patricia Parker (Doran Clark) as a babysitter/ass-kicker and we’ve got a party.
- Ocean’s of Fun – Ken Tani is in Malta under the guise of being an oceanographer with former CIA agent turned Catholic priest/ocean researcher Father Bedalia (Bruce French). I don’t know how many CIA agents become men of the cloth after retiring and how many more do ocean research as well as officiating mass, but I don’t care because Father Bedalia is a badass (pardon my language, Father). I love Ken Tani’s oceanographer disguise is just him with glasses. If there are Black Eagle action figures, the sad sack nerdy scientist Sho Kosgui would be the limited edition and the one that I would want. What I like even more is you know something good is going to happen when the glasses come off.
- Jean-Claude Van Silent – Andrei is a character of very few words, but we all know that actions speak louder than words. Early on in Black Eagle we get to witness Andrei snap the neck of a CIA agent as he flexes and preens for the camera. How about a scene with Van Damme doing the splits on top of two barrels while throwing knives? Yes please. That scene was at least one of three with Van Damme doing the splits. How about Van Damme emerging from the water for a kill? Frogman Van Damme?!?! Double yes please. While Van Damme’s water kill was awesome, Sho Kosgui takes the underwater cake as he is a free diving fool in Black Eagle.
- Kickin’ Kosugis – There is a mad rush across Malta to get the tracking system and that leads to some exciting action. With a foot chase on the rooftops, to a heart pounding car chase, to an assault on a Maltese fort, the action in Black Eagle is varied. There are several teased and half-cocked fights between Andrei and Ken Tani and with each teasing for a finale. However, the real show stopper was Brian Tani kicking and fighting just like his old man. Watching a wee little kid taking on grown men is hilarious and entertaining. Ken Tani finally goes full Black Eagle for the ending replete with face and body paint in an attack on a Soviet freighter. Do we get the satisfying Jean-Claude Van Damme Sho Kosugi fight? I will leave that for you to find out but Andrei does get the screws turned on him.
Black Eagle shows Van Damme is a more than capable villain and in fact shines as the menacing Andrei. I enjoy that Sho Kosugi was not playing a ninja, but just a father who happens to excel in martial arts and getting the job done. Black Eagle has elements of espionage (the casino scene would be right at home in a James Bond film), politics and action and they manage to combine for an enjoyable film. The action definitely kicked into high gear at the end of Black Eagle, kind of how the Black Eagle Bonus Bullet Points show up at the end of these Bullet Points.
- Familiar Faces – One of the CIA agents that Andrei disposes of, Steve Henderson was played be Gene Davis of 10 to Midnight fame. The top CIA man in Malta, Dean Rickert was played by William Bassett whom I always remember from Angel Town and Ring of Fire II: Blood and Steel.
- If You Ever… – wanted to see Sho Kosugi in a banana hammock or fly a hang glider (but not at the same time), then Black Eagle is for you.
- Un-Priestly Quote – “I am a man of peace. I don’t have to punch his fucking lights out.”
- Educate Yourself – If you want even more from Black Eagle, check out the top notch 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Black Eagle from Chris the Brain.
