Bullet Points: Mission Manila
I am not sure if Larry Wilcox of CHiPs fame has ever visited BulletproofAction.com. The safe money is on no. The longshot is that Larry is actually a longtime reader of the site. And as a longtime reader, Larry might feel like history is repeating itself with Bulletproof Action showing favoritism to Larry’s CHiPs co-star Erik Estrada, much like Larry accused the producers of CHiPs back in the day, which caused Larry to walk away from the series before the final season.
Over the years, we have covered numerous Erik Estrada films here on the site including Light Blast, Trackdown and The Last Riders. Meanwhile, we have only covered ONE Larry Wilcox movie, that being The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission. But that ONE is about to become TWO…
- Now Boarding: A mustachioed Larry Wilcox plays Web, a man on his way back to Manila. Through a series of flashbacks, we find that Manila was not always good to Web, but he’s returning after his brother Tony’s wife Maria (Tetchie Agbayani, Gymkata) contacted him in the states seeking his help. Tony has gone missing. On his flight to Manila, Web finds himself sitting next to Susie, a bride-to-be on her way to Manila for a Valentine’s Day wedding.
- Bar Hopping: Web begins his investigation by stopping by local watering hole The Hobbit House where he talks to the diminutive bartender Goliath. Goliath tells Web that Tony got into the heroin game and was doing work for Harry Costello, local nightclub owner/crime boss… So Web heads over to The Orient Express, Costello’s nightclub, where he talks to his “old friend” Jessie… she doesn’t have much to say and as soon as Web leaves The Orient Express he is assaulted in an alley. Next stop for Web, he pays a visit to “The Englishman”, who tells Web that Tony agreed to take a million dollars worth of heroin to the United States for Costello, but both the drugs and Tony went missing.
- Tangled Web: When Web leaves “The Englishman” he finds himself being shot at on the streets of Manila. And who comes to his rescue?!?! None other than Susie! It turns out that Tony is Susie’s fiancé!?!?! Obviously Susie was unaware that Tony was already married, but she did know where Tony’s apartment is, so that is where Web and Susie end up next and that’s when Web finds out that the CIA is also looking for Tony… specifically Harrison, who we learn trained Web back in the day, so I guess that means Web is former CIA.
- Undercover: Despite finding out that Tony wasn’t the man she thought he was, Susie decides to infiltrate The Orient Express under the guise of looking for a job as one of Costello’s girls. At first Costello humors her, even sharing his love of toy trains with her… which will come into play shortly. Susie goes home with Costello and following them is Tony, who has finally come out of hiding. Susie and Tony’s plans both backfire… after being interrogated by Harry, Tony ends up shot and on the run, while Susie ends up tied to some railroad tracks the next morning!!
- Thrilla in Manila: Fortunately for Susie she has Web to save the day, just in the nick of time. Unfortunately for Susie, Harry had a sniper at the ready and Susie is shot dead when she and Web getaway in a Jeepney. Now Web is really pissed and ends up back at The Orient Express where he takes out some of Costello’s men… but Costello manages to escape. No worries, Web knows that Harry will eventually have to go out to his plantation and it is there that Web will wait for Harry. While he waits, Web finds Harry’s heroin stash in an airplane hanger on the property and douses it in airplane fuel… seems like a recipe for disaster for the cigar smoking Harry Costello… Once Harry is out of the picture, we get a brief brotherly reunion that does not end well and in the end the CIA wins.
Mission Manila is not a good movie and I would only suggest it to a die hard Larry Wilcox fans like Liz Lemon. The plot is as murky as the video quality. I had a tough time buying Wilcox as a former CIA operative (the mustache was a bit off putting too). And at no point did I care if Web found his brother or didn’t find his brother… I just wanted to find the end credits.
If you were trying to find some Bonus Bullet Points, you’re in the right place…
- AKA: Mission Manila was released as Web in Belgium and Spain.
- Confusing Quote: “We used to shit, shave and shower in the same room.” – Web …does Web do these things in separate rooms now?
- Familiar Face: Henry Strzalkowski played the guard who pissed his pants at the plantation gate. I remembered Henry from such films as Ultimax Force, Silk and Equalizer 2000.
