THE STORY:  I'm amazed at how many people said they hated this movie. It wasn't bad, as in bad for a b-movie. What did they expect? The Andromeda Strain? Yes, this movie has whale sized plotholes and its not an example of the best of cinema, but hey, its just a buddy action movie. If you just take it for what its worth its fun to watch.

In 1987, Dr. Richard Long miscalculates in his formula for a new chemical weapon. The result? An explosion that wipes out almost every living thing on Horn Island. Of the few survivors is Captain Brynner. For some reason they refer to him as Major Brynner later in the flick but that can't be right. Because Captain Brynner was in charge of the army detachment on Horn Island and he was court martialed and sent to prison for negligence when Long's weapon went awry. I'm certain they don't promote you in the Fort Leavenworth Military Prison.

Ten years later, Long is still working on chemical weapons for the army at a facility in Montana. Long wasn't held accountable for the explosion because "The government needs him, but they don't need Brynner except as a scapegoat." Brynner is released from prison and is really pissed. Who wouldn't be?

Well, Brynner hires some mercenaries, breaks into Long's lab (rather too easily) and tries to steal the chemical weapon that started it all, codenamed "Elvis". Long is shot but lives and manages to take Elvis away before Brynner can get it. He makes it to a greasy spoon diner where his only friend, a drifter named Tim Mason, works. Mason is at that moment arguing with Ice Cream salesman, Arlo. Good thing too...Elvis has to be kept at a temperature under 50 degrees or it goes off. With his dying breath Long tells Mason to get Elvis to safe hands at Fort MacGruder by using Arlo's freezer truck outside. Arlo refuses to use his truck at first, but Mason convinces him. So there you have the set up. Brynner and goons pursue Mason and Arlo, Mason and Arlo have to survive and keep Elvis below fifty digress and many things get blown up.

Theres the added things that come with these movies, too....Arlo stole the ice cream truck because he's pissed at his former boss, Mason isn't the drifter everyone thinks he is, he just had some hard luck in an otherwise good life, and Brynner's former subordinate is now a colonel chasing him down. All we need now is some redneck cops...oh, yeah, the movie has them too.

With the little bit of info written here you can probably write the rest of the movie yourselves. And you wouldn't be far off, I'd wager. Still, it was kinda fun to watch and I have to admit that I liked it for that. Its not a great movie, just a fun 'guy' movie. Well, fun if you have a pizza and a few beers and don't want to think too hard about what you're watching. My biggest complaint is the fact that Cuba Gooding Jr. played Arlo and Arlo was a stereotype. He wasn't the worst stereotype I've ever seen. (The mind reels at the thought of Garrett Morris in this role.) But man, are we through with this crap yet? A black guy that not only has to be introduced listening to Rap, he has to squeal in a high voice like Chris Tucker when he gets scared, swear like a drunken sailor, and STEAL an ice cream truck even though he says he earned a college degree! Arlo could have just been a pissed off ice cream truck guy without the theft and it wouldn't have made a frigging difference in the film. That alone will lose this movie at least one or two devil heads.

Best Lines: "Well I'm an amateur and this going to hurt like hell."- Mason when he kicks the [unwrite] out of the female mercenary, Vaughn.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Dr. Long's fly fishing is curious to me. I like to fish, but fly fishing is something I don't like. Too much effort. If you're gonna fish, take some coffee and sandwiches, maybe a good book set up your stuff and wait. Well, that probably explains why I'm not a professional fisherman, but hell, if you're not gonna relax what's the f***ing point. (unless you have absolutely no other way to get some grub)

2.) So this military base where "Elvis" is kept only has about four people in it!? When Brynner breaks in with his goon squad there's like three or four guards. Easily killed guards I might add. You know, there's nothing deadly in the building I work in (except for me...heehee...I'm a lethal weapon...) and at least we have a coded lock on the door.

3.) In the movie Extreme Prejudice I could pretty much buy into Michael Ironsides lying to Nick Nolte about being a government agent. Nolte was playing a good ol' boy type Texas Ranger. But in this movie its a little harder to suspend that much belief. The cops in this backwoods town just take it for granted that Brynner is a military authority without checking? Even when their prime suspect, Mason, clearly doesn't have the ability to pull of a theft at a military installation? Man, chuck this in the pile with the Free Men and I never want to go to Montana.

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  The mercenaries in this movie are easily outfoxed. They have a ton of hi-tech equipment and two normal guys evade them for the better part of the movie in an ice cream truck.

Arlo says he got his degree. I guess he didn't get one in law since he was all too willing to steal his former employers ice cream truck and try to steal money from the customers.

The boat going down the hill part was pretty stupid but it wasn't as bad as the hated scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with the rubber raft. Still, it was silly. At least Arlo and Mason didn't land in the water in the boat without a scratch like in IJaTToD, but the scene still left a bad taste in my mouth.

Hmmmm...Colonel Vitello says he served in 'Nam with Brynner....that means they both are pretty good looking for people who must be about 50 plus years old. The really bad part is the 'Nam line was completely unneeded.

THE FINAL JUDGMENT: I wasn't kidding. I liked this flick on a lowest denominator level, but its still losing a devil head for Arlo's character. Call it unfair if you like, but it really pissed me the heck off. It can be an amusing film, but we all pay for our sins sooner or later.