MCBAIN (1991)
Label: Synapse Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 103 Minutes 22 Seconds
Video: 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA English 5.1 Surround & Original 2.0 Stereo Theatrical Mix with Optional English Subtitles
Director: James Gickenhaus
Cast: Christopher Walken, Michael Ironside, Maria Conchita Alonso, Victor Argo, Chick Vennera, T.G. Waites, Steve James, Jay Patterson, Dick Boccecelli
Much like director James Glickenhaus' 80's revenger The Exterminator his 90's actioner McBain (1991) opens in 'Nam, the war has quite literally just ended and the Americans troops are pulling out, we have a helicopter full of Rangers being withdrawn when they spot a bamboo dome structure they believe to be holding American POW's in the jungle below. Not wanting to leave anyone behind they land nearby and assault the camp in a flurry of knifings, gunfire and explosions, and sure enough the dome is a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome style death arena pitting American POW's against their Viet Cong captors in a fight to the death. As the soldiers move in POW Robert McBain (Christopher Walken, Dead Zone) faces off against a brick wall sized VC soldier when his life is saved by US soldier Roberto Santo (Chick Vennera, Thank God It's Friday). When McBain says he is in the soldier's debt Santo tears a $100 dollar bill in half and a vow is made that should the two halves of the torn currency ever be reunited that McBain will repay his debt to Santo.
Eighteen years later McBain is a steelworker living in NYC throwing back beers at the neighborhood watering-hole when witnesses Santos, now Colombian rebel freedom fighter executed on live television after a failed attempt to overthrow 'El Presidente', a despot Colombian general played by venerable character actor Victor Argo (The Electric Chair). A few days later Santo's sister Christina (Maria Conchita Alonso, Vampire's Kiss) arrives in NYC, tracking McBain to a worksite on the very top of the Brooklyn Bridge, presenting to him the torn $100 bill, enlisting him to help liberate Columbia from it's corrupt drug-fueled dictatorship.
McBain gathers his aging 'Nam buds back together to assist with the coup, among them embittered Detective Gil (T.G. Waites, The Thing), Eastland (Steve James, The Exterminator), Dr. Carl Dalton (Jay Patterson, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and a reluctant Frank Bruce (Michael Ironside, (Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone) who has struck it rich post-'Nam, offering "What, you miss the smell of napalm in the morning?" to which McBain counters "When I come to see you.. you're sitting in a chair like an old man, staring at the ocean, you having fun yet?".
Bruce refuses to join the coup (though he later joins in the fun, of course) but offers the use of a plane which comes with a hefty price tag. In an attempt to raise the cash the mercs decimate the crew of a low-level narcotics peddler named Papo (Luis Guzman, Boogie Nights) who indignantly tells them after they wipe the floor with his gang in a shit-storm of gunfire that "if you guys want money why don't you go after what's his face, John Gambotti, he's got the money, all I got is table drippings", and so they do. They ambush Gambotti (Dick Boccecelli, The Exterminator) him by crashing a semi into a row of cars on the streets in front of the the Old Homestead restaurant which will be familiar to those who've seen Glickdenhaus's The Exterminator as Dick Boccelli, here once again appearing as a mafioso suspended from chains, this time from a skyscraper instead of a meat grinder and squeezed for millions to be wired into the mercs account who pose as Israeli agents.
With the cash wired to their account they charter Bruce's twin-prop private plane and head to Columbia to free the poor and oppressed people of that country. At this point all logic and sanity are abandoned as the twin-prop tries to evades two Colombian jet fighters with the help of Bruce's SAT-link briefcase computer, when that fails and the jet pilots orders the plane to land McBain fires a single shot from a handgun through the cockpit window killing the pilot and crashing the jet. Mind you there's no decompression, the window doesn't shatter and no one is stricken deaf from the close proximity shot, but whatever. It's outrageously implausible but highly entertaining, and that's pretty much how it goes for the remainder of the film as we see one of the most casually planned but highly effective half-assed rebel coups ever slapped on the silver screen. The Hawaiian shirted mercenaries land unscathed in Bogata during a raging ground war, pose for vacation photos; and walk through a hornets nests of gunfire with a wink and nod only to walk away unscathed and victorious, 'natch.
It's a nutty, nonsensical action film featuring Christopher Walken is at his most badass Walken-ish delivering tasty dialogue with nuanced pregnant pauses as only he and William Shatner can get away with, it's whacky stuff. As where The Exterminator took a few narrative shortcuts leaving your mind to fill in the gaps this Glickenhaus action-fest numbs the brain to such a degree that it would prove detrimental should your brain even enter into the fray. That said this sucker is action-packed with an explosive arsenal of badassery, the pure ridiculousness of it all kept me rapt, and the final stretch is a senses shattering bombardment of explosions, gunfire and bad-ass stunt work that will get the blood pumping.
Glickenhaus and crew filmed the Colombian scenes in the Philippines which I guess would qualify this as a late-era Filipino exploitation film. Sadly, the usually badass Michael Ironside is unusually subdued for here, which definitely a missed opportunity, if you have Ironside you need to give him some meatier dialogue. The film's worst performance must be from the consummate 80's action-lady Maria Conchita Alonso who really hams it up in an overly dramatic performance as Santo's rebel sister Christina. Some dull plot machinations and spotty performances aside Glickenhau's McBain is an early 90's actioner but the cheese-factor is absolutely of the vintage 80's varietal, and it's quite an entertaining watch.
Extras include an Audio commentary with director James Glickenhaus and film historian Chris Poggiali, plus the Original Theatrical Trailer. Sadly we do not get the Intro or the 14-min featurette that appeared on the Arrow Video 2011 UK DVD, but the commentary is pretty great and covers what I recall from the featurette and quite a bit more with some promoting of Poggiali as he gets into the production, the locations both in the Philippines and in the U.S., the stunt work and the cast and crew, and distribution of the film. The single-disc release arrives in a black keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring a bad-ass illustration, not sure who the credit goes to for the artwork, but it's bad-ass, the same key art is features on the disc inside.
Special Features:
- New 5.1 surround soundtrack created specifically for this release (original theatrical stereo mix also included)
- Audio commentary with director James Glickenhaus and film historian Chris Poggiali
- Original Theatrical Trailer (1:25) HD
- Newly translated removable English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Early 90's actioner McBain (1991) from James Glickenhaus (Slaughter of the Innocents), is an absurdly action-packed flick that's low on brains but chock full o' testosterone and explosions galore, if you're an action-fan this is a fun watch and this new Blu-ray from Synapse is a fantastic A/V upgrade and well-worth picking up.
- New 5.1 surround soundtrack created specifically for this release (original theatrical stereo mix also included)
- Audio commentary with director James Glickenhaus and film historian Chris Poggiali
- Original Theatrical Trailer (1:25) HD
- Newly translated removable English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Early 90's actioner McBain (1991) from James Glickenhaus (Slaughter of the Innocents), is an absurdly action-packed flick that's low on brains but chock full o' testosterone and explosions galore, if you're an action-fan this is a fun watch and this new Blu-ray from Synapse is a fantastic A/V upgrade and well-worth picking up.
Screenshots from the Synapse Films Blu-ray:
