starring Gene Hackman, Fred Ward, Robert Stack, Patrick Swayze
directed by Ted Kotcheff
105 minutes
Retired USMC Colonel Cal Rhodes (Gene Hackman) is tired of waiting for the US Government to do something about finding his son Frank who has been missing in action for 10 years. Rhodes recruits and leads a team in search of Frank whom he believes is being held captive in Northen Laos. The operation is bankrolled by MacGregor (Robert Stack), whose son served with Frank and is also listed as missing in action.
Most of the men he recruits express some reluctance but eventually come around and sign on for the rescue mission. Wilkes (Fred Ward) is no exception. He still has nightmares about killing a woman and her child during a fight in a tunnel. The only man in the team not to have served in Vietnam is Kevin Scott (Patrick Swayze) whose father is also listed as missing in action.
They train in the United States in a reconstruction of the camp where Frank was last seen. They head to Laos once Rhodes is satisfied that they are ready. The CIA keeps tabs on the Rhodes, tries talking him out of going forward with the operation, and goes so far as to confiscate the weapons Rhodes purchased in advance in Thailand.
They manage to buy some more weapons with their own money but everything does not go according to plan.
Thoughts
I've wanted to watch this movie for quite some time. It isn't great but I wasn't expecting it to really impress me. Some of the acting in it is subpar but there are a few performances in it that made me feel like it wasn't a complete waste of time. I don't love this movie. I don't see myself watching it again but I'm glad that I can say that I've seen it. The ending did get me a bit emotional.
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