Plot: What’s it about?
Colonel James Braddock (Chuck Norris) managed to escape from a hellish prisoner of war camp in Vietnam, but now he has to return to save his fellow soldiers. While the public assumes all loose ends have been tied up since the conflict in Vietnam has ended, that just isn’t the case at all. Even though the Vietnamese government denies all claims of remaining American prisoners of war, it is known that some men are still being held captive under awful conditions. A large scale effort would be impossible, but any type of rescue mission would be almost as tough. But the dangerous odds don’t scare Braddock, who is bound and determined to make sure those men are freed and returned to their homes. With some help from Ann (Lenore Kasdorf), a lovely State Department official Braddock is able to secure some heavy weapons and information he needs to locate the prisoners. Now Braddock and his friend Tuck (M. Emmet Walsh) must head into enemy territory, launch an offensive against the prisoner camps, rescue the imprisoned soldiers, and get everyone out alive. This is no easy task by any means, but if one man can pull off this mission, that man is Braddock.
We all have titles we’re waiting for to be released on this wonderful format, and Missing In Action has been on my want list for some time now. While I am pleased it has seen a release after all this time, I feel MGM has once issued a rushed catalog title, with no real effort put into this one. While the video is adequate an anamorphic transfer should be mandatory by now, and the mono sound just isn’t good enough for a film like this. I’m sure bonus materials are sparse for this title, but I’d imagine they could come up with more than just the theatrical trailer. While I am unhappy with this disc, the movie itself is another story and it serves as one of my favorite action/war movies. This isn’t as emotional as say Platoon or Saving Private Ryan, but it is a title that deserves a place in any war movie collection. This is an explosion filled and bullet riddled approach to the war genre, and I think it offers a terrific alternative to more serious war movies. As long as you don’t expect a rich, complex storyline or a deep spectrum of explored characters, you should be fine. This one is just for escapist type fun and thrills, and it serves that purpose very well. I recommend the movie, but due to the substandard disc, I think a rental will take care of all the die-hard fans.
This film was directed by Joseph Zito, who also directed several other films that should entertain those who like this movie. While this is an action type film, Zito manages to create a nice visual environment at all times, using quick movements when the action heats up, then slower and tighter camera work then the movie switches into dialogue scenes. While most would pass this off as a second movie without even watching it, I think there is some good directing going on in this film. If you want more of Zito’s films to check out, try Invasion U.S.A., Delta Force One: The Lost Patrol, and Red Scorpion. This film has two main supporting actors, M. Emmet Walsh and Lenore Kasdorf (Starship Troopers) who turn in adequate performances and help flesh out the movie. While Walsh (The Iron Giant, Wild Wild West) sometimes seems out of his element, he is usually solid and believable in his role. The rest of the supporting cast includes Ernie Ortega (Dark Tides), David Tress (Xanadu), and James Hong (Broken Vessels). The magic man in this movie though is Chuck Norris, who plays the one man wrecking crew to perfection, and can kick ass with the best of them. Norris (Game of Death) never elevated his status to “A” list, but I think he has some terrific action movies, which I’d love to see brought out on this format.
Video: How does it look?
Missing In Action is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. This is the finest portion of the disc’s technical specs, but then again that’s not saying much. While the print shows some flecks, nicks, and other signs of wear the overall transfer seems good enough, although some edge enhancement is seen from time to time. The colors appear a little faded but still natural with no bleeding, and flesh tones seem normal as well. The contrast is solid throughout the film, with well defined shadows and no obscuration of detail to be noted. I will say that some scenes look overly dark, but these scenes are infrequent. This disc also contains a full frame version if you’re into that type of thing.
Audio: How does it sound?
This movie would sound so cool in a full 5.1 surround sound remaster, but sadly this release contains only the original mono audio track. This is a war movie, filled with gunshots and stuff blowing up, so this mix just can’t measure up to the material. While these mono tracks work for dialogue driven films or less audio driven movies, this film screams for surround sound. The dialogue is crisp and clear, but the rest of the elements fall short of what they should sound like.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains the film’s theatrical trailer, but you don’t even get a collectible booklet…
