Hal Needam's MEGAFORCE was promoted heavily. Back in 1981 the film was everywhere. Stories were written and broadcast about how the film's cars, motorcycles and other vehicles and weapons were being studied by the US Military for possible use. It was being set up as the next big thing..
...and then it died. It seemed no one wanted to watch spandex soldiers riding dune buggies,
The reviews came out and it tanked. The reviews were so bad that I went opening weekend because I suspected it wasn't going to last long in theaters.
The plot has a secret government organization, made up of tan spandex wearing soldiers, going up against a bad guy working on world domination. They use fancy dune buggies and motorcycles.
Full disclosure, I like Hal Needam's films. I love how he could make entertaining films that reduced things to their most basic level. Think about what the SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT or CANNONBALL RUN films are. There is nothing much beyond a chase and quips...an yet they work.
Well they worked when he either had a good script (BANDIT, his TV work) or a cast that could sell anything (CANNONBALL RUN). Unfortunately in the case of MEGAFORCE he had a largely second level cast and a script that stinks.
The script, is...well...there really isn't anything there. It's as cliche as they come. You know how its going to go from frame one. It might have worked, as in his other films, if he had given us either well drawn characters or actors who ar charismatic enough to hold the screen, but he has nothing. Michael Beck, while never bad was never anything but occasionally good. Okay yes I like Barry Bostwick and Persis Khambatta, but they are better in support than as leads. It doesn't help but they are all given bad movie hero cliches as characters.
To be honest I like the action in the film. Sure it borders on silly (especially in the final battle where Bostwick's motorcycle flies thanks to bad visual effects) but it entertains. I think it was because of Needham's stunt work that he was allowed to direct again when this film died at the box office. (That and he was a friend of Burt Reynolds)
Is it a bad film? Oh hell yes?
Is it fun? Oh hell yes.
Should you see it? If you can do so with friends and make fun of it.
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