Aaron Norris directs this action-packed Vietnam War flick for Cannon Productions, starring Michael Dudikoff in what has widely been credited as being his finest ever performance as Lt. Knight, a young lieutenant fresh out of West Point who arrives at a small outpost in the jungle full of hardened and bitter veterans. He is met with hostility, naturally, as it takes a while for him to lose the West Point and by-the-book attitude and just get the job done. The film charts his transformation from a rookie into a solid and respected leader, as his demands for reinforcements keep falling on deaf ears just as a major enemy push is on the horizon in the area.
Dudikoff and the rest of the cast are solid and what inhibits the film is some of the jingoistic action and the nature of the film that is typical of Cannon productions. With the source material and the talent on show I think that this film would have benefited from a less dramatic tone and would have been up their with the likes of "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" had that been the case. The budget was not an issue, the action scenes being testament to that, as well as the fine sets that equal those in the likes of "Platoon" and the TV series "Tour of Duty".
Knight's transformation is excellent and I really liked Sgt. McNamara, portrayed by Robert F. Lyons. He was very natural and what I imagine an NCO in this period would have been like.
Dudikoff and the rest of the cast are solid and what inhibits the film is some of the jingoistic action and the nature of the film that is typical of Cannon productions. With the source material and the talent on show I think that this film would have benefited from a less dramatic tone and would have been up their with the likes of "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" had that been the case. The budget was not an issue, the action scenes being testament to that, as well as the fine sets that equal those in the likes of "Platoon" and the TV series "Tour of Duty".
Knight's transformation is excellent and I really liked Sgt. McNamara, portrayed by Robert F. Lyons. He was very natural and what I imagine an NCO in this period would have been like.