Gift SubscriptionsPatrick Cameron
- 1982
- R
A young man (David G. Brown) is bogged down by his family, farm and school life, but after the baseball coach convinces him to play, he finds a bit of comfort in the sport--which he also excels in. Although Kevin Costner is prominently featured on cover of the video release (to capitalize on the success of Field of Dreams), he appears only briefly in the film. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David G. Brown
- 1986
In an episode clearly inspired by the "Hurricane" Carter saga, ex-prizefighter Typhoon Thompson (Isaac Hayes) gets out of prison after serving several years for the murder of his manager. Now all Typhoon lives for is to get even with the person whom he claims is the real murderer--and to exact vengeance against Hunter (Fred Dryer), the police detective who sent him up. As dead bodies pile up all over LA, it looks as if Typhoon has embarked upon a killing spree...but Hunter begins to suspect that someone else is responsible for the carnage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
LA cop Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), whose wife has recently died, is a loose cannon with a seeming death wish. This makes him indispensable in collaring dangerous criminals, but a liability to any potential partners. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), a conservative family man who wants to stay alive for his upcoming 50th birthday, is partnered with Riggs. As Riggs gets to know Murtaugh and his family, he begins to mellow, though his insistence on using guerilla tactics to catch criminals is still (put mildly) above and beyond the call of duty. The main villain is The General (Mitchell Ryan), a drug dealer responsible for the death of the daughter of one of Murtaugh's oldest friends. The General is also in charge of a deadly, militia-like gang of smugglers. Adding fuel to the fire is The General's chief henchman, played with all stops out by Gary Busey. Moviegoers familiar only with the relatively tongue-in-cheek Lethal Weapon sequels may be amazed to find out how dangerous and unpredictable Riggs is in the first Lethal Weapon -- and how likely it seems that Murtaugh might not survive until fade-out time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, (more)
Lethal Weapon 2 reteams Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as, respectively, "loose cannon" LA detective Martin Riggs and Riggs' partner, the cautious family man Roger Murtaugh. The villain this time is a South African diplomat (Joss Ackland) who doubles as a drug dealer. Though Riggs knows what's going on thanks to characterless character witness Joe Pesci, he can't touch the villain because of "diplomatic immunity." After perils too numerous to mention, Riggs and Murtaugh shoot it out with the heavies on the deck of a South African cargo ship. Lethal Weapon 2, of course, contains as one of its comic high-points a now famous suspense scene: Mel Gibson agonizingly attempting to extricate a terrified Danny Glover from a booby-trapped toilet seat. Gibson, Glover, Donner and Joe Pesci would be reunited three years later for Lethal Weapon 3 and in 1998 for Lethal Weapon 4. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, (more)
- 1984
While travelling through rural Green County, B.A. (Mr. T) and Murdock (Dwight Schultz) are taken hostage by bank roobers Logan (Steve Sandor) and Jones (Jeff Doucette)--and then are arrested as the robbers' accomplices! Sentenced to a prison chain gang (without a trial!), our two heroes face danger from several sources, especially when the two robbers escape. Meanwhile, Hannibal (George Peppard) and Face (Dirk Benedict) attempt to rescue their comrades without being captured themselves by the relentless Col. Decker (Lance LeGault). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Hannibal's perennial nemesis Colonel Lynch (William Lucking) is in a festive mood when he finally succeeds in capturing the A-Team. But Lynch's exultation is short-lived: He is ordered to release the team by his superiors, who want Hannibal (George Peppard) and company to head to Borneo, there to rescue kidnapped army general Ludlam (Warren Kemmerling) and his daughter Kathy (Amy Steel). The assignment proves most difficult for B.A. (Mr. T) who once cold-cocked the General back in Vietnam. Future 24 and The Unit star Dennis Haysbert appears in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin wasn't alone when he noticed similarities between Goonies and the 1934 Our Gang comedy Mama's Little Pirate. Adapted by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg, the film follows a group of misfit kids (including such second-generation Hollywoodites as Josh Brolin and Sean Astin) as they search for buried treasure in a subterranean cavern. Here they cross the path of lady criminal Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey) and her outlaw brood. Fortunately, the kids manage to befriend Fratelli's hideously deformed (but soft-hearted) son (John Matuszak), who comes to their rescue. The Spielberg influence is most pronounced in the film's prologue and epilogue, when the viewer is advised that the film's real villains are a group of "Evil Land Developers." The musical score makes excellent use of Max Steiner's main theme from The Adventures of Don Juan, not to mention contributions by the likes of Richard Marx and Cyndi Lauper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, (more)
