John Chard
Jan 8, 2017
Delta Damage! The Delta Force is directed by Menahem Golam and Golam co-writes the screenplay with James Bruner. It stars Chuck Norris, Lee Marvin, Joey Bishop, Robert Forster, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn and Shelley Winters. Music is by Alan Silvestri and cinematography by David Gurfinkel. Film is a very loose working of the real life TWA Athens hijacking in 1985, done in a pure fantastical Hollywood style. It would prove to be the final movie of hard man actor Lee Marvin who would sadly pass away a year later, unfortunately this didn't prove to be a fitting swansong for him. All the elements were there, a star name cast fronted by one of the 1980s action movie stars and a hot topic story ripe for serious drama and thrills. Sadly the pic doesn't deliver on its promise of something substantial. However, if you are an action movie fan who isn't the kind to get in a twist about political correctness, sloganeering and overt flag waving, then there's lots of fun to be had. Stripped back from the political aspects (rah rah rah) it's a Norris cartooner, while Marv gets one final decent pay day. The action is well put together, all bonkers, gloriously so, none more so than when Norris is at the forefront. Be it hand to hand butt kicking or indulging in motor cycle mayhem (rocket launchers, oh my!) , it's excessively joyous. Yep! There's cheese aplenty, especially once the human drama of the first hour gives way to macho marauding, whilst Silvestri's musical score is irritating and irritatingly catchy - sounds more like it should have been in an 80s Brat Pack movie - and you can't help but be annoyed that pretty much all the big names in the supporting cast are badly wasted! Also sad to see a frail Marvin in this, ravaged by years of nicotine and alcohol this is not how we want to remember him and therefore we are duty bound not to. Still, forgive it its failings and embrace the thrilling corn, for there's still a good time to be had here. That is on proviso you happen to have a bent for such movies in the first place! 6/10
