Bat*21 *** (1988, Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Jerry Reed) – Classic Movie Review 12,274

Bat*21 (1988, Gene Hackman).

Gene Hackman stars as US air force Lt. Colonel Iceal ‘Ham’ Hambleton, in the 1988 war film Bat*21.

‘Trapped behind enemy lines. A whole army after him… And only one man can save him.’

Director Peter Markle’s 1988 war film Bat*21 is based on a book by William C Anderson, based on a true incident, and stars Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, and Jerry Reed.

Gene Hackman plays a US air force colonel, Lt. Colonel Iceal ‘Ham’ Hambleton, more used to sitting behind a desk than seeing the frontline, who finds himself stranded in Vietcong occupied territory. Bat*21, as he is known, discovers the hidden resources within himself necessary for making it home, with his only help coming from Air Force reconnaissance pilot Captain Bartholomew Clark (Danny Glover) in a reconnaissance plane.

The film went straight to video in Britain, partly because of its off-putting silly title, but mainly because of the uneven blend of buddy movie, pacifist flag-waving and thoughtful action adventure. Hackman’s gripping performance dominates this worthwhile, unconventional film, but there are too many longueurs between the unexciting sequences to make it entertaining popular fare.

The cast are Gene Hackman, Danny Glover, Jerry Reed, David Marshall Grant, Clayton Rohner, Erich Anderson, Joe Dorsey, Michael Ng, Theodore Chan Woei-Shyong, Don Ruffin, and Scott Howell.

Screenplay writers: William C Anderson and George Gordon.

Filming location: Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.

Bat*21 is directed by Peter Markle, runs 105 minutes, is made by TriStar Pictures, Vision PDG, Bat 21 Limited LP and Eagle Films, is released by TriStar Pictures (1988) (US), is written by William C Anderson and George Gordon, is shot by Mark Irwin, is produced by Jerry Reed (executive producer), David Fisher, Gary A Neill and Michael Balson, and is scored by Christopher Young.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,274

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com