MovieChat Forums > McBain (1991) Discussion > Pure propaganda - This is flipping terri...

Pure propaganda - This is flipping terrible!

posted 13 years ago by sub_mish
4 replies | jump to latest

I couldn't watch any more of this turkey after 12 minutes 53 seconds, though I will try again due to Walken and Ironside.

In the first 10 minutes all they do is kill Vietnamese people and then the next thing that happens is they cut to Columbia and set the stage for killing a lot of Columbians. Coincidentally the Americans have killed millions of people in both countries. All in the cause of Truth Justice and the American Way of course.

Normally I have little time for useful idiots who spout off about "American imperialism" and all that pseudo-leftie bollox but I'll make an exception for this piece of crap. It's just sheer flippin propaganda, and not very good propaganda at that. Jeepers!

PS Was Tropic Thunder inspired by this? It certainly seems so.

Sits in corner counting inconsistencies and Spoiling It For Everyone

[–] birthdaynoodle 12 years ago

[spoilers...]

As terribly flawed as the film is, it doesn't really support American imperialism. While it's true that the Colombian dictator (El Presidente) is the story's main villain, he and his cronies are allied not only with drug cartels, but also with the U.S. government. Regular Colombians are the victims of that alliance. When Santos asks the CIA for help, they side not with the revolution but with El Presidente. That's why McBain and company have to go at it alone. (Viva el private enterprise!)

However, what's ridiculous is the way that a handful of retired American soldiers appear to be able to do what the entire Colombian population can't. McBain and buddies seem superhuman compared to those Colombian weaklings. No wonder Santos' sister instantly finds McBain irresistible! (Her panties seem to melt away upon her first gaze at him.) Particularly stupid is the last scene, in which McBain heroically informs the people at the presidential palace that he killed off El Presidente and they all cheer him. It kind of reminded me of The Three Amigos, only that was a goofy parody.

Also, the idea that the entire Colombian population would be against El Presidente's regime is dangeroulsy naive. Recent history in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya show that no matter how terrible the government might seem to one, part of the population will still side with it. Things aren't as black and white as some would believe.

The movie's so over the top, though, that I doubt anyone could possibly take it seriously.

[–] chemical404 12 years ago

As I understood that scene with Santos asking for CIA help, they would like to help, but they can't because of the laws/policies (what does that tell us?).
Not sure if it can be called 'imperialism' but this movie takes very wacko right stance. I'm not Amrican, but I think this is what Tea Party movement likes.:)

Another thing that struck me as hilariously idiotic is that our heroes go on a drinking competition with each other with winner drinking '32 beers', as that's something we should adore. Then they go killing latino/colored/rap-listening drug dealers for their money, telling that these people aren't even human. Alcohol abuse = awesome, drug abuse = you're animal and you should be shot in a face.

I enjoy really bad over-the-top movies, even if they are completely 'wrong'. This one had its moments, especially scenes with Santos sister, but action scenes takes up most of the film and are strangely unengaging.

[–] crypticanomaly73 8 years ago

Would it really have been any different or better if they were killing Europeans like say Russians and Germans which they have done in movies and real life for decades?

It's just a film, they needed bad guys.

Sometimes a movie or tv show plot is so stupid that only the stupid can understand it.

[–] sajiky 8 years ago

It's just a very poorly done very stupid movie. I think the incompetence, incoherence and just plain stupidity put forth in this movie would leave me unable to get behind any propogandist message even if it was one I already firmly believed in.

If they are not competent enough to even create a coherent movie when it is a simple straightforward action film, then I think it is safe to say that any percieved propoganda bias is purely coincidental. Based on the level of competence shown, if the movie seems to have some kind of right wing propoganda, then they were probably trying to show how great hard line communism is.

Look at the portrayal of Newtonian physics alone. The weight of a ceiling fan pulled a 250 lb guy out a window, shotgun blasts sends people flying backwards 20 ft. People were shot then after a bit got up and shoot their shooter (this idiocy actually happened more then once).

I don't think the makers of this movie would have the ability to add something as subtle as propoganda.

Also on a side note people knock the vietnam war a lot and with good reason. But the same policy did make it so that millions of South Koreans for several generations now live in a fairly wealthy and free country, especially when compared to how they would be living if we had just let North Korea have it all. For some reason we tend to lose sight of that.