Image courtesy of 80ssountracksaor.blogspot.com |
Directed by: Hal Needham
Category: Action
I can't believe I'd never gotten around to seeing this until now. Sure we've all seen that hilarious sequence involving star Barry Bostwick on a futuristic motorbike as it leaps off the ground and tries to land inside a moving plane, all done to gawd-awful blue screen work that makes it downright hilarious. If you haven't come across it, it's bloody brilliant, terrible, and fucking hilarious all at the same time. But I always wondered if the film itself was just as entertaining as that one sequence. This weekend I decided to finally tackle this somebitch.
I couldn't help but notice something peculiar in this shot. |
Megaforce is silly, cheesy, 80's ridiculous fun. Were these the traits the filmmakers were going for at the time? Probably not, but as with films like Flash Gordon, Albert Pyun's Captain America, and Masters of the Universe, it's all about the cheese baby, unintentional or not, and that's what makes Megaforce such a fun trip down 80's lane. There's nothing in here that will change or define the genre, and I doubt that this film was ever meant to. However, the constantly sly wink-at-the-camera approach often makes you wonder how much of the silliness you see on film was done on purpose.
Image courtesy of WorseMoviesEverMade.com |
While the film as a whole didn't contain a whole lot of action, or nearly the level of action I was expecting for a film like this, it's charming enough to keep you invested and entertained, even through a few of the slow parts. Hal Needham directs this thing surprisingly well, even infusing the film with some "out of left field" style, utilizing color schemes and compositions that you wouldn't normally expect from a film like this, or from a Hal Needham film in general. Of course, that could all be the Art Department or Set Decorator's involement. In either case, it's impressive and adds that special dash of 80's neon cheese to the mix.
Nothing in Megaforce will blow you away, but for a good time, some 80's cheesy nostalgia, and a few laughs, this will certainly fit the bill. Nothing in the film will equal the hilarious awesome of that "bike in the air sequence", but it's a trip well worth taking.
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