Megaforce (1982) in Movie of the Day Forum

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Megaforce (1982)

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Dave Sindelar

Megaforce (1982)

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Jan 21 12 12:50 AM

Megaforce (1982)

#3812

Viewing Date: 1-11-2012

Posting Date: 1-21-2012

Directed by Hal Needham

Featuring Barry Bostwick, Michael Beck, Persis Khambatta

Country: USA / Hong Kong

What it is: Loud and busy

A military group called Megaforce uses the most advanced technology the free world can muster to combat evil. This means they can blow lots of things up. They are sent to catch a band of revolutionaries who are also good at blowing things up. Unfortunately, their mission backfires when they are left stranded in a foreign country because their actions (which involved blowing things up) have created an international incident. Can they escape by blowing more things up?

Director Hal Needham was one of the highest paid stuntmen of Hollywood before he turned to directing. I was dragged to see his first directorial effort SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT by a friend who insisted it was one of the greatest and funniest movies ever made. I was very far from impressed (and still wonder if there is a cult out there who thinks that hearing Jackie Gleason cuss up a blue streak is the epitome of great comedy). Sorting the ratings on IMDB, that appears to be Needham's best movie; so what am I going to think of this one, which ranks as his worst? Well, let me try to recreate the experience. Please imagine a soulless eighties action soundtrack playing underneath all of this.

Opening credits. Bad comedy. Corny comedy. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Bad comedy. Romance. Comic inventor character type. Stunts. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Explosions. Explosions. Stunts. More bad comedy. Catchphrase. Stunts. Unbelievable final stunt. Obligatory hint that a sequel is forthcoming. Ending credits.

Final notes - Megaforce's advanced technology is the fantastic content. No sequel. End of story.

No, my friend, you haven't seen everything that can happen to a cow. That would be scientifically impossible.

Omega Man

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Jan 21 12 2:40 AM

Dave Sindelar wrote:

I was dragged to see his first directorial effort SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT by a friend who insisted it was one of the greatest and funniest movies ever made. I was very far from impressed (and still wonder if there is a cult out there who thinks that hearing Jackie Gleason cuss up a blue streak is the epitome of great comedy).

For what's it worth SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT remains a very popular movie in the South, where it's remembered as something of "redneck" classic. In fact, I'd wager that this is what Jackie Gleason is best known for down here -- not The Honeymooners or anything else he did.

"Dammit, it's jammed!"
www.eccentric-cinema.com

ryanbrennan

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Jan 21 12 3:45 AM

The most interesting aspect of MEGAFORCE for me was the extensive use of the Introvision special effects process. That same year INSIDE THE THIRD REICH on TV showcased the process. Introvision was a front projection system that allowed filmmakers to set up composite shots that could be viewed on set through the camera viewfinder.

rvoyttbots

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Jan 21 12 8:51 AM

Don`t remember much about this except I hated it when I saw it upon release.

Grant

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Jan 21 12 9:18 AM

I don't know - I like car chase movies less than almost anyone on earth, and even I KIND OF liked Smokey and the Bandit, and still kind of do. Not that that second part is suprising, since I never "mature" out of ANYTHING.

And when I dislike an action film that's considered "cheesy" or full of "aimless" action scenes - or some Andy Sidaris film full of former porn stars - it's a cinch it won't be for THOSE reasons, but just because I don't like that many action films, period. Maybe it's a too simple reason, but it's about the only one I have.

Last Edited By: Grant Apr 26 12 9:02 PM. Edited 1 times.

Andrew Kidd

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Jan 21 12 11:35 AM

The Angry Video Game Nerd reviews Megaforce. Pure gold out of putrid pyrite.

evilskippy

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Jan 21 12 12:09 PM

Aaaaaaauuuuuggghhhh! We played this abomination for two weeks and I think we might have grossed $200. This movie was just painful and sucked on a cosmic level.

"The world's going to change tonight, doctor, I'm glad you'll be able to watch it. And... happy Halloween."

Rick

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Jan 21 12 3:17 PM

MEGAFORCE would have stunk up the place anytime, anywhere, but coming amidst such '82 brethren as THE THING, POLTERGEIST, E.T., BLADE RUNNER, STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN, and THE ROAD WARRIOR...oy...the stench was overpowering.

ryanbrennan

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Jan 21 12 3:30 PM

Great review by the Angry Video Game Nerd. If MEGAFORCE had been made today there'd probably be a video game tie-in.

doctor kiss

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Jan 21 12 3:37 PM

I hate to say it, but even in 1982, there WAS a video game tie-in!!

luluthebeast

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Jan 21 12 6:12 PM

Sorry, this movie was so silly I liked It.

Crow T Robot

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Jan 21 12 6:14 PM

Wow. The videogame looks better than the movie!

luluthebeast

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Jan 21 12 6:36 PM

Ya, but it doesn't have Henry Silva chewing the scenery.

scotpens

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Jan 21 12 9:01 PM

Dave Sindelar wrote:
Opening credits. Bad comedy. Corny comedy. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Bad comedy. Romance. Comic inventor character type. Stunts. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Explosions. Explosions. Stunts. More bad comedy. Catchphrase. Stunts. Unbelievable final stunt. Obligatory hint that a sequel is forthcoming. Ending credits.

Forget all that. The important thing is, does it have tits?

Andrew Kidd

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Jan 21 12 9:51 PM

Crow T Robot wrote:
Wow. The videogame looks better than the movie!

The AVGN needs to review that so badly! I can just hear the creative swearing now...

Grant

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Jan 22 12 9:37 AM

scotpens wrote:
Dave Sindelar wrote:
Opening credits. Bad comedy. Corny comedy. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Bad comedy. Romance. Comic inventor character type. Stunts. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Explosions. Explosions. Stunts. More bad comedy. Catchphrase. Stunts. Unbelievable final stunt. Obligatory hint that a sequel is forthcoming. Ending credits.
Forget all that. The important thing is, does it have tits?

You may or may not be joking, but I'M not when I agree with you. With or without actual nudity, an "escapist" movie needs that general kind of thing somewhere in it, and that's that.

Last Edited By: Grant Jan 28 12 10:03 PM. Edited 1 times.

evilskippy

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Jan 22 12 10:07 AM

scotpens wrote:
Dave Sindelar wrote:
Opening credits. Bad comedy. Corny comedy. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Bad comedy. Romance. Comic inventor character type. Stunts. Explosions. More explosions. More bad comedy. Stunts. Explosions. Explosions. Stunts. More bad comedy. Catchphrase. Stunts. Unbelievable final stunt. Obligatory hint that a sequel is forthcoming. Ending credits.
Forget all that. The important thing is, does it have tits?

Henry Silva's.

"The world's going to change tonight, doctor, I'm glad you'll be able to watch it. And... happy Halloween."

Reegs

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Jan 22 12 10:10 AM

rvoyttbots wrote:
Don`t remember much about this except I hated it when I saw it upon release.

That's how I felt, too.

Rider

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Jan 22 12 7:26 PM

So this is my main memory of Megaforce:

In the 70's and early 80's I spent every summer camping in upstate NY. All I had was books and comic books. No TV, no movies. it was the only that bothered me because I would come home and all my friends would have seen all these movies over the summer and I was totally out of the loop. I remember there was this huge ad campaign for this movie in the comics, toys video games. I spent the entire summer thinking I was missing something huge. I came home and the movie, toys everything had disappeared already. It was like I had imagined it. It wasn't until sometime in the 90's that I finally saw the film.

That's the context of this film though. It was made as an advertisement for a line of toys.

ryanbrennan

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Jan 22 12 11:36 PM

doctor kiss wrote:
I hate to say it, but even in 1982, there WAS a video game tie-in!!

Angry�Video Game Nerd should have reviewed the game, too, and compared it to the movie.
��

Andrew Kidd

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Jan 28 12 9:45 PM

Sorry to bring up this thread again �(I wouldn't apologize if it weren't about MEGAFORCE) and make it load even slower but here's another video. If there's anything good that can be said about the movie, it's that it was apparently one of the inspirations for Trey Parker and Matt Stone when they made TEAM AMERICA, which was hilarious on purpose. You can see the germ of that idea here:

Last Edited By: Andrew Kidd Jan 29 12 9:02 PM. Edited 1 times.

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Megaforce (1982)

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