Behind Enemy Lines

Silly cash-grab by Cannon Films to milk their success with Chuck Norris' Vietnam action flick MISSING IN ACTION. Set in the waning days of the Vietnam War, David Carradine plays a Colonel tasked with rescuing a group of P. O. W.s being held at a secret camp. The rescue does not go as planned, and the team finds themselves prisoners, now needing to escape. The great Mako plays the evil commanding officer of the P. O. W. Camp, who goes head-to-head with Carradine. It's all very dumb and is hardly Colonel Nicholson and Saito from THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, but it's breezy and has pretty much non-stop action and explosions once it gets going. P. O. W. THE ESCAPE is not a serious film and nothing to go out of your way to see unless you're a fan of cheesy Cannon Films of this ilk (i.e. AMERICAN NINJA, THE DELTA FORCE, PLATOON LEDER, etc.).

David Carradine makes you believe a laid back lethargic soldier can become a one man killing machine in the jungles of the 'Nam. This film is lots of fun, anybody expecting military and historical accuracy will suffer the same kind of disappointment as someone expecting to see David Carradine perform with all the speed and agility of Bruce Lee.

Carradine and his fellow P.O.W.s suffer at the hands of a VC officer who secretly harbors a desire for the American dream, he demands that Carradine aid him in achieving it. Instead the Tai Chi expert and the dependable Steve James (you could pair James up with Hugh Grant and still be guaranteed victory) serve up a healthy dose of mayhem and sends Charlie running most ricki tik. If you've run out of Chuck Norris war films to watch, P.O.W. the Escape will fill the void.

I can't believe this played once in theaters. Everything is bad and especially the direction. Even Steve James, this underrated second-fiddle, can't save this. Hopeless

"Cooper, everybody goes home is a slogan. It's not a religion".

"Speak for yourself".

David Carradine gets in on the 1980s one-man heroic act of Vietnam. Carradine along with Steve James and Mako headline this cheapie 'Missing in Action' influenced war-action fodder. This one being set towards the end of the Vietnam war. An American gung-ho mission for P. O. W's goes awry, and Carradine's commanding officer finds himself now a P. O. W too. But not for long, as he leads an escape thanks to a shady deal with a Vietnamese officer wanting something in return. Things don't go so smoothly. Rather well-done with enough danger (explosions, acrobatic flailing, automatic gunfire), and high stakes as the soldiers have only a couple days to reach a drop zone for American choppers. Formulaic fluff, but delivers on what you expect from something of this ilk.

David Carradine stars as Colonel James Cooper, taken prisoner during the Vietnam War. Since he is the highest ranking officer in the custody of the Vietnamese army, they intend to make an example out of him. But the camp commander, Captain Vinh (Mako), offers him a deal: Vinh wants to use the booty he's stolen from his prisoners to build a new life in America, and offers to take Cooper with him when he makes an escape. But Cooper is a strict believer in the "no man left behind" policy, and won't agree unless the other prisoners in the camp can come with him. Vinh reluctantly agrees, and so the big escape journey begins.

"P.O.W. The Escape", a.k.a. "Behind Enemy Lines", mostly foregoes politics in order to concentrate mainly on action. And, as directed by Gideon Amir, it delivers many thrills - explosions, gunfights, stunts, a major set piece on a river, you name it. It's actually pretty entertaining for what it is. It amusingly turns Carradine into a Chuck Norris / Sylvester Stallone kind of hero, the kind of guy who energetically takes on all comers while rarely sustaining much physical damage himself. Therefore, it's NOT something to really take seriously. With the Philippines once again standing in for Vietnam, there's much excellent location work, and a certain degree of atmosphere. That's not to mention the omnipresent soundtrack, which is mostly a collection of cues taken from previous Cannon Group productions.

Carradine is a true study in no-nonsense, all-business stoicism here, with strong support from a rock-solid Steve James, one of the most charismatic second bananas to ever grace cinema with his presence. There's also some delicious villainy from Mako, jovial and smiling at first, but deadly serious when he needs to be. To add to the tension, there's antagonism from a Jerk soldier named Sparks (Charles Grant), who's as self-serving a character as you're ever likely to see. Other familiar faces like Phil Brock, Tony Pierce, and Ken Metcalfe have supporting roles and bits.

"P.O.W. The Escape" will not be for viewers expecting realism or historical accuracy. It's just a straightforward little diversion that holds viewer attention for a well-paced hour and a half.

Seven out of 10.