Tank

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

5.3K

YOUR RATING

James Garner and C. Thomas Howell in Tank (1984)

Sergeant Major Zack arrives at a new army base with his wife, son and Sherman tank. One night at a bar he "stops" a pimp/deputy from beating a girl. The corrupt sheriff uses Zack's son for revenge and Zack uses his tank.

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Sergeant Major Zack arrives at a new army base with his wife, son and Sherman tank. One night at a bar he "stops" a pimp/deputy from beating a girl. The corrupt sheriff uses Zack's son for r... Read allSergeant Major Zack arrives at a new army base with his wife, son and Sherman tank. One night at a bar he "stops" a pimp/deputy from beating a girl. The corrupt sheriff uses Zack's son for revenge and Zack uses his tank.Sergeant Major Zack arrives at a new army base with his wife, son and Sherman tank. One night at a bar he "stops" a pimp/deputy from beating a girl. The corrupt sheriff uses Zack's son for revenge and Zack uses his tank.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.8/10

5.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination total

Videos1

Trailer 2:58

Official Trailer

Photos55

+ 48

User reviews40

5.85.2K

Featured reviews

WalterFrith

A truly cartoonish film!

James Garner portrays a military officer who has one very unique distinction. He owns his own Sherman tank! After butting heads with a sheriff's deputy, his son is framed for drug possession and he must battle wits with the evil sheriff.

This movie is sort of a cross between the original 'Smokey and the Bandit' and a free wheeling episode of 'The Dukes of Hazzard'. It's a predictable, mildly amusing film with cultural stereotypes. If you're willing to overlook this, it will provide you with the typical fast food type of entertainment.

7pappythesailor

Worth a look.

If you can ignore the dopey ending, the movie has some very nice surprises best of which is the incredible performance of GD Spradlin as the sheriff. This may be a lightweight movie but he does not throw away his role. He's genuinely scary and believable as the tyrannical sheriff. Jenilee Harrison is also at her most sexy in 1984. She was a mouthwatering beauty back then! The film rolls along pretty blandly but the scenes with C. Thomas Howell getting framed are pretty well done and plausible. If you can get over the guy owning his own Sherman tank, the decision to use it makes at least some sense by that point in the movie.

6sarossell

Worth seeing once. Definitely NOT a comedy!

The premise of the story may be farcical and perhaps even silly. And the soundtrack does a good job of trying to keep it light, but this is a harsh movie portraying extreme local government corruption, violent child abuse, racial violence, abuse of power, vigilantism, unlawful imprisonment, threats of imposed sodomy while incarcerated, prostitution...need I go on? This movie should have been rated R but managed to squeeze into a PG rating just before the PG-13 rating was created. It's worth seeing, but not if you're looking for a comedy.

7marzolian

I enjoyed it

I didn't see this when it came out, so when it appeared on cable late one night I didn't expect very much. But it exceeded my expectations. It's the story of an honorable man who is pushed too far.

Yes, there are some stretches of the imagination to be made. For example, with all the gunfire, I don't remember anybody getting killed or seriously wounded. The good guys are too good and the bad guys are too bad.

But I enjoyed a few scenes a great deal. For one, the portrayal of the small town, that seems idyllic at first but is rotten to the core. I especially appreciated the scenes between Sgt. Carey and his son, the way that the military was shown pulling together as a family, and the others who help the group trying to get to the state line. These were all people that I wanted to cheer for.

aphelocoma1

Inspirational film; changed my life.

Tank has been an inspiration in my life. Its rich plot is rife with moral dilemmas, all of which end in ethical resolutions. Zack (James Garner) is the epitome of all that is good and right in the universe, and he wins in the end like good should. While I usually watch the film for its moral content, sometimes I find myself fast- forwarding to scene eleven, which features james cromwell naked, chained to a phone pole.

Ten stars. This film has changed my life.

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Trivia
Filmed at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia.

Goofs
When the tank drives over the police cars at the roadblock, the front end of the tank raises up before it strikes the cars, exposing the fact that a small ramp was set up to aid the tank in climbing onto them.

Quotes
Sheriff Buelton: They're gonna lose, General. They're goin' down in flames and you're gonna help me do it. I just got back from the governor's office, and I can have him call you or he can call your superior if that's the way you want it. But, either way, I'm gonna see some tanks rollin' out here to stop that maniac.
Maj. Gen. V.E. Hubik: Go ahead, call anyone you like, sheriff. I don't take orders from governors. Sergeant Major Carey's resigned. Besides, he's committed no major crime in my jurisdiction.
Sheriff Buelton: He stole a god damn tank!
Maj. Gen. V.E. Hubik: It's his tank he can do what he wants with it! The most I've got him on is busting a twenty foot section of fence.
Sheriff Buelton: General, I am the local civilian authority and I am hereby making a formal request of the military to do everything in its power to assist and aid me in apprehending known...
Maj. Gen. V.E. Hubik: Posse Comitatus, sir.
Sheriff Buelton: Did you call me a pussy communist?
Maj. Gen. V.E. Hubik: The U.S. Army is, by an act of congress; Posse Comitatus act, specifically precluded from enforcing civilian law outside the military reservation.
Sheriff Buelton: Pussy communist?
Maj. Gen. V.E. Hubik: That means I do not have the authority to provide you with a single piece of military equipment or personnel without a direct order from my superior or the President of the United States. I can give you his address, if you'd like.

Alternate versions
The UK cinema version was cut by 2 minutes 20 seconds to secure a 'PG' rating, with cuts made to violence, sex references and strong language, including repeated use of the phrase "the whore". The '15' rated video is uncut.