Sunday, August 30, 2015

"Raw Deal" (1986)

I remember hanging with my friend Travis in his basement while his hot mom made us sandwiches and watching this movie. It's really underwhelming, in terms of Schwarzenegger movies, now as an grown up, it's just aggravating. Since last we seen, "Commando" (also directed by John Irvin) did this movie. And we see them doing different versions of their one-liners. These are awful. And the comedy is odd. For instance, in a scene where Ah-nold and his wife are having a spat, she drunkenly tosses a cake at him, to which he replies "you should not bake and drink." That's the cut point.

Well, the story is also outrageous. Arnold plays Mark Kaminski a re-assigned FBI agent stuck in the heartland of America and posing as an undercover sheriff, saddled with a wife who is bored out of her mind. When an opportunity comes up to get re-instated in the feds, he goes deep undercover to pose as a mob-like muscle but is actually tearing up the organization from the inside out.

It's not so much crazy, as it is silly. And that's okay, because Arnold tries really hard. And, in truth, he adds enough fun to it to get past the crap. For instance, his joy of killing people at a gravel pit while "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones is playing is pretty damn funny. Whether it meant to be or not, there's Arnold. Also, not explaining his heavy accent, even though his name is Mark.

AND, I'm still confused as to what the "raw deal" was. His friend who recruits him gives him a great deal. The guy who hires him for the mob-like heavy even better deal. I think the "raw deal" in question may've been that he did this movie so he could get money to buy "Total Recall" to which I say...Carolco got the raw deal.

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