Black Moon Rising (1986)

In another John Carpenter's story this low budge movie have an unbelieving plot,but somehow works as entertainment if you forget some ridiculous scenes like a car jumping between two twin skyscrapers,Tommy Lee Jones in great shape and Linda Hamilton is gorgeous as young car's thief and always a pleasure to see back on screen the great Richard Jaeckel and Robert Vaughn...great action scenes!! Resume: First: 1996 / How Many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6

****SPOILERS**** A slim trim & durable Tommy Lee Jones is ex-US government contractor Sam Quint who's given an assignment he can't refuse by top CIA/NAS agent Johnson, played by Big Bad Bubba Smith, to retrieve a computer disc the government needs in a corporate/mob conspiracy case. It's the disc that's needed to put big time tax evader and corporate criminal Marvin Ringer, Lee Ving, behind bars. Being an expert break in artist Quit get his hands on the computer disc but when things get hot, with Winger & his hoods bearing down on him, hides it in a parked car for safe-keeping. It turns out that the car named the "Black Moon" is an experimental model of a super automobile being tested for NASA to be the car of the future going at speeds of 300 MPH.Before Quint can retrieve the disc "Black Moon" is carjacked, with a number of other cars, from a parking lot by members of the Ed Ryland, Robert Vaughn, car theft ring leaving Quint high and dry and facing the mad as hell Johnson. It's Agent Johnson who give Quint three days to retrieve the disc as well as car or he can forget celebrating his 40th, Quint was 39 at the time, birthday! The film has Qunit soon hook up with Ryland's top car driver Nina, Linda Hamilton, who hijacked the "Black Moon" who wants to get out of the car stealing business. That's in Ryland activities, including contract murder, that can end up with her being either behind bars for life of murdered by his top hit-man & enforcer the creepy looking "Strangler Luis", Nick Cassavetes, if she ever turns evidence against him.*****SPOILERS**** Chased and brutally beaten up by Ringer and his gang Quint after, in pulling a gun he's been hiding under a car , dispatching most of them gets down to business in finding where the "Black Moon" is being stored. And with the help of the car's designer electronic expert Earl Windom played by the always youthful looking, it's hard to believe that at the time he's just five years away from collecting social security, Richard Jaeckel plans to break into the impregnable storage garage where the "Black Moon" is being kept and takes off with it as Nina does the driving! Tommy Lee Jones and Linda Hamilton make a great combo in the action scenes in the film but as lovers they fall flat on their faces. You never for once get the impression that both of them have any other feelings for each other then in getting revenge on their tormentors, Ringer & Ryland, and using each other to achieve that. But you can't overlook the action sequences in the movie that were top-notch and of course the near fatal beating Quint took from Ringer's hoods that he miraculously survived to live another day. That's when Quint was to turn the tables on Ringer, by giving him a 1st class work-over, at the end of the film.

Master thief Sam Quint (Tommy Lee Jones in peak rough'n'tumble craggy form) is hired by the government to steal data from a shady organization. Quint hides the data in an experimental supercar called the Black Moon. The Black Moon gets ripped off by sassy ace automobile booster Nina (a winning performance by the insanely foxy Linda Hamilton), who works for a stolen car ring run by the ruthless Ed Ryland (a nicely slimy Robert Vaughn). Quint has to break into Ryland's impregnable office building so he can steal back the Black Moon. Director Harvey Cokeless maintains a constant brisk pace and stages the action scenes with real rip-snorting brio. Lalo Schifrin's robust, rousing, jazzy score pumps up the tension. Misha Suslov's slick cinematography gives the film an attractive polished look. The bang-up supporting cast rates as another major plus: Richard Jaeckel as nerdy scientist Earl Windom, Bubba Smith as intimidating government agent Johnson, Lee Ving as vicious thug Marvin Ringer, Dan Shor as Windom's amiable assistant Billy Lyons, William Sanderson as sweet deaf guy Tyke Thayden, and Keenan Wynn as the ailing Iron John. Jones makes for a refreshingly human and vulnerable protagonist. The climactic break-in sequence is especially tense and gripping. Moreover, there's an amusingly sly sense of humor evident throughout. This tight, trim and witty B action thriller gets right down to brass tacks and hits the stirring spot in a satisfying straightforward and unpretentious manner.

Tommy Lee Jones in a love scene??!! Yikes: what a scary thought. It happened maybe only once on film in his illustrious career. This is that film. With Linda Hamilton, too! I guess this is another version of her TV show, "Beauty and The Beast."Okay, I don't mean to be that nasty because Jones is a terrific actor and usually a lot of fun to watch, especially when he's chasing bad guys.This film really had a Class B-type of feel to it despite the presence of those two actors, along with Robert Vaughn and Richard Jaekel....and a very cool car called "Black Moon."The best thing about the movie was that it was fast-moving, meaning it was interesting enough not to get bored. Other than that, it's an ordinary heist tale that isn't too memorable.