Strategic Command (1997)

Dudikoff has done a few Die Hard variations. I just saw another dud recently of his called "Crash Dive" , this one isn't as bad as that film, but that isn't exactly complimentary. Dudikoff can be fun to watch when he has at least an average script to work with. This was another one of his cheapies he made around this juncture. It doesn't have a whole lot of action. If you count unexciting shootouts that are uninvolving, along with a few uninspired scraps, this will be right up your alley. This movie takes itself incredibly seriously, failing to inject much humor into the proceedings. Dudikoff can do this type of thing in his sleep and does at times. He looks bored half the time and I don't blame him. Amanda Wyss is known for her role is Tina in Nightmare on Elm Street. She's gorgeous to look at, wooden as a board performance wise. Bryan Cranston (Yes, Breaking Bad) is so far and above the performances, it's ridiculous. He is a hoot. Overall, go watch the first two American Ninhas or Dudikoff's sadly short lived show Cobra. That is Dudikoff at his best 3/10

My theory is that there are several production companies in Hollywood that specialize in making movies to LOSE money and claim a tax write-off from the production. Mind you, because they KNOW they're going to be losing that money, they have to make sure the numbers aren't too big so, you end up with a really poor low-budget movie.Now, these production companies have scripts already put together, probably written by nephews or in-laws or in some cases, I think the family pet wrote a few of them, but they ALL follow the same criteria. Do a remake of a very good movie but make sure the actors and the script are so below par that NOBODY will go to see it. In fact, make sure that there is no possible way that somebody could MISS how the production plagiarized the real thing.**********HERE THERE BE SPOILERS*********** Strategic Command is one of those movies. It copied the main story from Executive Decision, tossed in the opening from The Rock and ended with Executive Decision down to the SALUTE at the end.The Differences? Executive Decision cost 55 Million to make and used some pretty good actors who knew how to actually show different emotions depending on what was called for in the scene. Strategic Command probably had a budget that may have broke 6 figures, but I doubt it and I suspect SOME of the actors in this flick worked for food.One of the tell-tale signs that the movie was probably a tax write-off? Usage of stock footage from other movies although I will give them credit for using ONLY the footage of the F-16's from Iron Eagle instead of having the aircraft change from F-16's to F-15's to F-14's like some other movies have done.If you want to watch a good movie, re-watch Executive Decision because you will be glad you did instead of wasting your time on this thing.

This is a low budget clone of "Executive Decision" (1996) and "Airforce One" (1997). It was also made in 1997 more than likely after seeing the other two films and they thought it would be a good earner to almost directly rip off the two big budget films. It is not the worst film ever made (That would have to be "House of the Dead"), but it is quite weak. Apparently a crack team using stealth tactics don't think of using silenced guns, and gun fire in a pressurized plane does not cause any damage. It was funny seeing "Hal" from "Malcolm in the Middle". He looked quite young in this. If you have nothing better to do, it is still worth a watch, if only to spot the direct copied scenes and script errors. Mind you, it was nice to see the old SR71 Blackbird being used. I always loved this sleek high speed stealth aircraft that led to the B2 Bomber and F117 Nighthawk - used in "Executive Decision".

This film is pretty damn bad. As has already been mentioned the film steals the plots of Executive Decision and borrows a bit of the Rock for good measure.What I did not understand was why would the kidnappers hijack the Vice Presidents plane ?? Surely with all that potential chemical death on board any plane would have done. In fact why use a plane at all just use a bomb in a warehouse with the chemical. Oh well who knows the minds of master criminals in terrible films ?The plot is stolen from executive decistion. The aerial shots are borrowed from stock footage. This really only leaves the acting to save it - sadly it doesn't. Stereotypical bad guys and Stereotypical good guys (the leader of the special forces team sent in to rescue the Vice President is a gung ho idiot so that the main film hero can take over - oh my god).Good look finding more work for all involved in this turkey.