Commando, Part 50
[1:24:56–1:26:40]
Synopsis
The seaplane comes in for a landing near the beach. Army helicopters land on the sand, and troops with rifles pour out to secure the area. General Kirby steps out of one of the choppers. Matrix—shirtless, bloodied, and holding Jenny—walks from the island’s interior out to the beach. Some of the soldiers point their guns at him, but he ignores them and keeps walking through the wreckage of the buildings he blew up earlier. Matrix approaches Kirby, and Jenny hops down out of his arms.
“Leave anything for us?” Kirby asks. “Just bodies,” Matrix responds. “I’d just like you to start up your unit again, John. All it would take is your coming back,” Kirby says. Matrix says, “This was the last time.” Jenny hugs him, and they walk off together. “Until the next time,” Kirby calls after him. Matrix stops and looks down at Jenny. Just then, Cindy comes out of the seaplane, and Matrix looks at her. He turns back to Kirby: “No chance.” Matrix and Jenny walk out to Cindy and the seaplane, and the three hug.
Analysis
I like that Matrix gets to walk through the aftermath of the destroyed base on his way out; not only is it an interesting backdrop to walk through, with smoke and flames all around, but it also reminds the viewer of the challenges Matrix faced to get his daughter back. Now, walking with Jenny in his arms out of the wreckage, his mission is complete and he can finally take a break. Naturally, being surrounded by Kirby’s soldiers doesn’t phase him; he doesn’t acknowledge them, even as they train their rifles on him.
There’s another instance here of practical effects work that is impressive simply for its logistical complexity. During the entire scene, helicopters are hovering behind Kirby, and the one on the ground that he arrived on still has its engine running. Getting choppers up in the air just to appear out of focus in the background likely took a lot of effort, but it pays off in the atmosphere it creates, underlining how Kirby has brought a massive group of troops to do something that a lone commando has already finished. The presence of the choppers also means that the noise on the set must have been incredibly loud, and so all the sound effects and dialogue we hear had to have been added in post. Listening to it now and thinking about it a bit, the speaking voices of Kirby and Matrix seem entirely too quiet to be heard over nearby helicopters, but the sound is mixed in a way that makes it feel totally fine in real time.
The exchange between Matrix and Kirby about John coming back to start up his army unit seems to perhaps open the door for a sequel. Matrix shoots it down pretty forcefully—he’s happy to live peacefully with Jenny, and perhaps now with Cindy—but if they ever wanted to do a sequel to Commando, that’s probably the hook they’d use. (As of 2021, they haven’t.)
As Matrix says, “This was the last time,” a song starts up. This time it isn’t a musical score, but instead the pop song “We Fight for Love” by supergroup The Power Station. (Two of the group’s members were from Duran Duran, which makes sense given the song’s sound.) The group wrote the song for the movie—apparently, according to a few web sources, because vocalist Michael Des Barres was friends with Commando producer Joel Silver. The music and the editing work together great here, with the song’s vocals kicking in immediately after Matrix says the film’s last words: “No chance.” The song’s first line is “I will protect you/Nothing can hurt you/No storm clouds gathering terrify,” which fits well with Matrix carrying his daughter to safety. The other lyrics of “We Fight for Love” have only the loosest connection to the plot’s details, but it’s a fun 80s pop song to end on.