Broken Arrow
Directed by John Woo
- action
- thriller
The story
When rogue stealth-fighter pilot Vic Deakins deliberately drops off the radar while on maneuvers, the Air Force ends up with two stolen nuclear warheads -- and Deakins's co-pilot, Riley Hale, is the military's only hope for getting them back. Traversing the deserted canyons of Utah, Hale teams with park ranger Terry Carmichael to put Deakins back in his box.
What it’s like
Hard-edged desert action in saturated daylight: wide, sun-bleached Utah canyons, dusty river beds, and fluorescent-lit military corridors, all shot with John Woo's kinetic handheld energy, slow-motion doves and ricochet-flash gunfights, and a bombastic, synth-tinged orchestral score that swells under every countdown. The mood is loud, urgent, and a little giddy, a high-octane tangle of betrayal and brotherly rivalry rather than quiet dread. Pacing is relentless, with short bursts of talk between set-piece shootouts, fistfights, helicopter chases, and a ticking-clock finale. Violence is frequent and stylised, with gunfire, explosions, and some blood and bodily harm, though little graphic gore. The arc follows a reluctant pilot and a stubborn ranger forging an uneasy alliance against a charismatic, unhinged former friend. Best for viewers who want big, chaotic, crowd-pleasing spectacle on a weekend night, and fans of 1990s action who don't mind their thrills loud and unsubtle.
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