Director: John Woo.
Writer: Graham Yost
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Stars: John Travolta, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Howie Long, Delroy Lindo, Bob Gunton, Frank Whaley.
Time: 100 minutes

Synopsis: Air Force Major Vic Deakins (Travolta) attempts to steal two nuclear weapons he’s carrying in his B3 bomber. His copilot, Captain Riley Hale (Slater), tries to stop him, with the help of a female park ranger (Mathis).

Broken Arrow is precisely what it was designed to be: a very good, over the top action movie. I’m not familiar with Woo’s other films—his Hong Kong action cult movies—so I can’t compare his second big budget Hollywood effort with his earlier stuff. (I also have not seen his Van Damme epic). I don’t know how his fans will feel about this effort, but it was well done, with mostly effective special effects. Some scenes of the B3 Stealth Bomber in the air were rather fake-looking, but the other stunts and effects looked good. The pace of the film was exhilarating: the action rarely lets up.

Filmed mostly in the desert of the southwestern US, the film has a gritty, dusty look to it, which was appealing. Watching the vehicles (planes, helicopters, trucks and trains) move over the Spartan landscape was very effective.

The acting, overall, was good. Travolta, playing his first true villain, was superb. As others have remarked, he steals the show. He plays an Air Force Major who’s been passed over for Colonel one too many times. He and his copilot, Slater, fly a mission with live nuclear missiles, and he intends to steal them. He’s fed up with the system, and in a position to do something about it. Slater says, "How does it feel to have the power of God at your fingertips?" Travolta obviously enjoys it.

Christian Slater is fine as Travolta’s apprentice and alter-ego. He’s the boy scout out for truth, justice and the American way. He pursues the nuclear weapons and Travolta’s character, eager to keep America safe for Democracy, and maybe pick up a merit badge or two. While not as charismatic as Travolta, the electricity doesn’t let up too much when he is on the screen without the villain.

Now to the one sour note of Broken Arrow. Samantha Mathis, as the plucky little park ranger, Terry Carmichael, is rather miserable. The film would be better served by losing this entire character. From the annoying and ridiculous meeting between her and Slater, to the inevitable budding romance between the two, her character does nothing but detract from the overall feel of the film.

The other supporting characters are all fine. Even Howie Long was adequate as one of Travolta’s henchmen: he looks the part, but his acting needs work.

The over-the-top violence—a Woo trademark—is enjoyable. Be advised that there is a lot of it, with lots of gunfights and several detailed fist fights. Also, we actually see people reload their machine guns occasionally, which is somewhat unusual; movie machine guns normally contain an infinite number of rounds. As an action film, Broken Arrow works: it delivers a virtually non-stop array of thrilling sequences.