Powerful

Absolutely Fantastic

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I found this VHS in a 99 cent bin in 2002 and have loved it ever since. This is one of the most awesomely stupid movies ever made about the Vietnam war, and the pinnacle of Cirio Santiago's illustrious career. Hard boiled LAPD cop Vince Deacon has his family in Los Angeles killed by a gang called the Main Street Men, who work for a traitor Deacon had put in jail during the Nam, so he goes AWOL on a quest for revenge, killing several thousand random men in khaki uniforms in the process. Who really cares who they are or why they're fighting - the entire film is just scene after scene of anonymous men with guns running onto the screen and getting machine gunned by Deacon, throwing up their arms and yelling "AAH!" as they die. In the meantime, he dunks a man's head in a urine filled toilet, stabs a steroid addict to death, and drives around at night while the incredible "Always on my mind" theme song by Steve Butler plays, again and again. Not long after, a man runs around on fire, screaming in pain. At some point a black guy makes his way into the movie, brandishes a gun and says some cool tough stuff. I think there was also a woman at one point, but she's not important. All that matters is the belt fed machine gun Deacon finds in the display window of a suburban boutique store, with about 200,000 rounds of ammo conveniently stored with it.It's a Z grade Cirio Santiago film with barely competent actors and cheap effects, what do you expect? Perfect blend of dumb action and laughable dialogue. Would have been a great candidate for "Mystery Science Theater 3000" treatment. Best news: If you like this movie, Cirio Santiago made at least 400 other films exactly like it, all of which are either about post apocalyptic motorcycle gangs, the Vietnam war, or some combination of both (Nam Angels).

Vietnam war vet Vince Deacon is a S.W.A.T. team leader who is suspended from duty for killing too many bad guys. While on a camping trip his wife and son are killed by a group of men led by a villain from his days in the 'Nam. The trauma of losing his family forces him to go on a killing spree against the people responsible leading him into shell shock. The adventure goes from Los Angeles into the jungles of Laos (actually the Phillipines).This film was directed by Cirio H. Santiago, responsible for several grade-B military style action films made in the Phillpines. Star Richard Young is an average looking Joe but gives a nice performance and handles action scenes well. This low budget film was made 2 years after First Blood and barrows from it the idea of a 'Nam vet being pursued by authorities through the outdoor wilderness. In First Blood the character of Rambo did his best to avoid murdering anyone. But the Vietnam vet character in Final Mission has no such qualms and mows down many of his pursuers in a hail of bullets. Director Santiago appears to have fun when staging battle scenes, like a youngster playing with a set of toy soldiers. This film contains nudity and is of course, filled with scenes of violence.

Final Mission (1984) is one of those cheesy, no budget First Blood rip-offs. Unlike the other Rambo wannabes, this movie's great. The director has no shame, he blatantly copies scene-for-scene and shot-for-shot from First Blood. Others may see this as a rip-off, I see it as a funny, horribly acted, badly written and cheesy as hell action picture. There are many scenes from this movie that still boggle my mind. Even today I still wonder if a Gun shop would have an M-60 machine gun (with a full cartridge box) in a storefront window display or is it really sanitary to use a dirty knife to pop out a bullet? I highly recommend this movie, it plays like a comedy instead of a serious action/revenge film. A word of advice, stay away from open motor boats. They always seem to explode in these type of movie.Highly recommended.A (for the cheese factor) F (as a straight movie)

Of all the "First Blood" ripoffs that hit the screen in the eighties this filipino-made movie is clearly one of the better ones. Acting is pretty lousy (with the notable exception of Kaz Garas as the sheriff) but the movie has its good moments.