Commando is a 1985 American action film directed by Mark L. Lester and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Alyssa Milano, Vernon Wells, Bill Duke and Dan Hedaya. The film was released in the United States on October 4, 1985.

The film was noted for its furious action and sense of humor. The film was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Special Effects but lost to Back to the Future.

The film’s score was provided by James Horner. A commercial success, Commando was the 7th-highest-grossing R-rated film of 1985 worldwide, and the 25th-highest-grossing overall.

Retired US Army Colonel John Matrix is informed by his former superior Major General Franklin Kirby that all the other members of his former unit have been killed by unknown mercenaries.

The mercenaries, among them Bennett, an ex-member of Matrix’s team discharged for excessive violence, attack Matrix’s secluded mountain home and kidnap his young daughter Jenny.

While trying to intercept them, Matrix is overpowered and abducted by the mercenaries. He is taken before their commander, Arius, a former South American dictator Matrix removed from power.

Arius blackmails Matrix into carrying out a political assassination in his home country of Val Verde, where he wishes to lead a military coup. With Jenny’s life on the line, Matrix seemingly agrees to fulfill the demand.



After boarding a plane, a DC-10-10 operated by Western Airlines from Los Angeles Airport to Val Verde, Matrix manages to kill his guard and jumps from the plane just as it is taking off. With approximately 11 hours before the plane is scheduled to land,

he sets out after another of Arius’ men, Sully. He enlists the aid of an off-duty flight attendant, Cindy, and instructs her to follow Sully to a shopping mall.

Cindy first assumes that Matrix is a madman, but after she sees Sully pull a gun on Matrix in the ensuing fight, she decides to assist him in his endeavor.