Black Moon Rising (1986) - Archive

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Robert Vaughn portrays Ed Ryland, one of those meglomaniacal crooks who runs an underground organization where his crew steals high priced cars and sells them on the black market. Linda Hamilton plays Nina, his head runner of the operation. Richard Jaeckel is Earl, one of three who have created a uniquely shaped and very fast state-of-the-art car which can go to speeds up to 325 miles per hour(it also runs on hydrogen from water). Earl and crew are at a meeting to pitch the unique car to Italian buyers when it is stolen by Nina and her crew, among many vehicles in the lot. Tommy Lee Jones is the star of the film as superstar thief, paid by the government to retrieve a cassette with important information the federal government doesn't want out to the public(Bubba Smith is the secret agent Johnson who threatens Jones if he doesn't give the tape to him). Jones plays Quint, who has an arch rival in Marvin Ringer(Lee Ving), both after the same cassette. Ringer has a bevy of cronies behind him to help in the dirty work and they try several times to kill him(often viciously beating him or shooting at him). In a scene to keep the cassette from Ringer, Quint places it in the pocket of the Black Moon vehicle..owned by Earl! So Quint isn't able to deliver the cassette to Johnson and is given 72 hours to find that tape and give it to him. The deck is stacked against Quint, for he must get inside Ryland's secure, well guarded compound, retrieve the hidden cassette, fend off constant attack from Ringer, and convince the Black Moon crew to help him. It's a lot to handle, but soon Quint winds up falling head over heels for Nina and the story takes on a whole new path. The film is quickly paced and fun despite asking the viewer to accept a lot of hogwash about cars that can drive a quick speeds through endless traffic, a man who can cross from one building to another on a rope hanging on one prong on a hook, and one man seemingly able to do many psychical things after being beaten heinously. The film has a ridiculous ending car chase which has the Black Moon going from one window off a building and into another windowed building. The film does have good leads who take the film a long way. Jones is always fun to watch, and is believable in his role. I liked Hamilton as well. Ving is really over-the-top bad in this film playing the heavy REALLY heavy.

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--April 7, 2006