Hold on, 'Broken Arrow' is...actually kinda fun?!

Okay, so I just rewatched 'Broken Arrow' (1996) – yeah, the one with John Travolta and Christian Slater. I know, I know, it's peak 90s action cheese, and I'm usually ALL about thoughtful dramas and indie darlings from around the world. But sometimes, you just need a good, dumb, loud action flick, right? And this one, surprisingly, delivered. I mean, the plot is ridiculous - stolen nukes, rogue pilots, blah blah blah. But Travolta is clearly having a BLAST playing the villain. Seriously, the scene where he's just laughing maniacally while everything's exploding around him? Pure cinematic gold. Slater is, well, Slater. He's fine, I guess, as the 'good guy,' but he's nowhere near as entertaining as Travolta. And Samantha Mathis is definitely a capable heroine, but I feel like her character was a little underserved, especially compared to Deakins' motivations (or lack thereof? Lol). Plus, the action sequences are pretty over-the-top, even by 90s standards. That train scene? Come on! But, honestly, that's part of the charm, isnt it? It's so ridiculous that it comes all the way back around to being good. I think what makes it work, even though it IS kinda terrible, is that no one seems to be taking it too seriously. It knows what it is, a big dumb action movie, and embraces it wholeheartedly. Its definitely not thought-provoking cinema a la Bergman or Kurosawa, but in a landscape of serious, gritty action films, 'Broken Arrow' is like a sugary, neon-colored guilty pleasure. Would I recommend it to everyone? Probably not. But if you're in the mood for some brainless fun and enjoy a good laugh, give it a shot. You might be surprised.