MEGAFORCE (1982)
“Megaforce,” a 1982 sci-fi action flick directed by Hal Needham, stars Barry Bostwick as Ace Hunter, a mulleted commander of a secret high-tech army funded by nations to fight evil. Set in a vague near-future, Ace leads Megaforce—a unit of spandex-clad soldiers with tricked-out vehicles like laser-shooting motorcycles and a flying car—against General Guerera (Henry Silva), a dictator terrorizing the fictional Republic of Sardun. Guerera’s tanks threaten Sardun’s borders, prompting its Major Zara (Persis Khambatta) and General Byrne-White (Edward Mulhare) to enlist Megaforce after a failed defense.
Ace, a cocky ex-soldier who once trained Guerera, assembles his team—including Dallas (Michael Beck), a cowboy tech whiz—for a covert op. The film revels in ’80s excess: holographic briefings, neon-striped uniforms, and a synth-heavy score by Jerrold Immel. Zara, a love interest, trains with Ace, mastering a motorcycle jump to join the mission. Megaforce parachutes into Guerera’s territory, unleashing a barrage of rockets and stunts—Needham’s stuntman roots shine in the choreographed chaos. They destroy the enemy’s arsenal, but a double-cross strands them, forcing a desperate escape through a dry lake bed under fire.
The climax sees Ace outsmart Guerera, using a decoy to lure tanks into a trap, then fleeing in a souped-up command truck as choppers lift the team to safety—capped by his signature thumbs-up. Silva’s campy villainy and Bostwick’s charm carry a thin plot, though critics slammed its cartoonish tone and dated effects. Made for $20 million by Golden Harvest, “Megaforce” flopped, earning a Razzie nod, but its earnest absurdity—think “G.I. Joe” meets “Mad Max”—won cult fans. It’s a garish time capsule of Reagan-era optimism, all flash and firepower, with little depth but plenty of retro gusto.
