Can skydiving ace Charlie Sheen stop some Russian bad guys in Terminal Velocity? No! But thankfully Nastassja Kinski is there to do the job for him.
The Plot
Ditch Brodie might be a master skydiver, but he is a screwup in life. When Chris Morrow comes to his skydiving school (I never thought I would write this sentence in relation to a Charlie Sheen character) to learn how to skydive, Ditch is intrigued. At the jump it all goes wrong.
Losing his focus on Chris for just a moment, Ditch watches in horror as Chris spirals out of control, unable to pull her parachute, and dying on impact with the ground.
The FAA arrives, the shop is closed down, and Ditch is left wondering what happened. Soon, the trusted flying ace learns that Chris may not have died, and that there is a growing conspiracy of Russian agents, a shipment of gold, and a last chance for glory for Ditch just over the horizon.
With the local District Attorney on his case, Ditch and Chris must work together to save the day.
The Good
Terminal Velocity is so silly, that right from the first moment, the audience will know not to take anything serious. Our hero, Ditch, is no hero at all. Charlie Sheen plays the befuddled skydiver with such skill, (or lack), you can’t help but laugh throughout the film. Ditch is a buffoon who plays well against Kinski’s much tougher and capable Chris.
James Gandolfini and Christopher McDonald are great villains. I wished they had succeeded in the film.
The Bad and the Ugly
Oh, there is a lot.
The hero’s name is Ditch. Enough said.
It’s hard to tell if the script is good because Sheen overdid his role as Ditch. The ridiculous portrayal may cause a viewer to be confused between an overacting thespian and the lack of compelling story. At the heart of the movie is an interesting concept that I don’t think was well executed.
Charlie Sheen is acting like he is starring in a second sequel to Hot Shots. That movie was comic genius that skewered the action films beautifully. Sheen was hilarious, and perfect for the role. In Terminal Velocity, he acts like he is making another parody film which makes this ordinary action film, hard to watch at times.
Beyond the Film Facts
- Michael Douglas and Nicolas Cage reportedly passed on the role of Ditch. Either of those two might have made a more compelling lead.
- The movie may have been a disaster at the box office, but Sheen says he had a great time making the film.
- Along with Drop Zone, 1994 saw the release of two skydiving movies.
- 23 Cadillac Allante cars were used in the filming of the movie. 9 were destroyed.
- The script by David Twohy, sold for five hundred thousand dollars.
- The film was originally going to be directed by Kevin Reynolds and Tom Cruise. Commitments prevented them from following through. Lucky them!
- The movie opened in the number two spot, with Timecop winning the weekend at number one.
- The movie was a massive box office disappointment.
The Streamy Award
{The following four categories are based on a Film Reel scale.
1 Reel-Bored and Killing Time, 2 Reels-When You Have Some Time, 3 Reels-Make Some Time, 4 Reels-Big Screen Event}
Terminal Velocity is not the best film. There are many problems with the story that would force any movie goer to question why they are watching this movie.
If you are looking for a mid-1990’s action film starring Charlie Sheen at his prime, then this is your ticket. Don’t expect much though.
Terminal Velocity gets a ½ Reel rating. Having Kinski play the ‘tough guy’ role was a nice reversal, which I didn’t expect.
Cast and Crew
- Charlie Sheen as Ditch Brodie
- Nastassja Kinski as Chris Morrow
- James Gandolfini as Ben Pinkwater
- Christopher McDonald as Kerr
- Melvin Van Peebles as Noble
Directed by Deran Serafian
Produced by Hollywood Pictures / Interscope Communications / PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Release Date: September 23, 1994
Budget: $50 million
Box Office Gross
Domestic: $16,487,349
Coming Soon
Next week a look back at the Richard Dreyfuss/Emilio Estevez Touchstone Pictures classic, Stakeout.