Navy Seals (1990) starring Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn, Joanne Whalley, Rick Rossovich, Cyril O'Reilly, Bill Paxton, Dennis Haysbert directed by Lewis Teague Movie Review

Navy Seals (1990)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Michael Biehn as Lt. James Curran in Navy Seals (1990)

Sheen's Hot Shot Seal

Teenage me liked "Navy Seals" with Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn delivering gung-ho, Yippe-Ki-Yay action with the same testosterone fuelled machismo as "Top Gun". Grown up me still likes "Navy Seals" because not on is it a Friday night beer & pizza movie but it is now so cheesy and bad that it has become unintentionally entertaining. In fact "Navy Seals" is almost so bad that it borders on being a spoof and is probably why Charlie Sheen would go on to star in "Top Gun" spoof "Hot Shots".

As for the story well I am at a loss because whilst the movie starts with a group of Seals rescuing a small group of American helicopter pilots from terrorists and discovering a stash of missiles there isn't really much of a cohesive narrative. Yes ever now an then something happens which sees the Seals dealing with terrorists from kidnapping an informant till they actually go in to destroy these weapons but it isn't much of a storyline.

Charlie Sheen as Lt. Dale Hawkins in Navy Seals (1990)

What that does mean is that "Navy Seals" is fuelled by cliches from the pretty Claire Varrens who Lt. James Curran gets close to, to Dale Hawkins being at fault for the death of one of the team. Alongside that we have plenty of macho action as Hawkins gung-ho running through buildings as terrorists shoot at him and when the team are not killing bad guys they are tearing it up on a golf course. It is as bad as it sounds and when you throw in so much corny, macho b.s. dialogue as you can it ends up bordering on being spoof like. It is why "Navy Seals" is still entertaining because it is unintentionally funny such as when Charlie Sheen's character Dale high on adrenalin says he is "jacked up".

Talking of Charlie Sheen he certainly seems to be giving it his all as he runs through the streets, shooting and dropping as many one liners as victims. If it wasn't for the fact that Michael Biehn plays the role of Curran seriously it would have made "Navy Seals" all out comedy. Biehn and Sheen are not the only familiar faces with Bill Paxton, Joanne Whalley and Rick Rossovich who was in "Top Gun" also appearing in one dimensional cliche roles.

What this all boils down to is that "Navy Seals" is slim on plot big on action and fills the middle ground connecting "Top Gun" to "Hot Shots" with its mix of action and one liners. It is bad but it is bad in an unintentionally entertaining manner which in a strange way makes it better than when it came out.


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