“I am cool, you should see me when I’m hot” In July of 1990, Navy Seals, starring Charlie Sheen and Michael Biehn, opened in theaters but got lost in the shuffle behind Ghost, Die Hard 2 and Arachnopobia. Not as harrowing as Platoon or exciting as Top Gun, the military themed tale of an elite group of Seals searching for stolen missiles and battling terrorists made a few bucks then quietly faded into the cable and VHS world. Written by real life Seal Chuck Pfarrer (Hard Target) and Gary Goldman (Big Trouble in Little China), directed by Lewis Teague (Jewel of the Nile) with a cast featuring Dennis Haysbert (Major League), Bill Paxton (Aliens), Rick Rossovich (The Terminator) and Joanne Whalley-Kilmer (Willow), this seems like an 80’s style action movie homerun.
There’s plenty working for the film with Sheen playing hotshot Dale Hawkins and Biehn as level headed leader Curran who gets involved with a journalist who has intel on terrorists. The Sea, Air and Land moniker is shown off with rescue missions, parachuting into the ocean, underwater scuffles and chase scenes in bombed out streets all set to Sylvester Levay’s synth tinged score. While the film didn’t make much of a splash upon release, it’s managed to stay alive in pop culture. In 1994, an unexpected if not flattering shot in the arm came from Kevin Smith’s Clerks, where an excited video renter blurts out the title. 2013’s This Is The End references the epic golf sequence where the guys drink beer, destroy golf carts and Hawkins rescues his car from being towed while it’s in motion, set to rocking 80’s songs “The Boys Are Back In Town” and “Strike Like Lightning”.
In recent years, Biehn has spoken openly about it on his Just Foolin’ About podcast, at first reiterating how much he loathes the film, his low opinion of director Teague, the film’s financial failure impacting his career and so on. A conversation with Rossovich shares more insights into the young, rowdy years having appeared in Lords of Discipline then The Terminator along with Bill Paxton together. Charlie Sheen showed on the pod and said he’s asked about Navy Seals on the regular. But alas does not hold Teague in high regard either. The duo worked together to try and strengthen the script and utilize the Navy’s courtesy cooperation. You get the sense that Biehn cared too much but they never had a solid script or a capable director to elevate the material.
Vinegar Syndrome released a Limited Edition 4K featuring an interview with Teague who loves the military, was going for realism, and happy the film has lived on. Co-Writer Goldman expands on how the script changed from a training focused story to more mission based along with the leads being both sides of Pfarrer’s personality. They both recall how much real Navy Seals like to drink so the film seemingly got that right. While Navy Seals isn’t a gritty military masterpiece or stylish, high octane crowd pleaser, it delivers a perfectly watchable action flick with camaraderie, one liners, real action and stunts, starring a bunch of familiar faces from a particular time.