Storm Catcher is a 1999 American action film starring Dolph Lundgren and directed by Tony Hickox, who also co-stars in the film. New Zealand model and actress Kylie Bax debuts as Jessica Holloway. The film tells the story of a renegade general who plans to bomb Washington, D.C., with a new stealth fighter. Storm Catcher, was released first released on HBO and then direct-to-video.
| Storm Catcher | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tony Hickox |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Tracee Stanley |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | David Bridges |
| Edited by | Brett Hedlund |
| Music by |
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Production company | Phoenician Entertainment |
| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editFlanked by buddy Sparks Johnson on the ground, and co-pilot Lucas in the air, Major Jack Holloway flies America's top secret "Phoenix" stealth-capable fighter jet. While Holloway's mentor, General William Jacobs, keeps FBI agents Lock and Load from snooping into his pet project, Holloway and Sparks enjoy some R&R with Holloway's wife Jessica and daughter Nicole.
It turns out Lucas is an operative for the "Serpent Killers", an intra-military right-wing group, and temporarily assuming Holloway's identity, he steals the Phoenix. Holloway is accused of the murders of the guards that protect the aircraft, Branded a pariah, Holloway not only gets court martialed but he is also nearly obliterated when his prison transport is ambushed and blown up.
Determined to clear his name, Holloway escapes. After he touches base with his family, extremist soldiers shoot Jessica and later kidnap Nicole. No sooner does Sparks convince Lock and Load of Holloway's innocence than Lucas guns them down and kidnaps Sparks. However, Jacobs tells Holloway that if he ever wants to see Nicole alive again, Holloway must bomb the White House.
Cast
edit- Dolph Lundgren as Major Jack Holloway
- Mystro Clark as Captain "Sparks" Johnson
- John Pennell as Captain Lucas
- Robert Miano as General William Jacobs
- Yvonne Zima as Nicole Holloway
- Kylie Bax as Jessica Holloway
- Jody Jones as Sergeant McGarry
- Robert Glen Keith as Sergeant Trey Stanley
- Tony Hickox as FBI Agent Load
- Kimberley Davies as FBI Agent Lock
- Rudy Mettia as Commando
- Burt Goodman as Old Guy
- Richard Bjork as Bubba Pickles
- Andreea Radutoiu as Havens
- Phil Culotta as Commando #1
- Mark Delasandro as Commando #2
Production
editFilming
editStorm Catcher is set and filmed primarily in Los Angeles, California with B-roll footage in Washington, D.C., taking place in 18 days from October 19 to November 6, 1998.[2] The Phoenix aircraft used for filming, relying mostly on stock shots, was the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter aircraft. The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle pictured on the film's movie poster (designed for pre-sales and financing before being produced or having a finished script) was never seen in the film. The other main aerial adversary in the film was the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.[3]
Release
editHome media
editStorm Catcher premiered on HBO before landing on VHS and DVD. It was released on January 4, 2000, by Columbia TriStar Home Video.
Reception
editCritical response
editAlthough not critically reviewed in major media outlets, the film did garner some attention from other film reviewers. David Parkinson of Radio Times rated Storm Catcher, 1 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Faced with a minuscule budget, a few feet of stock aerial footage and a script with dialogue that amounts to an aural assault, director Anthony Hickox has done well to produce a film that's only as bad as this one."[4] Robert Pardi of TV Guide rated it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "As action fodder goes, this Lundgren vehicle benefits from solid wild blue yonder photography and enthusiastically executed assault sequences. As the bombs fall on familiar terrain and the fists smash into standard-issue bad guys, however, the landscape fills with deja-vu."[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Miscellaneous notes: 'Storm Cattcher' (1999)." Archived March 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved: January 3, 2016.
- ^ "Commentary: 'Storm Catcher' DVD. Santa Monica, California: Columbia TriStar Home Video, 2000 (originally released in 1999).
- ^ "Review: 'The Storm Catcher' (1999)." Archived March 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Explosive Action, March 30, 2011. Retrieved: January 3, 2016.
- ^ Parkinson, David. "Review: 'Storm Catcher'." Radio Times, February 14, 2015.
- ^ Pardi, Robert. "Review: 'Storm Catcher'." TV Guide. Retrieved: January 3, 2016.