V: THE FINAL BATTLE (1984)

The distress signal sent into outer space at the end of the first film is forgotten (although that would have been really cool), instead the human Resistance attack a human meat processing plant and fail miserably.  They limp back to their base to lick their wounds.  They regroup and keep attacking the Visitors over and over.  At the same time, the Visitors keep trying to destroy the Resistance.  It's a lot of fun to watch.  I loved the battle at the water facility.   

You also got ol' girl from the first film who is still pregnant with the Visitor baby; some mercenaries join the Resistance; the Resistance kidnaps Freddy Krueger; the Resistance leader is kidnapped by Diana; Diana shooting a Bible with a laser; a priest fires an Uzi; the Beastmaster slides down the hood of a spaceship and racks himself on a Visitor's face; hot air balloons; that one cave that's been in like a thousand movies; some crazy ass lizard babies; lots of explosions; a giant snake and much more.  Including a young girl who starts sparking like a TWILIGHT vampire in the sun.  It was really bizarre and unexpected.

Originally shown over three nights on NBC from May 6th to the 8th, 1984, V: THE FINAL BATTLE is over four hour long, but it flies by!  I've seen it multiple times and it's still highly entertaining.  Solid acting, fast pace, good special effects, great story.

I think both of the original V films are awesome!

Part 1 - V (1983)

MISSING IN ACTION (1984)

Former prisoner of war, Col. James Braddock (Chuck Norris) is positive that there are still American POW's being held in Vietnam.  He's become a political activist and as so, accompanies an American senator to Vietnam for a conference.  While there, he sneaks off for a little personal one-on-one face time with a certain Vietnamese general.  Stuff happens and the general ends up with a knife in his chest.  Now armed with the location of a POW camp, Braddock teams up with an old war buddy (M. Emmet Walsh) to kick some ass. 

Satisfying pace, above average direction (by 80's action movie standards) by Joseph Zito, not as much action as you would expect, good acting, abrupt ending.  Overall, MISSING IN ACTION is an enjoyable film, but nothing amazing.  It's just kinda...there.  Norris and Zito would team up again the next year with the kick ass INVASION U.S.A.  Hell yeah!

Worthless observation: While watching MISSING IN ACTION for this review, I could not stop thinking about James Hong and David Tress.  Now we all know James Hong as David Lo Pan in John Carpenter's awesome BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA and David Tress as "The Whip" in the badass STONE COLD, but I couldn't stop thinking about James Hong and David Tress...together.  My handsome brain was clinking and clacking like an old riding lawnmower going down a gravel road.  Then it hits me!  They were both onscreen together on Seinfeld!  They were in "The Chinese Restaurant" episode together!

Part 2 (prequel) - Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985)
Part 3 - Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988)