description     |     cast & crew     |     comments     |     trivia     |     quotes

The Invention of an Action Hero (05/15/2007)

released: May 15, 2007

description: Professor Charles Johnston was once a celebrated SWAT team member, saving thousands of lives, including most notably a playground full of children. However, seven years ago, a mission in Philadelphia went awry due to Johnston's poorly timed coffee break, and he lost his entire team. Now, Johnston teaches new students at SWAT University. Johnston is reluctant to talk about his past, and student Jessica vonTrapp feels he is neglecting their learning by not sharing his mistakes.

Meanwhile, Johnston's arch nemesis, Al Queda, plans to strike again while he is weak. They decide to use Ellis Island to misdirect him and overtake SWAT University. They immediately set their diabolical plan into action. Johnston is informed of it, and takes his entire class to Ellis Island to prevent it.

They find Ellis Island deserted, however. VonTrapp is unsettled, and at her urging, she and Johnston return to SWAT University. They find it equally deserted, including the SWAT University Nursery. There is something else occupying the space though, and they escape just as the building explodes. Hell bent on revenge, Johnston shows vonTrapp his secret arsenal, and they load up and head back to Ellis Island.

The Al Queda operative, as led by Abdula al Jihad, have tied the rest of the students up and secured them in the Statue of Liberty's torch. They quickly become aware of a tracking device on a student and realize Johnston survived the explosion. They break up and disperse around the island, set on defeating Johnston permanently. Using the SWAT babies as decoys, they attempt to take him down, but Johnston is too wiley and defeats all those who come in his path.

In the torch, al Jihad taunts the students with the fact that he has a surprise for Johnston -- he is wired with a literal ton of explosives, and anyone who tries to touch him will set them off, sacrificing their entire team. Johnston arrives at the scene and holds al Jihad at bay while vonTrapp cuts the rest of the students free. When al Jihad reveals his trump card of the explosives, Johnston performs his signature move of flinging the human bomb fifty feet into the air and blowing it up outside the statute.

In doing so, however, the base of the statue cracks and begins to collapse. Johnston gives his grappling hook to the students and instructs them to take the babies out to safety while he goes back in and saves the baby he left in a stairwell, narrowly escaping a fireball that is following him. In the safe area outside the statute, four babies fly into the air, followed by Johnston.

The SWAT University graduation ceremony is triumphantly held in a Target parking lot, followed by a triumphant coffee break at a Dunkin Donuts.

cast & crew:

comments:

trivia:

quotes: