Unsung Action: Christopher Walken’s MCBAIN (1991)

The film ‘McBain’ was released n 1991. The film was written and directed by, James Glickenhaus. Although the film was considered a commercial failure by Hollywood standards, taking in less the 500,000, it has continued to gather new fans, and is considered by many to be a cult film giant. Christopher Walken stars in the title role as Robert McBain. It’s a story about a group of friends that band together to avenge the death of their mutual friend, Roberto Santos, played by actor, Chick Vennera. The Santos character, frees McBain, who was ex Vietnam POW. The setting is Columbia, but the film was entirely shot in the Philippines. The group of fearless mercenaries, use a plane to enter to Columbia, and fight a drug cartel, which was responsible for the murder of Santos. The leader of the drug cartel is Pablo Escobar. They have issues with their own corrupt prime minster, played by Victor Argo. The picture was billed an action film, and that is, with no shortage of special affects. It features an extreme amount of cars, planes, jeeps, buses, getting blown up. Christopher Walkin, plays the action hero brilliantly, and when he isn’t scaling walls, blowing up multiple vehicles, he manages a romance with, Maria Conchita Alonso. Walkin does well with the script he was given. Christopher Walken was involved in a real life thriller 10 years before he made ‘McBain’. He was with, the late actress Natalie Wood, when she died under extremely suspicious circumstances. Wood spent Thanksgiving weekend with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, and Christopher Walken, on board the Wagner’s yacht Splendour. Wood ended up drowning, amid reports that the woman was heard screaming for help for 15 minutes. The drowning occurred off of Catalina Island in California. Walkin has never spoken out about what happened.