Tubi Thursday: Crackerjack (1994)

 As Thursday is here, I might as well cover the first part in a 1990s Trilogy on par with Jurassic Park or Tiger Claws.

Let's begin with...

A Police Detective (The Karate Kid III's Thomas Ian Griffith) is erratic and dangerous (to criminals).

As such, he's gone from being Jack to 'Crackerjack.'
Rolls Credits.

In a three minute span, he's surprised at home by family and friends, punches his brother and is then handed his Baby Nephew by his Sister-in-Law.  Good parenting.

She 'makes' him go on Vacation with them to an Ice Resort (that hopefully won't get melted by satellite-based lasers).

He's really unhappy...until he meets the Event Guide- Natassja Kinski- and then he tries to enjoy the time there.

Luckily for him, it's 1994, so he doesn't have to get her Dad's approval to date her.  Would you have wanted ask Klaus that?!?

His fun time is ruined by some bad guys- confusingly, the Film introduces the Villain and then introduces some other guys who seem like villains, but are later made out to be the targets- who take over the Resort.

Yep, it's a Die Hard, But... Film.

They slightly-subvert things at various points and give the Villain some different motivations...which are silly.

Basically, the lead guy is Cliché Evil German...played by Christopher Plummer.

He wants some diamonds from his old Boss- Cliché Italian Mobster- to fund his new army.
Also he killed Jack's wife and kids (while working for said Mobster).

-------

Of course, he's stopped and the day is saved.

A really good and enjoyable Film...is Die Hard.  This is pretty meh.

They try to do a few things throughout the Film that play with the formula- like multiple meetings between Hero and Villain- but not all of them work.  For instance, what are the odds that the guy who killed his Family in Chicago a year ago would end up at the same Resort as him?  1,000,0004 to one, no?

It's kind of funny too, if you consider that they felt the need to give the COP an extra motivation to stop the guy who was killing people.  Griffith is really cut-and-past here.  He's not bad, but he has NOTHING to work with.  He also can't quip as good as John McClane.

Plummer- in a role that starts out small and grows by the end- is all sorts of weird.  He's the main attraction here- no question.  His Villain is at times sedate and other times insanely-rambling about forming a New World Order (of Wrestling) by selling some diamonds.  How'd you hire these guys?

Crackerjack has a few surprises- like our Hero actually NOT killing the Villain directly- but otherwise is another would-be Die Hard.  Maybe if it had some sort of hook like, say, a Russian Super-Soldier.  Would Plummer be in a Film with that?

Next time, let's do Part 2.  We get a new Villain and a different Die Hard, But...Scenario, don't we?  See you then...