Defense Play (1988)

PG  |   |  Action, Drama  |  September 1988 (USA)
4.7
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Professor Vandemeer works on a secret project for the US-Air-Force called DART: a very small helicopter for scouting and defense. When he gets killed, Colonel Denton gets under suspicion. ... See full summary »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Oliver ...
Scott Denton
Susan Ursitti ...
Karen Vandemeer
...
Mark Denton
Eric Gilliom ...
Bill Starkey
...
Norm Beltzer
Jack Esformes ...
Eddie Dietz
William Frankfather ...
General Phillips
Tom Rosqui ...
Chief Gill
Milos Kirek ...
Anton
...
Ann Denton
Terence Cooper ...
Professor Vandemeer
...
Margaret Fields
Jonathon Wise ...
Nick
Dah-ve Chodan ...
Audrey Denton
Ron Recasner ...
Mike Agee
Edit

Storyline

Professor Vandemeer works on a secret project for the US-Air-Force called DART: a very small helicopter for scouting and defense. When he gets killed, Colonel Denton gets under suspicion. His son Scott and Vandemeers daughter Karen believe in his innocence and search for the true murderer and his motives. Written by Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The Air Force's new weapon looks like a toy--but the KGB is not playing games.

Genres:

Action | Drama

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Release Date:

September 1988 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Asepeli  »

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User Reviews

80s Teenage Fun
23 October 2001 | by See all my reviews

Like most 1980s action/suspense movies, "Defense Play" is standard issue in nature: the bad guys are Russians, the good guys are average Americans (living in a California style backdrop) who love racing their cars and playing rock & roll. In good 80s fashion, the plot revolves around a secret weapon which cannot fall into enemy hands.

In the Reagan-esque "Defense Play" storyline, we see the United States Air Force attempting to launch a top secret satellite into orbit (on a Saturn V rocket of all things). To foil the US satellite launch, the KGB plans to steal a top-secret, remotely piloted stealth helicopter (codenamed 'DART') being produced at a local university. Because DART is so small, it cannot be easily detected, and therefore would be optimal for use in attacking the well defended USAF Saturn V at Vandenburg AFB.

The hero and heroine of "Defense Play" are your classic all-American teenagers who get 'tangled' in the nefarious plot and decide to take down the bad guys.

All in all, "Defense Play" is a good, half-decent low budget film which might appeal particularly to the teens, and follows in the fashion and style of such 80s films as Iron Eagle, My Science Project, Real Genius, The Rescue, and many others. It serves as a good flashback to the days when low budget producers didn't have an F-117 (and tons of F-117 stock footage) to make as the centerpiece of all the action (the official 'blow up plane' of the 80s was desert camoflauged F-16s).

"Defense Play" is an obscure film, but well worth watching if you just want to kick back and have a few laughs.


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