The flickering 'PLAY' icon illuminates the dark room, the whir of the VCR a familiar prelude. Tonight, it's 1987's Assassination, a title that promises exactly what the era, and its star, often delivered: straightforward, blue-collar action with a side of political intrigue. The premise alone throws us into the deep end – a veteran Secret Service agent assigned to protect the notoriously difficult and widely disliked First Lady. There's an immediate, palpable tension baked right in; not just from the threat of unseen killers, but from the simmering conflict between the protector and the protected.
### The Unlikely Duo
At the heart of Assassination lies the pairing of Charles Bronson as Agent Jay Killian and Jill Ireland as First Lady Lara Royce Craig. This wasn't just casting; it was leveraging a real-life dynamic. Bronson and Ireland, married for years, brought an undeniable, if unconventional, chemistry to the screen. Here, Bronson delivers exactly what you expect: stoic, grizzled, world-weary professionalism. He’s the immovable object, the man who’s seen it all and just wants to do his job. Killian arrives fresh off a near-fatal assignment (and sporting a rather fetching hearing aid as a result), only to be handed bodyguard duty for "One Mama," a First Lady whose sharp tongue and independent streak make her a public relations nightmare and, apparently, a prime target.
Ireland, facing her own real-life battle with cancer during filming – a poignant detail that adds a layer of unintended gravity – portrays Lara not just as a shrew, but as a woman chafing under the constraints of her position, desperate for a semblance of normalcy even amidst constant danger. Their bickering feels less scripted and more like the well-worn arguments of a long-married couple, adding a strange sort of authenticity to the otherwise heightened reality of the plot. Does her constant complaining sometimes grate? Absolutely. But it makes the moments where Killian's gruff exterior cracks, revealing a flicker of concern or grudging respect, feel earned. This film would tragically be their final collaboration before Ireland's passing in 1990, making their on-screen partnership here bittersweet in retrospect.
### Competent Craftsmanship, Familiar Territory
Behind the camera sits Peter R. Hunt, a name that should resonate with anyone familiar with classic spy thrillers. As the editor of early Bond films and the director of the superb On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Hunt certainly knew his way around an action sequence. While Assassination doesn't reach the stylistic heights of OHMSS, Hunt brings a steady, professional hand to the proceedings. The action, when it comes, is clear, concise, and practical in that satisfying 80s way. Car chases feel grounded, shootouts are brief and brutal, and a particularly memorable sequence involving a runaway boat provides a solid set piece. There's a lean efficiency here that marks many of Bronson's later vehicles, particularly those adjacent to the Cannon Films ethos (though this was a Cannon production distributed by Warner Bros., it carries much of their DNA).
The plot itself, penned by Richard Sale (adapting his own novel) and Michael Butler, isn't exactly breaking new ground. The conspiracy unfolds predictably, the villains are somewhat thinly sketched, and you can see the twists coming from a fair distance. Yet, there's a certain comfort in its familiarity. It’s the kind of movie you might have rented on a Friday night, knowing you’d get reliable thrills without needing to engage your brain too heavily. The reported $10 million budget feels evident on screen in the decent production values and location work, even if the box office return (around $6 million domestically) wasn't spectacular. It wasn't designed to reinvent the wheel, but to deliver a specific brand of Bronson action, and on that level, it largely succeeds.
### That 80s Sheen
Watching Assassination today is undeniably an exercise in appreciating the specific aesthetic of mid-80s action thrillers. The synth-heavy score, the slightly boxy suits, the bulky communication devices – it all screams of its era. The dialogue occasionally dips into pure cheese ("Nobody's perfect," Killian deadpans after dispatching a foe), but it's delivered with such conviction by Bronson that it works within the film's own reality. Remember how those practical stunts, like cars flipping or explosions erupting just so, felt genuinely dangerous back then? There's a tactile quality to the action here that CGI often lacks. It might look less polished now, but it feels real in a way that resonates with the VHS memory.
The film doesn't shy away from the tension inherent in its setup. Killian's constant vigilance, the scanning of crowds, the securing of locations – Hunt effectively portrays the grinding paranoia of protective detail. You feel the pressure cooker environment surrounding the First Lady, even when the source of the threat remains elusive. It's this sustained atmosphere of potential danger, punctuated by bursts of violence, that keeps the film engaging, even through its more formulaic stretches.
### Final Reel
Assassination isn't top-tier Bronson, nor is it a lost masterpiece of the action genre. It sits comfortably in the mid-range: a well-constructed, reliably entertaining thriller that delivers exactly what it promises. Its primary draw remains the unique dynamic between Bronson and Ireland, a pairing imbued with both their established on-screen personas and the bittersweet knowledge of their real-life history. While the plot mechanics are standard issue, Peter R. Hunt's experienced direction ensures the action lands effectively, and the overall package provides a solid dose of 80s Secret Service tension. It’s a perfect example of the kind of dependable, unpretentious action flick that populated video store shelves – the kind you could always count on for 90 minutes of straightforward entertainment.
Rating: 6/10
This score reflects a competently made, if unremarkable, action vehicle elevated slightly by the Bronson/Ireland dynamic and Peter R. Hunt's steady direction. It delivers the expected goods for fans of the star and the era, but lacks the truly memorable spark or originality to push it into classic territory. Still, for a nostalgic trip back to the days of grizzled heroes and practical explosions, you could do far worse than tracking down this sturdy slice of 80s action. It remains a fitting, if melancholic, final bow for one of cinema's enduring real-life couples.