I've never seen a worse movie in my life. This Reagan-era propaganda vehicle, "a Jack Cox production" stars Jan-Michael Vincent as, guess who, "Jack Cox", who is supposedly a journalist although the credits remark that the real Jack Cox, when not making terrible movies, "continues to work as a consultant in Central America."
The title refers to the last chance to escape Nicaragua before the dreaded Sandinista takeover. Believe it or not, the most sympathetic (and best acted) character in this flick is...Anastasio Somoza, who is ironically played by a guy surnamed Battista (Cuba's former dictator, overthrown by Castro in 1959). Alleged journalist Cox, in the movie, is a close friend of the despised oligarch, who wants to contact the Sandinistas to "get their side of the story." He can't understand why the Sandinistas, who are universally shown as unshaven, trigger-happy cartoon-character terrorists, are so unreasonably reluctant to let Somoza's buddy into their headquarters. I can't understand why they eventually do so.
Some particular oddities: the bland, peculiarly upbeat flute-led soundtrack, which is reminiscent of "Room 222"; Mary Crosby, a Kim Basinger lookalike whose main role is to look great wielding a camera on top of a jeep, and get rescued a lot; the outstanding dialogue: "We're sending you because with your expertise, Jack, you can get in and out like that"; Sandinista to Cox: "You chust go to hell!"; Julie Carmen as a rich, secretly Sandinista babe who inexplicably falls in love with Cox.
In short, this flick is Jack Cox advertising his own alleged virtues against a background of revolutionary Nicaragua which existed only in his imagination.
For an interesting juxtaposition, try watching this and then "Under Fire", the excellent Nolte/Hackman effort on Nicaragua and the Sandinistas. Even if you don't agree with its overtly leftist politics, it's got elements of a real movie, such as a plot, acting, and intentional dark humour--which are totally lacking in "Last Plane Out".
