Second in Command: Difference between revisions

Second in Command
Second in Command
	DVD cover
Directed by	Simon Fellows
Written by	Jonathan Bowers; David Corley; Jayson Rothwell
Story by	Milton Bearden; Jonathan Bowers; David Corley
Produced by	Brad Krevoy; Donald Kushner; Pierre Spengler
Starring	Jean-Claude Van Damme; Julie Cox; Alan McKenna; William Tapley; Raz Adoti; Velibor Topić
Cinematography	Douglas Milsome
Music by	Mark Sayfritz
Production; companies	Clubdeal; Castel Film Romania; MPCA
Distributed by	Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Release date	May 2, 2006;
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$12 million

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Second in Command is a 2006 American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Simon Fellows. The film was released direct-to-DVD in the United States on May 2, 2006.

Plot

Commander Sam Keenan (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a decorated US Navy SEAL, is sent to the Eastern European nation of Moldavia to become the new security attaché at the US Embassy.

When he arrives, Keenan learns that Moldavia is in the middle of a civil war. At the embassy, Keenan meets with Ambassador George Norland (Colin Stinton), who designates Keenan as his "second in command" despite the traditional diplomatic hierarchy, which is contested by others afterward. Recently, the US installed a new government in Moldavia, which is led by Moldavia's newly elected president Yuri Amirev (Serban Celea). Amirev wants the nation to be run as a democratic republic, but under the command of Anton Tavarov (Velibor Topić), communist insurgents have caused a riot at the presidential palace, threatening the fragile stability of the country. The insurgents are loyal to Alexei Kirilov (Costel Lupea), the former brutal communist dictator of Moldavia.

When the palace guards start firing on the insurgents without Amirev's authorization, the insurgents storm the palace, demanding Amirev's head. Keenan volunteers to bring Amirev to the embassy. But events reach critical mass, and the insurgents open fire. Keenan barely makes it back with Amirev, but the fight isn't over yet. Fifty Americans are holed up in the embassy, and Tavarov and his massive army have arrived at the gates, with plans to crash the building and drag Amirev out by any means necessary. To add to Keenan's problems, Norland is killed by a rocket that was launched by one of Tavarov's men.

To defend the embassy, Keenan has only 15 Marines, CIA bureaucrat Frank Gaines (William Tapley), limited ammunition, and his martial arts skills to hold Tavarov's army off until American reinforcements arrive. To make matters worse, Keenan's girlfriend, reporter Michelle Whitman (Julie Cox), is one of the hostages. With Tavarov's crew getting in position for attack, a power struggle takes place between Keenan and Gaines; with help hours away, it will be up to Keenan to rescue the hostages.

When the supposedly loyal General Borgov (a personal CIA "asset" claimed by Gaines) arrives, he turns out to side with the insurgents but Keenan rescues the surviving personnel with help from arriving American military reinforcements.

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme as Commander Sam Keenan
Julie Cox as Michelle Whitman
Alan McKenna as Captain John Baldwin
William Tapley as Frank Gaines
Raz Adoti as Gunnery Sergeant Earl Darnell
Velibor Topić as Anton Tavarov
Warren Derosa as Mike Shustec
Ian Virgo as Corporal Will Butler
Șerban Celea as President Yuri Amirev
Vlad Ivanov as Regional Security Officer John Lydon
Emanuel Pârvu as Corporal Chevantón
Răzvan Oprea as Private First Class Devereaux
Mihai Bisericanu as Marshall Geller
Elizabeth Barondes as Jennifer Lennard
Colin Stinton as Ambassador George Norland
Dan Rădulescu as Private First Class Pazzini
Cătălin Paraschiv as Private First Class Burke
Eugen Cristea as General Borgov
Costel Lupea as President Alexei Kirilov

Production

It is set and filmed in Bucharest, Romania in 50 days on June 7 and July 27, 2005.

Reception

The film opened in the 24th place with $1.04 million in the rentals chart.^[1]

David Nusair of Reel Film Reviews gave it 1.5 out of 4. He said that after Van Damme's surprisingly decent previous film Wake of Death it was hard not to be disappointed and criticized the "astonishingly inept directorial choices".^[2]

Home media

DVD was released in Region 1 in the United States on May 2, 2006. It was released in Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 15 May 2006. It was distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

References

^ Strowbridge, C. S. (2006-05-13). "Home market numbers bounce back". The Numbers. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
^ David Nusair. "Second in Command". Reel Film Reviews.

External links

Second in Command at IMDb
Second in Command at the Internet Movie Firearms Database
Second in Command at Rotten Tomatoes

[1] Strowbridge, C. S. (2006-05-13). "Home market numbers bounce back". The Numbers. Retrieved 7 August 2011.

[2] David Nusair. "Second in Command". Reel Film Reviews.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 | caption = DVD cover
 | director = [[Simon Fellows]]
-| producer = [[Brad Krevoy]]<br>[[Donald Kushner]]<br>Pierre Spengler
+| producer = [[Brad Krevoy]]<br/>[[Donald Kushner]]<br/>[[Pierre Spengler]]
-| writer = Jonathan Bowers<br>David Corley<br>Jayson Rothwell
+| writer = Jonathan Bowers<br/>David Corley<br/>Jayson Rothwell
-| story = Milt Bearden<br>Jonathan Bowers<br>David Corley
+| story = [[Milton Bearden]]<br/>Jonathan Bowers<br/>David Corley
-| starring = [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]]<br>[[Julie Cox]]<br>William Tapley<br>[[Alan McKenna (actor)|Alan McKenna]]<br>[[Razaaq Adoti]]<br>Velibor Topic
+| starring = [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]]<br/>[[Julie Cox]]<br/>[[Alan McKenna (actor)|Alan McKenna]]<br/>William Tapley<br/>[[Raz Adoti]]<br/>[[Velibor Topić]]
 | music = Mark Sayfritz
-| cinematography = Douglas Milsome
+| cinematography = [[Douglas Milsome]]
+| editing =
 | studio = Clubdeal<br/>Castel Film Romania<br/>[[Motion Picture Corporation of America|MPCA]]
 | distributor = [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]]
-| released = {{film date|2006|05|02|Region 1|2006|05|15|Region 2}}
+| released = {{Film date|2006|05|02}}
-| runtime = 92 min.
+| runtime = 92 minutes
-| country = United States<br/>United Kingdom<br/>Romania
+| country = United States
 | language = English
 | budget = $12 million
 }}
-'''''Second in Command''''' is a 2006 [[direct-to-video|direct-to-DVD]] American-British-Romanian [[action film]], starring [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]] and directed by [[Simon Fellows]].
+'''''Second in Command''''' is a 2006 American [[action film]] starring [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]] and directed by [[Simon Fellows]]. The film was released [[direct-to-video|direct-to-DVD]] in the United States on May 2, 2006.
 ==Plot==
-Navy Seal Commander Samuel "Sam" Keenan (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a decorated [[United States Navy SEALs|U.S. Navy SEAL]], sent to the [[Eastern Europe]]an nation of [[Moldavia]] to become the new security attaché at the U.S. Embassy.
+Commander Sam Keenan (Jean-Claude Van Damme), a decorated [[United States Navy SEALs|US Navy SEAL]], is sent to the [[Eastern Europe]]an nation of [[Moldavia]] to become the new security attaché at the US Embassy.
-When he arrives, Keenan learns that Moldavia is in the middle of a civil war. At the embassy, Keenan meets with Ambassador George Norland (Colin Stinton), who makes Keenan the deputy ambassador. Recently, the U.S. installed a new government in Moldavia, and it is a government led by Moldavia's newly elected president Yuri Amirev (Serban Celea). However, Amirev wants the nation to be run as a democracy, but under the command of Anton Tavarov (Velibor Topic), Communist insurgents have caused a riot at the presidential palace, threatening the fragile democracy. The insurgents are loyal to dictative former president Alexei Kirilov (Costel Lupea), who is a communist who abused Moldavia's people.
+When he arrives, Keenan learns that Moldavia is in the middle of a civil war. At the embassy, Keenan meets with Ambassador George Norland (Colin Stinton), who designates Keenan as his [[Deputy chief of mission|"second in command"]] despite the traditional diplomatic hierarchy, which is contested by others afterward. Recently, the US installed a new government in Moldavia, which is led by Moldavia's newly elected president Yuri Amirev (Serban Celea). Amirev wants the nation to be run as a [[democratic republic]], but under the command of Anton Tavarov (Velibor Topić), [[Communism|communist]] insurgents have caused a riot at the presidential palace, threatening the fragile stability of the country. The insurgents are loyal to Alexei Kirilov (Costel Lupea), the former brutal communist dictator of Moldavia.
-When the palace guards start firing on the insurgents without Amirev's go ahead, the insurgents storm the palace, demanding Amirev's head. Keenan volunteers to bring Amirev to the embassy. But events reach critical mass, and the insurgents open fire. Keenan barely makes it back with Amirev, but the fight isn't over yet. Fifty Americans are holed up in the embassy, and Tavarov and his massive army have arrived at the gates, with plans to crash the building and drag Amirev out by any means necessary. To add to Keenan's problems, Norland is killed by a rocket that was launched by one of Tavarov's men.
+When the palace guards start firing on the insurgents without Amirev's authorization, the insurgents storm the palace, demanding Amirev's head. Keenan volunteers to bring Amirev to the embassy. But events reach critical mass, and the insurgents open fire. Keenan barely makes it back with Amirev, but the fight isn't over yet. Fifty Americans are holed up in the embassy, and Tavarov and his massive army have arrived at the gates, with plans to crash the building and drag Amirev out by any means necessary. To add to Keenan's problems, Norland is killed by a rocket that was launched by one of Tavarov's men.
-To defend the embassy, Keenan has only 15 [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]], [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] bureaucrat Frank Gaines (William Tapley), limited ammunition, and his martial arts skills to hold Tavarov's army off until American reinforcements arrive. To make matters worse, Keenan's girlfriend, reporter Michelle Whitman (Julie Cox), is one of the hostages. With Tavarov's crew getting in position for attack, a power struggle takes place between Keenan and Gaines; with help hours away, it will be up to Keenan to rescue the hostages.
+To defend the embassy, Keenan has only 15 [[Marine Security Guard|Marines]], [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] bureaucrat Frank Gaines (William Tapley), limited ammunition, and his martial arts skills to hold Tavarov's army off until American reinforcements arrive. To make matters worse, Keenan's girlfriend, reporter Michelle Whitman (Julie Cox), is one of the hostages. With Tavarov's crew getting in position for attack, a power struggle takes place between Keenan and Gaines; with help hours away, it will be up to Keenan to rescue the hostages.
+When the supposedly loyal General Borgov (a personal CIA "asset" claimed by Gaines) arrives, he turns out to side with the insurgents but Keenan rescues the surviving personnel with help from arriving American military reinforcements.
-==Main cast==
-{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
+==Cast==
-* [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]] as Commander Samuel "Sam" Keenan
+{{div col}}
+* [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]] as Commander Sam Keenan
 * [[Julie Cox]] as Michelle Whitman
-* [[Alan McKenna (actor)|Alan McKenna]] as Captain Frank Baldwin
+* [[Alan McKenna (actor)|Alan McKenna]] as Captain John Baldwin
 * William Tapley as Frank Gaines
-* [[Razaaq Adoti]] as Gunnery Sergeant Earl "Gunny" Darnell
+* [[Razaaq Adoti|Raz Adoti]] as [[Gunnery Sergeant]] Earl Darnell
-* Velibor Topic as Anton Tavarov
+* [[Velibor Topić]] as Anton Tavarov
 * Warren Derosa as Mike Shustec
-* Ian Virgo as CPL. Will Butler
+* Ian Virgo as Corporal Will Butler
+* Șerban Celea as President Yuri Amirev
-* Raffaello Degruttola as PFC Zanger
+* [[Vlad Ivanov]] as Regional Security Officer John Lydon
-* Serban Celea as President Yuri Amirev
+* Emanuel Pârvu as Corporal Chevantón
-* [[Vlad Ivanov]] as RSO John Lydon
+* Răzvan Oprea as Private First Class Devereaux
-* Emanuel Parvu as CPL. Chevanton
-* Razvan Oprea as PFC Devereaux
 * Mihai Bisericanu as Marshall Geller
 * Elizabeth Barondes as Jennifer Lennard
 * [[Colin Stinton]] as Ambassador George Norland
+* Dan Rădulescu as Private First Class Pazzini
+* Cătălin Paraschiv as Private First Class Burke
+* Eugen Cristea as General Borgov
+* Costel Lupea as President Alexei Kirilov
 {{div col end}}
+==Production==
+It is set and filmed in [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]] in 50 days on June 7 and July 27, 2005.
 ==Reception==
-The film opened in the 24th place with $1.04 million in the rentals chart.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1909 |title=Home Market Numbers Bounce Back |first=C.S.|last=Strowbridge  |date=2006-05-13 |publisher=The Numbers |accessdate=7 August 2011}}</ref> The film currently holds average rating 5/10 stars on [[Internet Movie Database]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458471/ |title=Second in Command (Video 2006) |publisher=Internet Movie Database |accessdate=7 August 2011}}</ref> Forty percent of Rotten Tomatoes users liked the movie.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/second_in_command/ |title=Second in Command |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=7 August 2011}}</ref>
+The film opened in the 24th place with $1.04 million in the rentals chart.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/interactive/newsStory.php?newsID=1909 |title=Home market numbers bounce back |first=C. S.|last=Strowbridge  |date=2006-05-13 |publisher=The Numbers |access-date=7 August 2011}}</ref>
+<!-- Only 1 review listed at Rotten Tomatoes as of 2021 <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/second_in_command/ |title=Second in Command |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=2021 }}</ref> -->David Nusair of [[Reel Film Reviews]] gave it 1.5 out of 4. He said that after Van Damme's surprisingly decent previous film [[Wake of Death]] it was hard not to be disappointed and criticized the "astonishingly inept directorial choices".<ref>{{cite web |author1=David Nusair |author1-link=David Nusair |title=Second in Command |url=https://www.reelfilm.com/sonyact2.htm#second |website=[[Reel Film Reviews]] }}</ref>
-==Production==
-It is set and filmed at [[Bucharest]], [[Romania]] in 50 days on June 7 and July 27, 2005.
 ==Home media==
-DVD was released in [[DVD region code|Region 1]] in the United States on May 2, 2006, and also Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 15 May 2006, it was distributed by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]].
+DVD was released in [[DVD region code#1|Region 1]] in the United States on May 2, 2006. It was released in Region 2 in the United Kingdom on 15 May 2006. It was distributed by [[Sony Pictures Home Entertainment]].
 ==References==
-{{reflist}}
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
 * {{IMDb title|0458471}}
+* {{IMFDb title|id=Second_in_Command}}
-* {{rotten-tomatoes|second_in_command|Second in Command}}
+* {{Rotten Tomatoes|second_in_command}}
-* {{Allrovi movie|341458|Second in Command}}
 {{Simon Fellows}}
@@ Line 70: / Line 79: @@
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Second In Command}}
 [[Category:2006 films]]
+[[Category:2006 action thriller films]]
 [[Category:2006 direct-to-video films]]
-[[Category:2000s action films]]
+[[Category:2000s American films]]
+[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
 [[Category:American action thriller films]]
+[[Category:American political action films]]
 [[Category:American political thriller films]]
-[[Category:American films]]
+[[Category:Films about terrorism in Europe]]
-[[Category:English-language films]]
+[[Category:Films about the United States Marine Corps]]
+[[Category:Films about United States Navy SEALs]]
+[[Category:Films directed by Simon Fellows]]
+[[Category:Films produced by Donald Kushner]]
+[[Category:Films set in Europe]]
+[[Category:Films set in fictional countries]]
 [[Category:Films shot in Bucharest]]
 [[Category:Films shot in Romania]]
-[[Category:United States Marine Corps in popular culture]]
+[[Category:Sony Pictures direct-to-video films]]
+[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]