Final Mission (1984 film)

During the Vietnam War, decorated soldier Vince Deacon (Richard Young) discovers fellow soldier Slater (John Dresden) has become a traitor and joined the Viet Cong. Deacon beats and captures Slater, who vows revenge.

Years later, Deacon is married, has a son, and is a Los Angeles Police Department SWAT captain with a reputation for violence in the line of duty. Slater, who has become a crime boss, discovers Deacon's whereabouts and sends thugs to his home. Deacon kills one of them while protecting his family, leading to his suspension. Deacon and his family take a vacation to camp near a lake, but Slater tracks them down and orchestrates a bombing that kills Deacon's wife and son.

Driven by vengeance, Deacon tracks Slater to Pinesville, a small California mountain town. During his investigation he discovers that the local sheriff (Kaz Garas) is Slater's brother and allows his criminal activities. Undeterred, Deacon continues his pursuit, battling against resistance from the deputies and local townspeople.

As his campaign goes on, Deacon slips into shell shock and begins believing he is still in Vietnam. He gathers weapons and leaves them in the woods near the town before stealing a high-power rifle from a local gun shop and going to war with Slater's gang. Their battle overruns the town, and Deacon finally manages to kill Slater. However, Slater's death prompts his brother to pursue his own vendetta against Deacon, and he calls in the National Guard.

Deacon retreats into the woods outside the town, pursued by the deputies and the Guardsmen. His former superior officer, Colonel Cain (John Ericson), also arrives, hoping to end the conflict diplomatically. The sheriff's forces corner Deacon on a mountain, and Cain goes in to speak with him. At first, Deacon is unable to see sense and even points his gun at Cain, but Cain manages to get through to him and calm him down. Deacon begins descending the mountain with Cain, only for Cain to suddenly be shot dead. With his spirit and grasp on reality both completely shattered, Deacon unleashes a hail of bullets on the men encircling him. He is injured when they return fire, but defiantly keeps shooting as the overwhelming forces advance upon him.

Final Mission was the first in a trilogy of films made by producer Anthony Maharaj and director Cirio H. Santiago^[10] who first met in January 1982 at the Manila International Film Festival.^[11]

Maharaj was impressed with the footage of Santiago's Stryker (1983)^[12] that was screened at the festival and came up with the idea of a collaboration. He suggested a story inspired by Ted Kotcheff's First Blood. Santiago hired regular collaborators Jose Mari Avellana and American expatriate filmmaker Joseph Zucchero to write a screenplay based on Maharaj's outline.^[11]

Most of the picture was filmed on location in the Philippines, mainly in and around Baguio^[13] and Lake Caliraya. Some second unit scenes were shot in downtown Los Angeles, particularly in the Skid Row neighborhood.^[6]

French composer Georges Garvarentz was commissioned to write an orchestral score and to contribute to the title song Always On My Mind, a Soft rock melodic ballad performed by Steve Butler and produced by Alistair Gordon. The soundtrack was released as a Single in France by the Decca label.^[14]

Final Mission premiered theatrically in France on July 25, 1984 ^[15] with 23 prints in the Paris region where it sold 46,923 tickets within two weeks^[16] followed by other European countries including Sweden,^[1] Denmark, Finland, Germany^[17] and Switzerland as well as Australia,^[4] Mexico^[18] and Peru. The movie received only token theatrical runs in the United States in 1984.^[19]

It was released in the United States on VHS and Betamax videocassette by Thorn EMI / HBO Video.^[20]