Arnold Schwarzenegger's Near-Perfect 90-Minute Action Thriller Officially Hits Free Streaming

Published Nov 13, 2026, 10:00 AM EST Katrina joined ScreenRant as a news writer in 2024, covering box office, expert interviews, exclusives, and new releases. Her work has appeared in CBR, All About Jazz, Rising Artists, and numerous other publications. She has an MFA in Creative Writing and has published more than 20 books. She currently writes for ScreenRant’s movie features team. From Predator to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most celebrated action stars in film history. The 1980s and 1990s marked the peak of his career as he fronted multiple high-grossing and critically acclaimed classics. The '80s saw him at the height of action dominance as the leading man in several massive box-office hits. While the star briefly pivoted to comedy in the late '80s, he returned to sci-fi and action genres in 1990 with Total Recall, a film that's widely considered his commercial and critical peak. In 1991, Terminator 2: Judgment Day hit the theaters and became the highest-grossing film of Schwarzenegger's career. 1985 marked the actor's physical peak. He played a vengeful father in Commando. While the near-perfect 90-minute action thriller got slightly buried between some of Schwarzenegger's most iconic movies, it has its own cultural significance and deserves a revisit. In November, fans can officially stream the fast-paced action thriller for free as it joined Pluto TV. Arnold Schwarzenegger Gives A Great Action Hero Performance In Commando Arnold Schwarzenegger was in the best physical shape in the mid-1980s. Blending his bodybuilding mass with impressive stunts, Commando sees the actor leading a one-man army like a superhero. With sheer determination, Schwarzenegger's protagonist, John Matrix, is a fearsome figure who will stop at nothing to save his daughter. Matrix has a blend of vengeance, quiet confidence, and determination. With effortless yet jaw-dropping stunts, the Predator star is one of the major actors who laid the groundwork for the "vengeful dad" subgenre before Liam Neeson popularized it with Taken. While over the years, many of the greatest actors in the action genre, such as Bruce Willis, Charles Bronson, and Mel Gibson, have played the mad dad role, Schwarzenegger arguably played one of the most impressive movie dads. What Critics Thought Of Commando In 1985 Image via 20th Century Fox Commando received mixed-to-negative reception among critics in 1985. The New York Times certainly didn't hold back in pointing out all the small flaws the movie had at the time. Critic D. J. R. Bruckner took issue with how the movie introduced Schwarzenegger by showing him "in parts - one huge bicep and then another." Even though he admitted that "Schwarzenegger's fans will find something to appreciate here," Bruckner also believed that the action sequence "looks as unreal as it is and becomes merely disgusting" after a while. Paul Attanasio from The Washington Post (via Metacritic) wrote, "harshly lit and sometimes amateurish, Commando doesn't last in your eye." Needless to say, Commando wasn't very well liked by critics. However, it did gain a cult following among action fans. The movie now has a 68% approval rating among audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Retro reviews from critics are also more often positive than critical. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. Commando Is A Little Overlooked Because Of Schwarzenegger's 1980s Franchises Image via 20th Century Fox Commando came out during Schwarzenegger's peak sci-fi/action era. The actor had a very busy '80s. Directed by John Milius, the 1982 action epic Conan the Barbarian launched the actor's major Hollywood leading-man career. Two years later, Schwarzenegger returned for a Conan sequel. The same year, he also starred in James Cameron's breakthrough sci-fi action classic The Terminator as the iconic cyborg assassin. In 1987, he appeared as Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer in Predator, which made over $100 million worldwide against a $20 million budget and immediately became a priority for 20th Century Fox. The movie not only launched a franchise, but it also led to a multimedia sci-fi empire. 1987 was also the year when Schwarzenegger starred in the Stephen King movie adaptation, The Running Man. While the movie wasn't very popular among critics, it became a cult classic in subsequent years. Commando, sandwiched between big franchises and movies that defined Schwarzenegger's career, was easily overlooked. Why Didn't Commando Get A Sequel? Image via 20th Century Fox Commando's ending certainly leaves room for a potential sequel. After having successfully rescued his daughter, Matrix was approached by General Kirby once again with an offer to rejoin his special forces unit. While he firmly declined the opportunity and insisted this was his last time, it's entirely possible to envision Matrix being pulled out of retirement once again under different circumstances (much like how the movie started in the first place). In fact, after the action movie's success in 1985, there were talks of a sequel. In a 2015 interview with Bristol Bad Film Club, Steven E. de Souza, who wrote Commando's script as well as some of the best hits in the action genre, revealed that he "did write a sequel" and "Frank Darabont even did some revisions on it." According to de Souza, Commando 2 would focus on "how experiences change people," a theme that Die Hard 2 tackled. He wanted to explore how Matrix's life would be different after the events in Commando. In the script, the titular character is "hired by a big corporation to oversee their security to protect their executives from being kidnapped" and "to stop people breaking into their building and to make sure their computers are secure." After discovering that the big corporation is only a front for an "illegal arms business," Matrix has to fight the toughest people he hired himself to save Jenny and Cindy. The sequel eventually didn't materialize. Schwarzenegger shifted his focus to comedy and family-oriented roles. While talking to BuzzFeed in 2015, Schwarzenegger offered some insight into why he made the jump. The actor explained that after having spent most of the 80s playing action heroes, he had wanted to get into something different. He sought out Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, and here's what he said: I met Ivan Reitman in Aspen, and Robin Williams, and we all were having a good time hanging out there. They both said to me after, 'You should do a comedy because you're very funny.' I said to Ivan, 'Go ahead, develop something for me.' And he did. While Commando didn't receive a follow-up after its success, Schwarzenegger did tease a new script and his potential involvement in a sequel more than 40 years after the first movie in 2026. Source: Bristol Bad Film Club, BuzzFeed, Metacritic, The New York Times Release Date October 4, 1985 Runtime 90 minutes Director Mark L. Lester Commando is a 1985 action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as John Matrix, a retired special forces soldier who sets out to rescue his daughter from a group of mercenaries.