The Six Million Dollar Man

Cy' borg: "A human being whose original human parts have had to be replaced to one extent or another by machines that perform the same functions."

Plot in a Nutshell: test pilot Steve Austin is horribly injured in a crash and rebuilt better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.

Story Summary: As Steve Austin is pissing-off the air force brass by being late to test pilot a new experimental aircraft, super-secret Government OSO operative/big-cheese-type Oliver Spencer is glowering his way to a meeting with other OSO types. As Steve's craft malfunctions and flips end-over-end into the air force base tarmac, Spencer explains the OSO's need for a new type of special operative to take on missions where a squad of men would be ineffective, "one single force, especially equipped as it were, for such projects." When asked if he will field volunteers, Spencer replies with possibly the most ominous line in the movie, "No, no, accidents happen all the time. We'll just start with scrap."

The accident having left Steve blind in one eye, and with one arm and both legs amputated, he lays in an induced coma. Spencer offers Dr. Rudy Wells all the money he needs to rebuild Steve. Having been given the "opportunity of (his) life," Rudy seems underwhelmed:

Transported to the OSO secret research center in Colorado, Steve is introduced to his new bionic arm.

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Soon, the new arm, legs and eye are attached and he begins rehabilitation in order to use his new parts. As he slowly becomes used to them, he grows agitated and wants to know to whom he owes his great fortune at having been rebuilt. Rudy, knowing damn well what Spencer has in store for Steve, double-speaks his way out of explaining what lies in Steve's future.

So, having gotten the hang of his bionics, Steve goes on a little "R 'n R as it were" with nurse Manners. During the drive back from a philosophical picnic in the woods, Steve and Manners come across a woman whose son is trapped in a wrecked van. Steve rescues the child, but rips his arm open in the process, exposing his bionics.

That tears it (literally). Steve is mad as hell and he's not gonna take it anymore. He sits down on a table in one of the OSO's meeting rooms and refuses to talk to anyone. Then, somehow succumbing to Spencer's pep talk that involves being informed he is merely an instrument for espionage, Steve agrees to try to rescue a kidnapped israeli negotiator, while stating clearly that he does not wish to kill anyone.

Upon arriving at the terrorist camp, he discovers the negotiator has been dead for weeks. Then he is captured

Sitting in jail with his cellmate, Steve decides it's time to leave. He breaks some chains, smashes down the cell door, blows up a bunch of guys with grenades, including dropping one on the head of a guy in a tank (so much for "I don't wanna kill people")

and flies off in an airplane piloted by his cellmate.

The End.

Overall Grade:     

Final Thoughts: Good Stuff! A classic in the making.

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