Not so often, you come across a movie with next to zero exposure in the movie world and sit to watch it because it has an adventure cord with one end tied to your childhood. For those ‘80skids who grew up with the TV series Expedition: Danger (1985), featuring Stan Brock and Peter Tors, Escape from Angola by Leslie H. Martinson is one such film antique.
Written by Barry Clark and George Gale, this is the story of farmer James Mallory (Stan Brock) and his family – wife (Anne Collings) and three sons Steve, Peter, and Dave (real first names of actors playing the roles) – who find themselves on the run from Angolan rebels. They are separated and being hunted down by a group of rebels while finding their way through the wild jungles in the area.
The premise of this jungle adventure isn’t bad and shares a lot with the Expedition: Danger series in setting and style. However, the movie’s cinematography is lame even by those years’ standards. The execution of the plot involves an underwhelming effort and the result, as seen on the screen, is more a weekend family adventure in African wilderness than a desperate run for survival.
The movie’s most notable feature that stands out, and the only pretty much on that list, is footage of animals in their natural environment. Brock and his family are also shown to be animal rescuers and pet lovers. In many scenes, this movie is about advocacy for the wildlife. There is also a little bit of action in the movie, like a shootout and blasts.
Escape from Angola is for especially Stan Brock’s fans and deserves a viewing in his honor – which is what this reviewer did.
