TANK- released 1984, and causing surplus store clerks to
hear "Do you have any tanks for
sale?" ever since!
Zak Carey is a Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army. His sunset tour is
at an Army base in
Clemens, GA.
Sgt. Carey is looking forward to retired life. He plans to buy a fishing boat,
and
enjoy the
time his son, Billy, has left before going away to college.
Sgt. Carey is a soldier of "the Old Army". He doesn't
quite fit with the soldiers of the '80's.
Even the
NCO club has been taken over by the newer generation, with their pop music,
laser
lights,
and new age cocktails. Gone are the days of drinking a longneck beer at
the end of the
day,
while the jukebox, in the corner, belts out a slow country song.
Zak ventures into the honky-tonk, just off base, in search of his
preferred type of drinking
establishment.
While trying to enjoy his beer, and the slowed down atmosphere, Zak is come-on
to, by
a pretty, young hooker named Sarah. Zak turns her down because he
is happily married,
but welcomes a pleasant conversation.
Sarah's
pimp, Deputy Euclid, doesn't like her sitting around without making money, so
he roughs her up a bit. Zak comes to Sarah's rescue, striking the deputy, and
thus begins a series of events that make this one of my favorite movies.
The local
Sheriff is a "Boss Hog" of the area, and doesn't take kindly to his
authority being disrespected by the Sergeant Major, or the base commander for
refusing to let the Sheriff prosecute Zak in his "kangaroo court". In
order to show everyone who is really in charge, the Sheriff frames Zak's teenage
son, Billy, on drug charges, and sentences him to hard labor on the county farm.
Realizing there are no more legal options to take against the corrupt Sheriff,
Zak decides to attack the problem the only way he knows how... like a soldier.
Zak turns
in his retirement papers to the Army, effective immediately. He then boards his
personally owned Sherman tank and goes to rescue his son. After driving his
tank through the jailhouse, Zak, now joined by Sarah, heads for the county
farm. At the farm, Zak blows up a few vehicles, in order to cause panic while
Billy gets aboard the tank. Zak, Billy, and Sarah then head for the Tennessee
border, to plead their case outside of the long arm of Sheriff Buelton's
justice.
Along the
way, they manage to avoid search parties, road blocks, and helicopter patrols,
even while giving a news interview via two-way radio. Unfortunately, there is
only one viable place for Zak to cross the state line with his tank, and the
Sheriff lays in wait with a well planned trap. While trying to make a break for
the border, the tank sinks in the muddy field prepared by Sheriff Buelton. A
volunteer then shoots a rocket at the tank's engine, to disable it. Now, all
the Sheriff has to do is wait Zak out.
Meanwhile,
on the Tennessee side of the border, a crowd has gathered, including Zak's wife
and the Governor of Tennessee. After the rocket takes out the tank's engine, a
group of bikers in the crowd come up with a plan to save the day. They build a
ramp, and one biker jumps his bike across the field, to attach a tow cable. The
crowd begins to pull the tank towards the state line. Once the tank is inside
the Tennessee border, the Governor grants asylum to Zak and Billy, pending an
impartial and fair review of their cases. Thus, justice prevails and the
villains are defeated. The End.
This
storyline is appealing to many, because it draws out defiance in the outlaw,
protectiveness in the parent, and the sense of honor and duty in the Veteran.
It shows that, sometimes you need to break the law in order for justice and
good to prevail.
In the
modern day, with satellite surveillance, infrared camera equipped helicopters
and drones, and GPS trackers this storyline really would not be feasible. Social
media posts of sightings or hearing what "sounded like a tank" would
only serve to increase the speed of law enforcement to pinpoint the tank's
location. Add to this the increased number of local law enforcement agencies
equipped with surplus military vehicles, and Zak's chances of evasion or escape
grow even slimmer.
On the
flip side, social media and instant news reports would probably eliminate the
need for Zak to take such extreme measures. Within 24 hours of Billy's story
going viral, there would be so much attention on the situation that the Sheriff
would have no choice but to ensure the case received fair treatment. Even so,
this movie still inspires nostalgia in me of a time when a man could take
matters into his own hands, to right wrongs and serve justice to the "bad
guys". That is why it will always be one of my favorites.
