Broken Arrow 1996

Major Vic “Deak” Deakins, played by John Travolta, and Captain Riley Hale, portrayed by Christian Slater, are distinguished pilots serving in the United States Air Force, based in the southwest region of the country. After an intense sparring session where Deak imparts some wisdom on evading strikes, the duo is assigned to an ultra-secretive operation involving a B-3 Stealth Bomber, a fictional and advanced variant of the real-life B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which is armed with two B-83 nuclear bombs. As they take off from Whiteman Air Force Base for an evening drill over the Utah landscape carrying these live nuclear weapons, the tension escalates.

Once airborne and successfully eluding radar detection, Deakins initiates a casual conversation but soon turns it sinister by attacking Hale. What ensues is a desperate struggle that concludes with Deakins ejecting Hale from the aircraft. Afterwards, Deakins releases the nuclear bombs, leaving them intact, and then declares, >“Hale’s lost it. I’m punching out,” as he bails out, abandoning the plane to crash into the rugged mountainside of Utah canyons.

The aftermath triggers a search and rescue operation to retrieve the lost warheads, but the team fails to locate them in the wreckage, which leads to a grim declaration of a “Broken Arrow,” indicating that the nuclear weapons are unaccounted for. Later, the team discovers the warheads in a nearby canyon but meets a grim fate at the hands of mercenaries, including the treacherous Sgt. Kelly, a corrupt member of the recovery team. In the meantime, Hale survives his ejection and is rescued by Park Ranger Terry Carmichael, played by Samantha Mathis. After a brief confrontation, he persuades her to assist in tracking down Deakins to thwart his malevolent plans.

Hale’s mission becomes precarious as he attempts to neutralize the hijacked Humvee containing the nuclear weapons, fleeing to a copper mine where he tries to input a safety code to disable the devices. However, in a twist of fate, Deakins has predicted this and unwittingly arms one of the warheads instead. Frustrated by his inability to disarm it, Hale resolves to bury the weapon deep within the mine to ensure it cannot be used for disastrous purposes. Deakins arrives shortly thereafter, seizing the unarmed nuclear weapon and leaving Hale and Terry to face certain death from an impending explosion.

As Deakins escapes by boat with the remaining warhead, military forces mistakenly apprehend Hale, believing Deakins’ deceitful declaration that Hale has gone insane. Nevertheless, Hale convincingly argues his case, gathering the support needed to pursue Deakins once again. He deduces that Deakins intends to transport the warhead by train and embarks on a helicopter to intercept him. Following an ID tag left by Deakins, the authorities converge on Salt Lake City but soon realize they have been misled, prompting pursuit towards Denver instead.

Onboard the train, Hale finds Terry, who has been coerced by Deakins to arm the weapon. A chaotic battle ensues, resulting in significant casualties on both sides, including a devastating helicopter crash. As Deakins’ plan spirals out of control, he opts to detonate the bomb prematurely. Kelly, fearing for their escape, confronts Deakins and demands he disarm the device. In a climactic moment atop a viaduct, Hale intervenes, leading to a fierce confrontation that emphasizes his agility against Deakins’ brute strength and ultimately allows him to prevail.

With desperation, Hale leaps from the train, securing the weapon’s remote control and disarming the bomb just in time. The resulting collision when the detached boxcars smash into the halted train sends the disarmed warhead slamming into Deakins, culminating in a catastrophic explosion that consumes him. Amidst the wreckage, Hale discovers a $20 bill, a symbol of their earlier wager during training, signifying his triumph. He reunites with Terry, and the two introduce themselves, ready to leave this harrowing encounter behind.