Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- aggressive
- patriotic
- sensational
- action movie marathon
- 1980s nostalgia night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded it as a drawn-out, second-rate action thriller that turns a recent political crisis into vulgar force-first wish fulfillment.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Delta Force frames hostage rescue and counterterrorism through triumphant elite-soldier intervention rather than diplomacy.
The hijacked passengers are separated and moved between Beirut and Algiers while the Delta Force tracks the changing threat.
The film loosely fictionalizes the 1985 TWA Athens hijacking in an unabashedly fantastical Hollywood style.
The rescue operation is punctuated by military hardware, motorcycle action, wheelies, and large-scale tactical set pieces.
Films like The Delta Force, and why
Executive Decision
patriotic military action, hostage rescue stakes, and force-first thriller politics
Passenger 57
aircraft hijacking, terrorism, and muscular rescue-mission suspense
Missing in Action
1980s commando spectacle, patriotic wish fulfillment, and geopolitical conflict
Navy Seals
hostage crisis thriller built around military intervention and international terrorism
Movie Details
- Director
- Menahem Golan
- Release Date
- 1986-02-14
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (547)
Cast
- Chuck Norris
- Lee Marvin
- Martin Balsam
- Joey Bishop
- Robert Forster
- Lainie Kazan
- George Kennedy
- Hanna Schygulla
- Susan Strasberg
- Bo Svenson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Delta Force about?
- An elite counterterrorism unit races across the Mediterranean to rescue passengers seized in a politically charged airplane hijacking.
- What is The Delta Force like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Delta Force as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Delta Force violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Delta Force as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Delta Force?
- Critics broadly regarded it as a drawn-out, second-rate action thriller that turns a recent political crisis into vulgar force-first wish fulfillment.
- Which films are like The Delta Force?
- Films with a similar feel include Executive Decision, Passenger 57, Missing in Action, and Navy Seals.
- How long is The Delta Force?
- The Delta Force runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Delta Force?
- In United States, The Delta Force streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
