Black Moon Rising (1986)

In the salt flats of Utah, Earl Windom (Richard Jaeckel) tests his revolutionary hydrogen-powered car.  Not only does it run on hydrogen, but the sleek car - the Black Moon - has a rocket engine (like the Batmobile!) that gives it an extra boost of speed.  With the test successful, he sets out for Los Angeles to get additional funding.

In Las Vegas, Quint (Tommy Lee Jones) is a professional thief on a mission.  He has been contracted by the Department of Justice to recover incriminating tapes from a corporation.  No sooner has he acquired the tape than the alarm sounds, and he is on the run.  Worse, an old foe, Marvin Ringer (Lee Ving), is the chief of security who has no compuction about killing Quint to recover the tape.  Quint's vehicle is poked full of bullet holes during his flight.  As luck would have it, he encounters Earl and his crew at a gas station on the road to LA.  Seeing as they are both headed to the same spot, Quint hid the tape in the Black Moon.  Moments later, Ringer arrives and Quint is on the run again.

In Los Angeles, Nina (Linda Hamilton) sits at the bar of a high-end restaurant.  Of course, she shuts down a guy who hits on her.  However, she has a brief exchange with Quint, who is also at the bar.  Nina leaves and locks the restaurant door behind her.  A van full of men arrives in the parking lot and she instructs them which cars to steal.  She allocates the Black Moon to herself.  Despite Nina's impressive driving skills and the speed of the Black Moon, Quint follows her to Ryland Towers.  He quickly determines that it is a high-security facility.

Ed Ryland (Robert Vaughn) sells high-end stolen cars internationally.  To demonstrate just how dangerous he is, he orders the death of a foreign buyer for breach of payment while watching the killing on a closed-circuit TV.  He is unimpressed that Nina has stolen the Black Moon, which is unique and basically unsellable.  Clearly, the relationship between Ryland and Nina is on the rocks.

The pieces are now in place.  Can Quint recover the tape from the Black Moon and get it to the DOJ before it is needed in court?  Will he be able to convince Earl and his crew to help by promising to recover the Black Moon?  Can he dodge Marvin long enough to complete his plan?  Will Nina become a love interest?  Well, that one's a given.  But will she help him steal the Black Moon or remain loyal to Ryland?

For a movie that required a bunch of coincidences to tell its story, it takes that to the extreme.  At one point, Quint arrives at a location that no one could have predicted he would be and yet Marvin is waiting for him there.  Impossible!  Not only Marvin, but the DOJ is also there!  What?!  Oh, and Bubba Smith - 6'7" former NFL defensive lineman - plays the most-intimidating DOJ agent you ever saw.

There are lasers, building infiltrations, car chases, gun fights, fisticuffs, sex scenes, explosions, and even a crazy flying car stunt.  It covers all the bases.  Though evil and almost omniscient, the villain isn't all that bright.  The movie is a little uneven in pacing.  Even so, this is a fun, action-packed, heist film.

Good popcorn fun.