Taylor: I don't know whether he's a psycho or just crazy.
Hardwick: He may be a psycho, but he's definitely not crazy.
— Referring to Parker
The survivors of a plane crash find themselves in the middle of a major terrorist plot, orchestrated by the power elite. It's up to these ordinary citizens to stop the conspiracy! The fate of the free world hangs in the balance!
This movie contains examples of:
- Badass Preacher: One who won't let getting his tongue torn out stop his singing.
- Berserk Button: Not surprisingly, the phrase pig-headed is one to the pig-nosed oinking Terrorist Jennings as one of his co-horts finds out.
- Big Damn Heroes: The women after being told to stay back, rescue the day. They are even thanked by Taylor for not listening to him.
- Black Comedy: A woman is sexually assaulted by an AIDS-ridden man. It leads to one of the funniest lines in the film.
- Creepy Twins: Creepy Siamese twins, joined at the head, one with a high-pitched voice, the other with a low-pitched voice. They get separated. With a machete.
- The Determinator: Parker is cornered by several terrorists, who proceed to pump so many bullets into him, he's more lead than flesh. And he's still alive, at least until Kirkland shoots him in the head.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Most of the protagonists survive the war against the guerrilas and handily beat them.
- Handicapped Badass: The blind girl; at first a subversion, but then... "I can still hear you!"
- Hate Sink: Kirkland. At first he's just as whiny Jerkass: But then he hides like a coward during the first battle and doesn't fire a single shot. Then he betrays the group and possibly the U.S to the terrorist. Then he shoots Sean in the climatic battle and then outright executes Parker. Needless to say, it's very satisfying to see him get his comeuppance
- Kukris Are Kool: Parker. Uses it to cut his enemies' ears off, to make into a necklace. Of human ears. Yeah.
- More Dakka: Ya think? At the time(and probably still), the record holder for most bullets fired in a single movie.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Parker is so obviously based on director Lloyd Kaufman's old buddy, Oliver Stone.
- Screaming Woman: Parodied - she's the first to go.
- Sinister Swine: The main antagonist of the film is a man with pig-like features who gets angry when people makes jokes about it.
- The Stinger: "Okay, everyone wave! Dead people, wave!"
- Took a Level in Badass: Pretty much all the heroes, with the exception of Parker and Marshall.
- You Are the Translated Foreign Word: A variant - "This is Senor Sida. SIDA is our word for what your people call AIDS." (Incidentally, SIDA really is the acronym for the Spanish name for AIDS.)