The Survivors - Recap

IMF team leader Jim Phelps goes to a rooftop air conditioning unit and removes his briefing tape from a specially locked door. Edward Stoner and Wilson Cardel are two of three scientists working on an American project. Enemy agent Eric Stavak has kidnapped them and their wives, but needs the third scientist, Dr. Webster, to complete the project on the “ultimate weapon.” The IMF must get rescue the two scientists.

Jim assembles the usual team and in the briefing, they test a sonic device capable of shattering glass. Jim warns that once Rollin gets into Stavak’s headquarters, he’ll have to chart the entire inside building. Jim and Cinnamon will impersonate Webster (who hasn’t been seen in public in years) and his wife, in town to attend the funeral of her mother. Jim gives Cinnamon a special pearl necklace.

At the funeral, Stavak’s men are watching the place when Rollin and Cinnamon arrive, and Cinnamon activates the tracking signal in the necklace. Barney and Willy are in a nearby van and pick up the signal. Outside, Stavak’s men knock out the limo driver and substitute their own. Rollin and Cinnamon come out and are driven to Stavak’s headquarters, then blindfolded and taken inside. Stavak thinks Rollin is Webster, but Cinnamon reveals she’s separated and Rollin is her new boyfriend. Stavak tries to force Cinnamon to help but she refuses until he threatens Rollin. He gives them an hour and locks them up with the Stoners and Wilsons. Cinnamon tries to secretly let them in on her impersonation but Mrs. Stoner almost gives it away until Cinnamon covers.

Outside, Barney and Willy have followed Cinnamon’s tracking signal and take photos and measurements of the building. Rollin writes down his observations and uses a small hidden compass to confirm directions. Cinnamon then meets with Stavak and offers to betray Jim in return for $25,000 and their freedom. He agrees and she makes a monitored call to him to arrange a meeting, but at a different locale then Stavak wants. Stavak is not amused but has no choice but to go along with her. They meet and Stavak’s men take Jim prisoner while Cinnamon and Rollin leave, but Stavak sends a man to kill them. Barney and Willy quickly capture the man.

Jim is put in with the other prisoners while the rest of the team moves into the building next door to Stavak’s headquarters. Barney plugs some leads into the brick wall and tests the sonic device to provide earthquake-type vibrations. Cinnamon then calls the police and reports a gas leak and asks for a squad car to assist in evacuation.

The neighbors are evacuated and Rollin drills holes in the wall of the building, while Willy brings in a large piece of piping and debris and Barney loosens a gas pipe. Stavak comes to demand their answer and Jim offers to give them the info, while the other scientists refuse. Stavak prepares to have them killed and Jim claims he has enough info to do it on their own and the others relent.

Jim slowly writes out the formula while their team finishes their setup above. Stavak’s assistant, Dr. Yubov, checks the info and realizes Jim is stalling, but as they prepare to shoot him they set off the sonic leads and begin dropping debris into the doorway. Barney then releases the gas, and Rollin has to deal with the police as they pass themselves off as utility workers making repairs.

Jim agrees to rig up an antenna to the outside world as they wonder how much air they have left. Rollin provides a fake radio broadcast about the earthquake, a broadcast containing pre-arranged codewords to tell Jim where to dig for the surface. Jim then bargains for their life in return for his helping get them all out, and Stavak agrees. Jim takes their bullets and has the other scientists use the gunpowder to make a crude explosive device. Outside, the team lowers the big pipe into position over the door and lift away some of the debris.

Using mattresses to direct the charge, Jim blows a hole in the wall to the nearby sewer while Barney clears the debris from the other side. Once they have a clear route, Slavak pulls a gun and forces the scientists to stay while he and his men escape. Slavak refuses to shoot them, since it will set off the gas, but he pulls out the support struts supposedly sealing them in. Once they’re gone, Jim takes them to the doorway where they quickly move the debris and crawl out through the escape pipe.

Slavak and his men emerge into the street, only to find that it’s intact and no earthquake has occurred. Rollin and the others take them away at gunpoint as Stavak realizes he’s been tricked.

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