Donatello “Big Don” Calabria
Played by Bryce Crisp
This film holds the distinction of being the only Brand film to be a sequel of the previous film, continuing the story line of Hunter’s Moon. It begins with promise, as Brand is labeled as a terrorist and is hunted by all the world’s espionage agencies. At the end of the second act, we learn the truth: that Huntington Smythe was able to partially upload himself before Brand destroyed the supercomputer in Hunter’s Moon. But he process was not complete, and all Smythe remembers is his hatred of Brand.
The film takes a downward turn in the third act, as Brand learns he must travel into space to destroy several satellites to trap Smythe’s consciousness. The film culminates in Brand’s assault on a moon base and the planting of a British Flag (which somehow waves in the wind) next the American one.
At the time of release, Cupid’s Bow was considered to be the worst Brand film, though it was later toppled by A Beautiful Disaster and Near Death. On viewing, the film feels like two different stories, a tense spy thriller grafted to an over-the-top sci-fi spectacle. “Big Don” Calabria’s obsession with aircraft appears to have extended into spacecraft, which explains the strange third-act turn.
It is theorized that the first two acts were guided by a different hand. One cannot help but compare those tense, grounded scenes with the Sir Collin Prestor installments which began twelve years later, when Dina Calabria assumed control of the Jove Brand franchise.