This is my 3986th Review
Thanks to Simon of Moustache Movie News for this recommendation.
“Let’s see what this baby can do.” – Gant
Number of Times Seen – At least 5 times (Cable in the 80’s and 17 Apr 2018)
Brief Synopsis – An expert pilot is recruited to go on a secret mission in order to steal a top secret Russia Jet.
My Take on it – This is a film that I recall seeing so many times on cable as a kid in the 80’s but can’t really claim to recall what it was really all about.
Rewatching it now was very nostalgic for me and the added bonus of actually understanding the Cold War politics of the time says so much about the film.
It feels slightly dated because it deals with the American views of life behind the Iron Curtain during that period of time.
The special effects also look quite archaic compared to the kind of effects used as a standard today.
Clint Eastwood works really well in this film as the lead character.
Loved seeing how he acts vulnerable when he is out of his element but everything changes once he is back in the cockpit and in control.
The pacing of the story is great and despite parts moving slowly due to the slow boil of the plot, it all is quite enjoyable the whole way through.
Bottom Line – Interesting film that feels slightly dated but works well when thinking of how it played out during the Cold War. Eastwood is pretty good here as a pilot who must try and get into the heart of the Soviet Union to try and steal a top secret plane. The fact that he plays a character that isn’t 100% sure of what he needs to do because he is mostly out of his element shows a kind of vulnerability to the character that changes once he is back in the cockpit. The story moves along at a great pace and despite it being a slow boiling plot, it works well. The special effects look archaic when comparing it to the effects used today. Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The fictional MiG-31 bears a strong resemblance to an actual Soviet aircraft; The Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic airliner, nicknamed the “Konkordski” by the western aviation press. Production versions of the Tu-144 had their engine nacelles under the wing close to the center line of the aircraft, a double-delta wing layout with downward conical camber (similar to the Anglo-French Concorde), and retractable canard wings just behind the cockpit. The Tu-144’s history is a bit of a spy story in itself, as many experts have alleged that its design was based on a set of early Concorde blueprints stolen from the French by the KGB. (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)
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