The Flight of the Phoenix
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Movie Reviews of The Flight of the Phoenix
Movie Review: A remarkable film now available on DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember seeing this movie on late-night TV as a kid, and was happy to discover it had at last been re-issued on DVD and VHS. It's an exciting and unusual survival story set in the 1950s about a group of men whose unscheduled airplane goes down in the desert. At the urging of one of their members, they take on an impossible task: they must build a new plane from the pieces of the old one before they run out of water.The drama of the situation is what propels the movie forwards, and this has stood the test of time very well. The style of movie-making, however, seems a bit old-fashioned: the characters are stereotyped (the German is the bad guy, the Irishman is cantankerous, the Brit is stoic and arrogant, etc). The actors breath some real life into the parts despite this; Jimmy Stewart in particular is outstanding.
The soundtrack is overbearing, and the whole thing plays out slowly. It's probably 50 minutes into the movie before they decide to build a new plane, and the plane doesn't take off until 2 hours and 20 minutes into the film. If you were raised on newer films you will wish they sliced half an hour out of it.
But I didn't mind it at all: it's a classic story, a unique and gripping film. Also, if you are looking for an inspiring story appropriate for the whole family, it's a great choice It's a little too spooky for the very young, but no real swearing, nothing too adult, and only one bit of (off-screen) violence. The message of the power of human resolve and ingenuity is great for all ages.
Movie Review: Robert Aldrich gave considerable force in his depiction of human moral weakness...
Summary: 4 Stars
A twin-engine propeller airplane, carrying a group of oil company people to a Saharan outpost, crashes in the African desert...
On board, a handful of disparate characters: a jovial pessimist, a noble doctor, a 'frantic' fellow, a distrustful bitter pilot, determined to contradict most suggested plans; a British military officer who reacts in the only way he knows; an insubordinate sergeant who refuses to take any risk; an eccentric airplane designer proposing a seemingly impossible goal... and a nervy navigator who tries to hold the group together...
The marooned survivors (with no hopes of being found or rescued) realize their best hope is the 'impossible': to accept the task of building a smaller plane, a "Phoenix," from the wreckage of the old...
The depiction of the construction is fascinating as much of the true characters of the men (facing the savagely violent environment) come out under the threat of thirst, hunger, and exposure... The degree of their weakness, consternation, arrogance, selfishness, and cowardice is successfully described...
Aldrich tries to build a film filled with self-sacrifice, crazed arguments, and, above all else, a slow descent into foolish acts by all... He keeps us in constant suspense, wondering if the rebuild plane will get successfully off the ground?
Movie Review: A fine adventure film from the 60's.
Summary: 4 Stars
"Flight of The Phoenix" is a terrific, old-fashioned action-adventure film, with an all-male (but for a mirage) cast led by James Stewart.
He plays a weathered pilot who crash lands a rickety plane, filled with the standard mixed-bag cast of characters, into the center of a vast Arabic desert.
As plots go, the plane happens to be filled with a killer set of tools AND an aerospace engineer.
These guys have to build a plane out of the wreckage, and fly out of the desert.
The cast is filled with great faces: Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Hardy Kruger, Ian Bannen, George Kennedy, Dan Duryea...
...and the opening has a nice bit of "24"-ish sudden death surprises.
The direction is brisk, with the occasional artistic indulgence; the screenplay is a bit weak...there's lots of plain, old, cringe-worthy lines, saved by the cast's formidable talent.
The transfer is probably as good as it's ever gonna get...the few flashes of color (like reds...) mixed in with the dreary desert palette pop off the screen.
No extras to speak of.
It's a great way to spend an afternoon, especially if, as I did, you have fond memories of this film from watching it on TV as a child.
Movie Review: Aldrich's 2nd best All Male Action Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
This film released in 1965 did less than sensational business at the box office even with a great all male cast which includes James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, Hardy Kruger, Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Christian Marquand & Dan Duryea and tight suspenseful plot. The story is one of survival when a plane has to crash land in the Sahara due to technical difficulties and each of the men have to depend upon one another to survive. Stewart is excellent as usual as the crusty WWII vet who is forced to rely on the German plane specialist (Hardy Kruger at his best here) at the urging of his alcoholic co-pilot (Richard Attenborough) who is at fault partially for the crash landing, to re-build the plane. The action is character-driven versus the sorry remake and when the finale does come, we are so totally invested in the characters that it is exhilarating to witness the conclusion!! In a way, Aldrich was warming up for his other classic, "The Dirty Dozen", with this film. Do see this one before you check out the remake!!Movie Review: Flight got shortened
Summary: 4 Stars
I had seen this movie probably half a dozen times over the years, and had always loved it. When it finally came out on DVD this year, I had to get it, but was VERY disappointed when I watched the DVD. As I was watching it, I kept saying to myself "this doesn't seem right"....and then I realized that there were quite a few shortened and even missing scenes from the original. Some of the missing scenes are quite significant. There is a scene where the group is moving the wing with the pulleys, and Capt. Towns stops them for no good reason, just to show that he is in charge. The whole scene where Towns and Dorfman have a silent standoff is missing, leading up to Dorfman asking the whole group "who is in authority here". I can go on and on with missing or shortened scenes. Very disappointing to me.I have read 35 other reviews and no one else has mentioned the shortened scenes. I am going to purchase the old VHS, to see the original version.