Movies with Jets

Ice Station Zebra: an okay Cold War thriller that sports shots of die cast model Mig 21s. F-4s double as the "real" Migs. **

Blue Tornado: Ted McGinley and Dirk Benedict are two military pilots that become entangled in some bizzarre UFO kidnapping. Besides the cool hot pursuit involving F-104s and Tornados, there is not much more to this flick.

Saving Private Ryan: Not a jet movie at all but important war film that doesnt hold back the graphic details of violence. ****1/2

Blood Diamond: Not a jet movie but sports a brief moment of a real HIND. Also stars DiCaprio who is a really great actor despite all his associations to Titanic-crap. ****

[]Full Metal Jacket: Anyone will tell you the Basic Training section of this film is inarguably the best depiction of adjusting one to military lifestyle. FMJ is a good movie, even if most peopleturn it off after Private Pyle's stand. Not a jet movie, but a decent Vietnam War flick that goes from action to documentary style at times. Great stuff. ****

Tears of the Sun (2002): somewehre in the final 10 minutes are two F-18s on a CAS run. Also there is a shot of recovery ops on the carrier with Tom Skerrit placed terrible out on the LSO nest. Pretty cool explosions and stuff. Does nothing to make up for this mess of a film. Watch Black Hawk Down or Predator instead. No Stars

True Lies: Arnold battles terrorists in this last great Arnold classic. The AV-8 Harrier becomes a full cast member during the last act of the film. ***

Jewel of the Nile: A Romancing the Stone sequal without nearly the charm and effect of its predesosor. At some point, our heroes escape a villainous compund in what appears to be an F-16. But, the canopy is different from a normal F-16. I think this plane was a set piece created for the movie and not the real deal.

[]The Right Stuff (1983): The story of test pilots in the rocket plane and Mercury Project era. Anyone into flight sims should've seen this movie already. *****

Goldeneye: The last decent Bond movie. There is a sequence involving a flight of MiG 29s made by none other than mini effects wizard (the great) Derrick Meddings.**

Iron Eagle (1985): A kid steals an F-16 to fly to the Middle East and rescues his shot down father?!?! Despite the childish plot, Iron Eagle is highly entertaining with some amazing flying sequences and dogfights courtesy of the IAF. The chemistry between Jason Gedrick and the great Louis Gossett jr., the flying sequences and its feel good effect makes this film work. ****

[]The Final Countdown (1980): A US Navy recruiting movie full of carrier ops. The synopsis is a modern day aircraft carrier is swept back in time to December 6, 1941. Watch an F-14 go up against a

Broken Arrow: A lame The Rock type movie with a B-2 hijacked. (oh, excuse me hijack is a politically incorrect word. Replace with: taken against will).

Air Force One: Lame thriller with great actors Oldman and Harrison Solo. At some point CG created F-15s escort the kidnapped AF1. This movie has an INEXCUSABLE moment when the villian falls from grace. Its as unacceptable as Nuclear Man leaving that woman floating in space without a space suit in Superman III. (In all honesty, Superman 3 was decent... up to that moment).

[]Blackhawk Down: not a jet movie but allotta choppers. This is one of the greatest military movies, full of military hardware in action. Ridley Scott's best film EVER. Yes, I know Blade Runner and Alien they're cool but...****1/2

XXX: Vin Diesel and Samuel Jackson Bond type action movie. The big doomsday plot involves a Su-17 swooshing over a Czech Republic or Slovak urban area. (Honsetly, no offense to my Czech and Slovak brothers. I dont know which country that city was supposed to be in). UPDATE--> it has to be the Charles Bridge in Prauge CZ. **

[]K-19 Widowmaker: Yes! This is the right direction Hollywood needs to go more often. Soviet sub nuclear dissaster film. No jets but if you like jets you should like Nuke Sub movies. (I could be wrong, making general assumptions like that. Called stereotyping, right?)****

X-15 (1969): I've only seen bits and pieces, years ago. It dealt with the experimental flights of the X-15.

Bridges at Toko Ri: Korean War era flick about a lawyer with a great family who is called back to duty and ultimately has to fly a most dangerous mission. See the classic F-9 Panther in action. ***

Behind Enemy Lines (2002): Another F-18 SWOOSH film. Important setting, bad acting, an empty feeling of male bonding and cartoon effects reduce this film to a lame 105 minute chase. WE NEED MORE MOVIES ABOUT THE WAR IN THE BALKANS!**

The Francis Gary Powers Story: Lee Majors plays the part of Powers. Powers was the pilot shot down over the Soviet Union in a U-2 during Eisenhower's watch. ***

Independence Day: Somewhere in this big budget rip-off of V is a canyon chase where Will Smith bounces aliens discs off of canyon walls in his F-18. This was the beginning of the computer generated, SWOOSHING F-18s. no stars

Deal of the Century (1984): Chevy Chase and Gregory Hines play arms dealers. This film features an international air show in the last act. Any plane you've ever wanted to see...its there! Well, almost any plane. Even the abandoned F-20 Tigershark makes a cameo. ****

The Man Who Saw Tomorrow: This Nostradamus documentary-like film sports shots of the SR-71 in action. It's been so long that I don't remember anything more about this movie.

Platoon: The first of the "Vietnam" movies that came out in the mid 80's. Great film, a must see. Oliver Stone is truely one of the greatest directors of our time. Forget his opinion on politics his purpose in life is to make films that provoke our thoughts to evaluate and re-evaluate history. An F-5 model soars overhead during the final fire fight. *****

[]Firebirds (1989): This was the Army's response to Top Gun, except with the Apache. Its wonderful Saturday afternoon garbage full of fast stuff and explosions. Very entertaining! Army toys from start to finish! ****

First Blood/ Rambo2/ Rambo3: not jet movies in any case but parts 2 and 3 have some awesome chopper throw downs. ****

Officer and a Gentleman: This is not a fighter jet movie but deals more about the training of brand new recruits to fly aircraft. **1/2

Call to Glory (1984): This was ABC television's version of The Right Stuff. It was about the life and times of a test pilot. There seems to be allotta footage from the Red Flag school. F-4s, F-5s and I remember one episode, F-4's escorted an SR-71 to land. **

Flight of the Intruder: Vietnam era flick concentrating on A-6 bombers. Stars the great Danny Glover and Willem Dafoe. **1/2

WarGames (1980): Deep into the movie is a flight of F-15's that arc upwards into the blue yonder as they search out Backfire Bombers in Alaskan airspace. Unfortunately, the close up of the cockpit is that

Tomorrow Never Dies: In the opening sequence, Bond escapes danger in a Czech made L-39. After he ejects the bad guy in the back seat...well let's just say that was the death of the Bond series. no stars

[]Iron Eagle II (1989): The second greatest jet fighter movie! Iron Eagle I meets the Dirty Dozen. The film is full of F-16's, F-4's (horribly doubling as MiG 29s), Kfir's and Mirages all courtesy of the IAF. Israeli toys all the way trhough! ****

Super Carrier (1987): NBC's TV version of Top Gun. I've never seen such utter garbage. BUT, if you've never seen it, I recommend it at least once. Its got Tomcats! no stars

[]The Hunt for Red October (1990): Again, not a fighter movie but there is a great shot of a Tomcat catapulting from the deck! So great that the Captain and Jack Ryan stop talking and watch. ****1/2

Blue Thunder (1983): Besides the awesome photography of choppers buzzing around Los Angeles, there is a sequence that involves a shoot out with two F-16 models. ****

Red Flag- The Ultimate Game (1980): A USAF film that didn't have quite the recruiting effect as Final Countdown. Nevertheless, jet fighter aficionados will find this film entertaining with all the F-5, F-4 dogfights and fighter jock egoism shared between the great Barry Bostwick and William Devane. ***1/2

The Great Santini: Pre-Vietnam era story about a Marine wardog having to deal with a family and not a war. The old war dog, however, flies and trains pilots in F-4s!!

[]Top Gun over Moscow/ NOVA documentary highlighting the Flanker. Also runs through the history of the Soviet Air Force. ****

Airwolf: The first season of this great show involved allota international entanglements that put Airwolf up against numerous jet fighters, some classic, some modern. 1st season ****

Apocalypse Now (1979): not a jet fighter movie but there is the bombing run by the Filipino F-5's doubling as USAF fighters. ****

[]American Fighter Pilot: Canceled CBS reality show involving USAF pilots undergoing training to become Eagle Drivers. Yanked after the 2nd show! Hopefully we can catch it on syndication in the future.

Stealth Fighter: Ice T plays a crooked fighter pilot who steals an F-117 and becomes a mercenary for some drug dealer. Straight to DVD garbage full of Ice T's arrogant boasting.

(Battlestar) Galactica 1980/ Conquest of the Earth (1980): Upon the Colonials' arrival to Earth, two Vipers are pursued by two F-15's. It's a short sequence that does nothing to justify this garbage of a production. no stars

Stealth: Not even Willie Beeman (Jamie Fox) and the great Sam Sheppard could justify this scrap of a movie. Even in one of the makings of, the director compares the movie to a modern day compliment to Top Gun. WRONG! Apart from some brief swoosh shots of a couple of Su-37s getting unfairly and unjustly wasted, there is absolutely nothing interseting about this movie at all. YOu will literaly wondering why you are even watching it. (and yes I realize for a movie that I despise I have allot to write about it) -No Stars.

Executive Decision: Whack! Steven Segall is in it for a second. And near the end is an awesome shot of a Tomcat kicking in its AB. After that, you can turn it off. No stars.