This wonderful film is now impossible to take seriously due to the success of "Airplane!" It's worth seeing, if only to see the genesis of so many of "Airplane!"'s gags.
One thing's certain, this film treats itself with deadly earnest. Every character has a story to tell, and oh, do they tell it. For hours. You wind up wanting to cut the scenes short with gags (sucker punches, self-immolations or what have you.) Despite the efforts of the screenwriter, you couldn't care less about anyone aft of the cockpit...in fact, some of them should probably he heaved overboard to lighten the load.
When the "action" finally starts, you long for Robert Stack to start yelling "Stryker! That plane can't land itself!" John Wayne cruises through this picture, so relaxed as to make you think his character is on drugs.
It's fun to imagine what the MST3K "bots" would have done with this one...it would have been a bloodbath.
One thing's certain, this film treats itself with deadly earnest. Every character has a story to tell, and oh, do they tell it. For hours. You wind up wanting to cut the scenes short with gags (sucker punches, self-immolations or what have you.) Despite the efforts of the screenwriter, you couldn't care less about anyone aft of the cockpit...in fact, some of them should probably he heaved overboard to lighten the load.
When the "action" finally starts, you long for Robert Stack to start yelling "Stryker! That plane can't land itself!" John Wayne cruises through this picture, so relaxed as to make you think his character is on drugs.
It's fun to imagine what the MST3K "bots" would have done with this one...it would have been a bloodbath.