MovieFreak.com - Flight of the Intruder DVD Review

DVD REVIEW

Flight of the Intruder (1991)

Starring: Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, Brad Johnson

Director: John Milius

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Paramount

Release Date: 7.01.03

Review Posted: 7.22.03

Spoilers: None/Minor

Reviewed by Dennis Landmann

Synopsis

Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon) plays Commander Frank Camparelli, the battle-hardened squadron leader of an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. Brad Johnson (Always) is pilot Jake Grafton, a disillusioned young renegade looking for payback. Willem Dafoe (Spiderman) is Cole, the cynical, hell-bent bombardier Grafton recruits to fly an unauthorized mission behind enemy lines. The target: a missile depot in Hanoi. The plane: the A-6 Intruder, a low-altitude bomber with no defensive weapons. The risk: court-martial at the hands of Commander Camparelli... if they live to return.

Critique

Flight of the Intruder represents suitable material for the actors and key crew involved. Actors Danny Glover, Willem Dafoe, and Brad Johnson all handle their roles pretty well. The exception here is Johnson, however, since his character Jake Grafton is emotionally invested in a no-win situation. One day, while going out on a routine mission over Vietnam, Jake and his co-pilot get hit. This incident, which leaves the co-pilot dead, sparks Jake’s campaign to put an end to the routine fly-over missions. This conflict sets up the social commentary of the film. It asks, "What are we still doing in Vietnam," or variations of that. However, this conflict, and how the characters deal with the implications, is what drive Flight of the Intruder on top of similar-themed films.

Writers Robert Dillon and David Shaber adapt from a novel by Stephen Coonts, and turns in a decent script. Flight of the Intruder includes a variety of good passages, though some are a bit flawed. A funny bit includes the mystery of a certain Phantom Shitter aboard the aircraft carrier. The film’s action sequences work and look pretty good, especially the Intruder flight to Hanoi. The climax is a bit of a stretch, especially if one reflects on the logic of the scene. However, it manages to the film on a high note.

In conclusion, Director John Milius, who scripted Magnum Force, directs a pretty decent film that should appeal to action fans. Acting is pretty good here; Danny Glover plays the hard-ass well, Willem Dafoe makes a good impression, Brad Johnson stands out, and his performance makes me wonder where he is today. Rosanna Arquette, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore also star. Flight of the Intruder makes for decent entertainment and the film works on most levels.

6 out of 10

The Video

Paramount presents Flight of the Intruder in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is quite a nice widescreen transfer not only in terms of quality, but also because the cinematography looks pretty good. The image quality is pretty decent and there are no compression artifacts. Grain or dirt spots exist, but create no major problems. However, grain spots in the attack scenes at night are easily identifiable. Colors are pretty decent and fairly well-adjusted. Color detail is pretty decent also. Dark tones and black levels are not too consistent, evident in most of the night scenes. Flight of the Intruder looks pretty nice.

7 out of 10

The Audio

Paramount presents Flight of the Intruder in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. When the A-6 Intruder aircraft fly across the screen there is some loud booming noise coming from almost all speakers. It’s a nice experience, however, not a great one. This film contains roaring aircrafts and explosions, plus a mostly unobtrusive score by Basil Poledouris (The Hunt for Red October), but the Dolby Digital soundtrack doesn’t handle these as well as it should. The overall impression of the surround usage is decent with explosions sounding just fine, but not great. Dialog is clear and easy to understand. Front speakers get most of the noise with the rear speakers acting up in steps to unrealized potential. Overall, Flight of the Intruder sounds pretty good.

Additional soundtracks include English Dolby Surround and French Stereo Surround.

8 out of 10

The Extras

There are no extras. You can select to view the film with optional English subtitles. The DVD’s menus are not animated. The 114-minute feature is organized into fifteen chapters.

0 out of 10

Overall

Flight of the Intruder is well acted, directed, and produced. The emphasis is not on action per se, but the story should keep the viewer’s attention. Paramount’s video and audio presentation is pretty good, although there are no extras whatsoever. Make this disc a rental consideration at one point or another.

RATINGS SUMMARY