Blyss's Movie Review for:
Main Cast of Characters:
Anthony Michael Hall...........Ruth Patchett
Michael Pare.........Paul "Shotgun" Watkins
Deborah Moore...........Major Goode
Brian Haley.........Lieutenant DeCarlo
Michael St. Gerard..........Lieutenant Wolf
Linden Ashby...............Dragon
Terry Kiser...............Mitchell Burton
1992. Rated: R. Genre: Action;Adventure;Suspense;Comedy
One man's dream, another man's nightmare!
Paul "Shotgun" Watkins already has a lot going for him. He's a hot shot pilot that can do things many others can't in the air. He has dated and broken up with one of his Majors. So he is thrilled when the Major that he broke up with calls him into her office. Just as quickly, he is let down when he finds out what she wanted him for. A movie studio needs a technical advisor to help movie star, Tom Slade, learn what it is like to be a fighter pilot. Watkins is reluctant but finally agrees. He meets Slade later that evening in the mess hall when his agent brings him. He walks in and the room stops. It appears everyone but Watkins knows who he is. Watkins is not impressed with the man or the script but still agrees to help him. The next morning they begin and his agent wakes him up at 8:00 a.m. Watkins teaches him about planes. Slade practices in an F-16 simulator machine and makes record scores that no one else has ever made before. Slade begins to mimic the way Watkins points, speaks, and everything he can see him do. Watkins then brings Slade to the altitude chamber to learn about the #1 killer of pilots, hypoxia. The officer in with them will lower the oxygen levels to simulate the conditions in an F-16. Slade agrees to do it and is fine but Watkins becomes affected and is then forced to take the oxygen. Not only is Slade good at everything, it seems that he also has an interest in Paul's ex (who he is still interested in), Lauren. After Watkins sees Lauren in Slade's room, he starts training him rougher and many things are uncalled for. Then Slade gets clearance to fly with Watkins. While in the air, they are shot down by an enemy. Will Slade be able to take orders? Did Watkins survive and if he did can he and Slade coexist and work as a team?
One great thing about this movie is that it had everything you could possibly want in it: comedy, action, drama, and suspense. Tom Slade the actor trying to learn to be a pilot is hilarious in itself. He asks stupid questions and is constantly doing something silly because he does not understand the way the military works. He wants to do things either his way or too much like Watkins. I have two favorite parts in this movie. One is when Watkins first meets Slade at the mess hall. I have to laugh at the Napoleonic way Slade comes into the room like he is an emperor or something. Then in the same scene, Watkins mentions that he did not like part of the script where the hero in the movie is going down. He doesn' t like what the hero says to his men. What he tells Slade he would say and the way he says it had me rolling! My other favorite part is when they are in the altitude chamber together and Watkins says the body will start releasing pent up gases. Slade says, "I'll say. Who squeezed cheese?!" That one really had me laughing. I had never heard releasing gas referred to in quite that way before.
Overall, this movie is the total package. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it!
I rate this film: 10
Blyss