Firefox (1982)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Craig Thomas (novel)
Alex Lasker (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 June 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

His job...Steal it.

Plot:

A pilot is sent into the Soviet Union on a mission to steal a prototype jet fighter that can be partially controlled by a neuralink

Plot Keywords:

Soviet Union | Jet Fighter | Russia | Fighter Plane | Refueling

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Mitchell Gant
Freddie Jones	...	Kenneth Aubrey
David Huffman	...	Captain Buckholz
Warren Clarke	...	Pavel Upenskoy
Ronald Lacey	...	Semelovsky
Kenneth Colley	...	Colonel Kontarsky
Klaus Löwitsch	...	General Vladimirov
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Pyotr Baranovich
Stefan Schnabel	...	First Secretary
Thomas Hill	...	General Brown
Clive Merrison	...	Major Lanyev
Kai Wulff	...	Lt. Colonel Voskov
Dimitra Arliss	...	Natalia
Austin Willis	...	Walters
Michael Currie	...	Captain Seerbacker

Runtime:

136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Spain:T | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | USA:PG (certificate #26725) | West Germany:16 | New Zealand:PG | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1982) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Cut Bank, Montana, USA

Company:

Malpaso Company, The

Trivia:

A total of nine models of the Firefox were built. Six were used as miniatures for filming, two actually flew, and one was built to full-scale specifications. Several flying shots were later reused in Back to the Future Part II (1989).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: There's no Kirov str. within walking range by Kolomenskaya metro station.

Quotes:

Col. Kontarsky: The KGB has just arrested Boris Glazunov, at his flat. Who is in the truck with Upenskoy?
Customs Officer: [confused] Well, it should be Boris Glazunov.
Col. Kontarsky: Exactly! It *should* be Glazunov, *if* Upenskoy is making a delivery.
Customs Officer: Sir, the truck is definitely heading out of the city.
Col. Kontarsky: Well, this is most curious.
[beat]
Col. Kontarsky: Where is Upenskoy supposed to make his delivery?
Customs Officer: I don't know, but we can certainly find out.
Col. Kontarsky: No. Follow the car to the checkpoint. Priabin is bringing in the other Jew. Perhaps he can tell me something...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Something different for Eastwood

Firefox isn't your usual Eastwood film, he's almost branching out into Star Wars territory here with this Sci-Fi heavy Cold War Spy thriller. The effects like every 80's film have dated badly but for a movie made in 1982 they are rather good. Eastwood directs himself in what is a pretty average performance by his own high standards. The majority of the cast is made up by British character actors. Warren Clarke is really good but Freddie Jones and Nigel Hawthorne are pretty hammy. Also Raiders of the Lost Ark fans can spot Ronald Lacey playing Semelovsky a Jewish scientist. The first half of the film is a spy thriller and can be pretty nail biting at times as Clint gets his papers checked at regular intervals. Also he's suffering from the same post Vietnam War disorder that John Rambo had in First Blood and that really adds to the tension. The second half is more like Star Wars and is really great stuff. So better ice up at a cold one and enjoy Firefox for what it is, Cold War entertainment at it's best.