Airwolf (1984) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Donald P. Bellisario

Writer:

Donald P. Bellisario (written by)

Release Date:

22 January 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure

Plot:

A scientist who has created a super helicopter has defected to Libya and taken the machine with him...

Plot Keywords:

Helicopter | Aviation | TV Series Pilot

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Stringfellow Hawke
Ernest Borgnine	...	Dominic Santini
Alex Cord	...	Michael 'Archangel' Coldsmith Briggs III
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Annese	...	Major Mufta Ben-Kamal
Belinda Bauer	...	Gabrielle Ademaur
Philip Bruns	...	Mitch, the Director
John Calvin	...	Blaze
John Davis Chandler	...	Gentry
Tina Chen	...	Faye
Gary Epper	...	Red Star Controller
Nick Faltas	...	Libyan Officer
Steve Greenstein	...	Libyan Controller (as Steven Greenstein)
David Hemmings	...	Dr. Charles Henry Moffet
Herb Jefferson Jr.	...	Carrier Commander
Monty Jordan	...	Army Officer
Paul La Greca	...	Arab Boy
Robert McRay	...	Parking attendent
Kyle Nakamura	...	Brandon Oshiro
Toby Norton	...	USS Enterprise Radar Operator
Helene Phillips	...	Angela
Deborah Pratt	...	Marella
Dee Dee Rescher	...	Mona Kahn, Reporter
Eugene Roche	...	Senator William Dietz
W.K. Stratton	...	Chuck Gordon
Victor Warren	...	Museium official
Dean Wein	...	Mark, Co-Pilot
Dan Woren	...	Red Star Army Lieutenant

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Netherlands:12 (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Norway:16

Company:

Belisarius Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: In Libya, when Moffet is chasing an enemy aircraft, the other pilots are stating that it is a Mirage. The enemy aircraft shown is in fact a Mig-15, completely different from the profile shown on the computer-screen identifying the enemy aircraft.

Quotes:

Major Mufta Ben-Kamal: [Major Ben-Mufta and Dr. Moffet are watching a scantily clad dancer in a nightclub] I don't understand what you Westerners see in women with such skinny bodies, in the desert a body like this would wither and die in a matter of hours.
Dr. Charles Henry Moffet: After a few hours with such a body, what would it matter?
Dr. Charles Henry Moffet: [watches the dancer intently] I want her...
Major Mufta Ben-Kamal: Ah... That will be difficult, we believe she is an American spy.
Dr. Charles Henry Moffet: Perhaps I can question her for you...
Major Mufta Ben-Kamal: I could do that... Of course, Brother Kadafi was most pleased with your exploits this afternoon against the French on behalf of our beleaguered freedom fighters in Chad. Your destruction of two French Mirage fighters will be told about in the camps of our people until the desert sand turns to water...
Dr. Charles Henry Moffet: But that's still not enough to pay for her?
Major Mufta Ben-Kamal: [laughs] There are many women here who are just...
Dr. Charles Henry Moffet: [snaps] What is?
Major Mufta Ben-Kamal: An American Destroyer...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Airwolf" (1984)

Soundtrack:

Moonshadow

TOP ACTION THRILLER OF THE 80'S

The 1980's were the best time for action fans. During that decade we had The A-Team, Knight Rider, Street Hawk, The Fall Guy and my personal favourite Airwolf.

In this movie Stringfellow Hawke is asked by some government agency to retrieve a billion dollar helicopter stolen by a Dr. Moffett who is working with the Libyans. And we get action and suspense throughout.

Airwolf was quite a dark show. It aired during the mid 80's when the cold war was still very hot and paranoia was at an all time high. Jan Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine did a great job as the duo sent to retrieve Airwolf. Vincent played Hawke who was a moody and pessimistic Vietnam veteran whose brother became missing in action. He was perfect for this role.

Alex Cord played Archangel who worked for the government agency (it was referred to as The Firm throughout the series but that was all we knew) and he seemed innocuous enough although you could never be sure what his real motives were.

The best things about Airwolf was the music and the action. The music was so cool and the action scenes were fantastic. At the end Airwolf is in Libya evading missiles and battling helicopters and Moffett himself and the action doesn't let up for a minute.

Damn good series!