Desert Thunder (1999)

Terrorists threaten to launch a missile armed with deadly disease at Europe. A special unit is put together to stop them.

Director:

Jim Wynorski

Writer:

Lenny Juliano (screenplay)

Stars:

Tim Abell, Daniel Baldwin, Ari Barak

Cast

Credited cast:
Tim Abell	...	Bobby 'Jet' Burkett
Daniel Baldwin	...	Lee Miller
Ari Barak	...	Gen. Ali Aziz
Melissa Brasselle	...	Michele Parker
Marc Casabani	...	Hashim Tareek
Dannon Green	...	Rapper
Stacy Haiduk	...	Ally 'Al' Malone
Stevie Johnson	...	Johnny Jones
Lenny Juliano	...	Capt. Anthony Detolla
Richard Portnow	...	Adm. Le Clair
Erik Rodenhiser	...	Security Guard
Michael Saad	...	Ahmad Youssuf (as Mike Saad)
David St. James	...	Gen. Norris
Richard Tyson	...	Ralph Streets
Robert Walden	...	Gen. Tom Brockton

Storyline

Terrorists threaten to launch a missile armed with deadly disease at Europe. A special unit is put together to stop them.

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Plot Keywords:

bar fight | germ warfare | pilot | terrorism | military | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 2000 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Kataigida tis erimou

Company Credits

Production Co:

Concorde-New Horizons, Sunset Films International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Popatopolis (2009)

User Reviews

A desert of cliches

You can feel a little more comfortable watching this movie with a Baldwin face amongst the cast. Not that it elevates this movie out of the cheap laugh range. I find it strange how some films get made that have nothing new to say, or nothing new to enjoy, no glamorous special effect value. In fact only the humour in the film was good in my view. Mostly unintentional cliche style.

This is not to say it was dull to watch. It holds a limited interest, and you do hang around to see if the good guys wins.

All things are in order. Bad guys set the plot up, threatening to fire a missile at Europe somewhere, loaded with some deadlier then anthrax thing, and the US must sort it out. Clearly no sensible options are available so it's time for the unreliable wild bunch. Twenty minutes of comedy ensue as Baldwin crowbars in a few flashbacks of why he flies planes no more. Only to change his mind and round up a bunch of dishonourably discharged pilots who all crowbar in their personal disgrace stories.

The training program and internal wrangles is mildly interesting. The spattering of jokes keep things moving, but the realism of small parts such as incompetent pilots and spies does relegate the movie from credibility.

Lots of nice desert explosions towards the end and the climax.. oh missed it, rewind and take another look, nope couldn't see it.

If you want to see a fighter plane movie watch Top Gun, if you're after the middle east related shenanigans there are hundreds of better movies. So this is in my 'nothing else on' category.