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IMDbPro

Bat*21

  • 19881988
  • RR
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
15,185
1,289
Bat*21 (1988)
During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues.
Play trailer2:23
1 Video
35 Photos
DramaWar
During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues.During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues.During the Vietnam War, Colonel Hambleton's aircraft is shot down over enemy territory and a frantic rescue operation ensues.
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
8.9K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
15,185
1,289
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Peter Markle
    • Writers
      • William C. Anderson(book)
      • George Gordon(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Gene Hackman
      • Danny Glover
      • Jerry Reed
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Peter Markle
    • Writers
      • William C. Anderson(book)
      • George Gordon(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Gene Hackman
      • Danny Glover
      • Jerry Reed
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 51User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:23
    Trailer

    Photos35

    Gene Hackman and Erich Anderson in Bat*21 (1988)
    Danny Glover and Clayton Rohner in Bat*21 (1988)
    Danny Glover in Bat*21 (1988)
    Gene Hackman in Bat*21 (1988)
    David Marshall Grant in Bat*21 (1988)
    Iceal Hambleton in Bat*21 (1988)
    Gene Hackman and Theodore Chan Woei-Shyong in Bat*21 (1988)
    Gene Hackman and Joe Dorsey in Bat*21 (1988)
    Gene Hackman in Bat*21 (1988)
    Danny Glover in Bat*21 (1988)
    Gene Hackman and Peter Markle in Bat*21 (1988)
    Danny Glover and Gene Hackman in Bat*21 (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gene Hackman
    Gene Hackman
    • Lt. Colonel Iceal Hambleton
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Captain Bartholomew Clark
    Jerry Reed
    Jerry Reed
    • Colonel George Walker
    David Marshall Grant
    David Marshall Grant
    • Ross Carver
    Clayton Rohner
    Clayton Rohner
    • Sgt. Harley Rumbaugh
    Erich Anderson
    Erich Anderson
    • Major Jake Scott
    Joe Dorsey
    Joe Dorsey
    • Colonel Douglass
    Michael Ng
    • Vietnamese Man
    • (as Rev. Michael Ng)
    Theodore Chan Woei-Shyong
    • Boy on Bridge
    Don Ruffin
    Don Ruffin
    • Helicopter Crew
    Scott Howell
    • Helicopter Crew
    Michael Raden
    • Helicopter Crew
    Timothy Fitzgerald
    • EB-66 Officer
    Stuart B. Hagen
    • EB-66 Officer
    • (as Stuart Hagen)
    Jeffrey Baxter
    • Helicopter Gunner
    • (as Jeff Baxter)
    Alan King
    • Helicopter Gunner
    Bonny Yong
    • NVC
    • (as Bonnie Yong)
    • …
    Willie Lai
    • NVA…
    • Director
      • Peter Markle
    • Writers
      • William C. Anderson(book) (screenplay)
      • George Gordon(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As a U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, "Gene" Hambleton commanded the 57first Missile Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, from 1965 to 1971. He is better known as by his tactical radio call-sign, "Bat 21", he used in Vietnam when he was shot down in 1972, while jamming enemy radar, and parachuted behind enemy lines. When on the ground, Colonel Hambleton found himself in the midst of an invasion force of over thirty thousand North Vietnamese troops. While evading capture for eleven days, he used his survival radio to call in air strikes against the invasion force. Rescue crews gave him coded instructions for where to go to be rescued, based on golf courses, on which he had played, at different Air Force bases. Hambleton's harrowing ordeal was recounted in the book Bat 21 (1980), which was made into this movie. He died from cancer on September 19, 2004 at age 85.
    • Goofs
      In the movie, the aircraft flown by "Bird Dog" was not actually a Cessna O-2 observation aircraft, but was a civilian Cessna 337 Skymaster, painted gray. An O-2 would have multiple windows in the doors and floor to allow visibility of the ground.
    • Quotes

      Capt. Bartholomew Clark: Let's get the basic relationship down... I'm the lifeguard, you're the drowning man. If you relax, I can bring you to shore. If you fight me, then I'll have to slap you around.

    • Connections
      Edited into Stealth Fighter (1999)

    User reviews51

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A Deadly Game Of Golf
    In Bat*21, Colonel Gene Hackman is pulled off the golf links for a dry run on a planned bombing mission when his plane is shot down and he's on the loose in the Vietnamese jungle. Since he's a guy with a whole lot of knowledge the North Vietnamese regulars and the Viet Cong guerrillas would love to get their hands on him. Of course they'd only know how important he was once they did get their hands on him. Still he's someone that Army headquarters will go more than the extra mile for to see he does not fall into enemy hands. More than they would for some dogface private.

    Trying to reach him after Hackman's been shot down is rescue evacuation pilot Danny Glover. For a combination of reasons a couple of attempts go bad and Hackman watches the deaths of people sent to rescue him. Will it go right in the end?

    The film is based on a true story and Hackman plays the real life Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton who spent a couple of harrowing days in the jungle with the enemy all around. Bat*21 was Hambleton's real call sign and he and his rescuers work out a complicated route of travel based on a golf course he's played and the fact that Jerry Reed the man in charge knows the course as well. The Viet Cong listening in on their field radio conversations can't figure out what is essentially a private code.

    Ironically enough I saw a film based on a similar premise called Jet Attack involving the Korean War just recently. That one however was fictional and Bat*21 is a whole lot better. The film graphically shows and without really taking a side the difficulties of fighting the war in Vietnam where the guerrillas have no compunction about using civilians as shields. At some point Hackman succeeds in begging off a possible massacre like My Lai when a copter and crew is shot down and executed by the Cong who take shelter with the civilian villagers.

    Glover and Hackman work well together, there scenes as well as the well staged battle scenes are the best in the film. Bat*21 provides an objective look at the Vietnamese War as seen through the eyes of a successful rescue attempt and the men who sacrificed themselves to get Colonel Hambleton out of harm's way.
    helpful•7
    1
    • bkoganbing
    • Jan 25, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 21, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Sony Movie Channel (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bat 21
    • Filming locations
      • Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia
    • Production companies
      • TriStar Pictures
      • Vision PDG
      • Eagle Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $3,966,256
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $982,080
      • Oct 23, 1988
    • Gross worldwide
      • $3,966,256
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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