Flight of Black Angel (1991 TV Movie) User Reviews

Renegade pilot thrills in this occasionally frightening TV movie

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 28 October 2016]

FLIGHT OF BLACK ANGEL is another movie about a renegade fighter pilot taking the fight to the skies above America. There were a few of these films made throughout the 1990s, John Woo's BROKEN ARROW being the one I know the best. Although this one's a TV movie, it doesn't suffer from the trappings of that genre because it actually has some violent scenes of murder and destruction in it, so it's not one that plays it safe throughout.

I watched this film out of interest because it was an early effort from director Jonathan Mostow, later to make crowd-pleasers like BREAKDOWN and TERMINATOR 3. Mostow is hampered by a low budget in this one, but the story's interesting and I enjoyed the way that most of the material ends up taking place on the ground rather than in the skies. Peter Strauss is a dull hero character but William O'Leary is rather convincing as the out-of-his-mind pilot. The special effects again are limited in nature but there's enough meat in the surrounding scenes to make the whole thing frighteningly convincing in places.

Low budget movie shows Blockbuster Hollywood how to do it properly

[efftup · 7/10 · 23 January 2013]

This is a made for TV movie and due to budget restraints all the flight footage is reused from the Iron Eagle films. Hence Israel has to pass for Nevada.

So I originally went into this not expecting too much but wanting an aerial film fix.

Despite what one or two other reviewers have said, this has a very believable plot (especially compared to Iron Eagle films)and the acting was very good. The reviewer who thinks it's totally ridiculous to land a plane on a road and take off again needs to Google the Swiss and Swedish Air Forces

An ace aggressor squadron pilot has some kind of breakdown and decides to shoot down his fellow pilots and attack Las Vegas with a Nuclear weapon.

Spoiler ALERT+++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At first, this might seem a little ridiculous, but the way he achieves all this actually all seems very plausible. Far more so than the way the kids get everything Chappie asks for in Iron Eagle. He holds someone at gunpoint to get live weapons programmed, brushes off concerns by the armourer who loads the plane and then has to dismantle the nuclear weapon with the aid of a stolen wiring diagram,getting radiation sickness in the process (but as he's on a suicide mission, he doesn't care.) END OF SPOILER ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

William O'Leary puts in a good performance as the cold, disturbed pilot,and Peter Strauss is pretty good as the older pilot and mentor who is eventually forced to take on his protégé.

While the pace is a little slow in paces (especially if you are used to the moronic modern Whizzbang Hollywood rubbish),the plot isn't totally predictable and no-one does anything out of character. The Flight sequences are pretty well edited, especially considering that they are cut together from an entirely different film. This obviously lends itself to a few continuity errors but I think that's forgivable in this context. They are no worse than in bigger budget films like Top Gun.

Overall, I found it a very enjoyable and well made film, and one I would certainly recommend, even to those who aren't that into planes. The complete opposite of a film like Flyboys.

decent thriller / action movie

[myriamlenys · 7/10 · 7 August 2020]

Captain Eddie Gordon is a member of the US Air Force. As a bold and brilliant pilot of fighter planes, he earns much of his pay impersonating "the enemy" during training exercises. However, his superiors and colleagues worry about his cold, reclusive demeanor. Meanwhile even his closest relatives do not succeed in touching his emotional core. It seems as though there's something nasty brewing behind Gordon's all-American good looks...

"Flight of Black Angel" is a decent thriller / action movie with a particularly chilling premise, to wit one of the more competent pilots of the US Air Force turning on his fellows and going rogue while in possession of enough advanced weaponry to flatten a small country. As befits the theme, there are a number of spectacular stunts and aerial dogfights to be enjoyed. Moreover, actor William O'Leary is quite creepy as a man who looks normal enough, but whose mind has become overrun with toads and snakes.

On the other hand there are a number of missed opportunities. For instance, the movie insists that Gordon is some kind of maniac, presumably of a religious nature, but it tells us little about the growth and nature of his delusion(s). Moreover it's mainly a case of telling instead of showing. Why not show us, say, Gordon getting into a screaming quarrel with some random preacher he thinks is too soft on sinners ? Or why not show us Gordon "interacting" with Saint Lucy, the archangel Michael, Martin Luther, pope Pius X or whoever else is supposed to give him his orders ? And let's face it, choosing Las Vegas as a place of depravity to be destroyed through cleansing fire is rather a cliché. (Indeed, I would not be surprised if the Las Vegas tourist office milked this "sin city" image for all it's worth.) Imagine how much more interesting the movie would have become, if our rogue pilot had wanted to destroy some semi-forgotten town known mainly for its production of cheap after-shave and for its annual Goat Cheese Festival...

Still, a good way to pass the time during a rainy afternoon.

Surprisingly good

[brendonm · 15 October 2000]

Before he had the big budget of U-571, director Jonathan Mostow proved back in 1991 that he has what it takes to create a gripping movie. I rented this because I was writing a screenplay with a similar premise. The aerial combat sequences here are just as -- if not more so -- thrilling as anything in TOP GUN. I wish they would have got someone else to play Cpt. Gordon aka "Black Angel" -- still, the thesp gets across a spooky desperation. The script doesn't fully explain his motivation, but it's clear he has some kind of God-complex. Peter Strauss is also believable as the Mentor.

If you like military or doomsday thrillers, this is worth a rent or watching on cable.

Also of note: screenwriters John Brancato and Mike Ferris (THE NET, THE GAME) are billed as assoc. producers, though I don't know what their role in the production was.

Ecellent story, well acted

[molonlabe · 7/10 · 23 November 2006]

This is an excellent story of United States Air Force Pilots that could possibly happen. All parts in film are well acted and believable. The only bad feature of film is parts of the film that were shown that were supposed to be in Western part of the United States looked like they were filmed in Israel. The movie keeps you in suspense because when you see it you have no idea what is going to happen next. I give the movie a 7 out of a 10 because of the non-authentic scenery. If it wasn't for that, I would have given it a 9. Peter Straus plays his part well but William O'Leary plays a very complicated part and should have received some kind of film award for his part!

Bottom gun.

[=G= · 3/10 · 26 January 2003]

"...Black Angel" pretty much just sucks. There are too many deficits to go into detail. The only reason to watch would be the flying and it's pretty ordinary....snap rolls are about it. The story is lame and the execution worse with poor if any technical advice. Only for hard up sofa spuds who love aerial combat dog fights. (D)

Mildly Entertaining

[marc-1025 · 3/10 · 29 September 2010]

I bought this movie on DVD as I am a big fan of Iron Eagle and Flight Of Black Angel was suggested as a similar type movie.

Firstly, I must say that I approached this with an open mind. I realized that this wasn't a big budget movie and didn't expect it to wow me, but reading the reviews here made me hopeful that this might be pretty good.

The movie starts very slow. The acting in the opening scenes is mediocre at best. The direction is pretty good, but relies heavily on slow zooms to invoke suspense and atmosphere - this works to some degree but is overdone to the point of becoming boring. The lighting is pretty bad on some scenes.

As the story develops, it starts to gather some momentum. The acting seems to improve a little and the script is OK for the most part. The flight sequences are taken straight out of Iron Eagle which kind of works, but having seen Iron Eagle, I couldn't help make comparisons and it becomes evident that compared to that, the script and acting doesn't come close. Another annoying thing form me is that some of the scenes show the bombing of US troops and anti-aircraft weapons - these are taken straight from Iron Eagle and you can see the uniforms of the middle eastern enemies from IE who are meant to be US in this movie, but if I hadn't mentioned it you may not have noticed :-)

The second half of the movie works much better, the pace is just about right and the introduction of new characters lifts the whole thing.

Overall I would say this movie is maybe worth a look if there is nothing else on TV but I wouldn't suggest going out of your way to see it.

meh

[jhousdan · 4/10 · 23 December 2007]

the flight scenes look like they were filmed in Israel because they were. This movie borrows all of the action sequence footage from the movie "Iron Eagle"... which was shot using IAF F-16A/Bs and Kfirs (a Mirage III derivative). Pretty low-budget, I guess if I hadn't seen Iron Eagle so many times before, I wouldn't have paid attention to it. I rather rented the movie hoping to see more Tomcat footage (an F-14A is displayed quite prominently on the cover of the movie) but there is none. The acting is good enough, all things considered... even if the plot line is full of holes. This is the only time I've ever seen O'leary in a truly serious role... and he's wickedly good at it!

Highly recommended, taut storyline, great aerial dogfights

[karmakelli · 9/10 · 24 August 2003]

Is it possible these days to tell a story -- a taut, relentless, no-fat-no-frills story -- in contemporary Hollywood? This 1991 effort by writer/director Jonathan Mostow reminds me of Steven Spielberg's "Duel" in its relentless pursuit of a linear take-no-prisoners storyline. No real characters, but who needs 'em? Let Merchant/Ivory wander through sanguine tepidity ... Mostow wants to grab you, must compel your attention -- he plies his craft for the MTV 15-second-attention-span generation.

I stumbled across this unknown gem flipping through cable stations one meandering Saturday afternoon, and immediately wondered why Hollywood hadn't discovered this amazing director. Then I searched IMDB and learned he recently finished directing "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." Hmm ... guess he was only anonymous to me.

The aerial dogfights are simply great. The maniacal plan of the wacked-out Crazy Christian Crusader main character is riveting, and Mostow's script seems plausible in its attention to military technology detail.

Highly recommended.

Pretty Good

[Wild-2 · 21 July 1999]

This is an exciting action packed flick about a pilot gone mad and attempts to blow up Las Vegas. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, it surprises you.

good made for cable film

[RLARKT199 · 8/10 · 11 December 2006]

This films tells the story of air force pilot who cracks under peer pressure,it was unclear if his parents pushed him to far,or what,he simply had to be the best,Barry Zetlin,who produce this film,assembled a good cast. The pressure was too much,he cracked under it all. The fight scenes in the air was well done,I suspect that quite a bit of stock footage film was used. This is available on DVD in either the UK or Australia. Before you order it,make sure your DVD player will play it,DVD's players in Canada and the US are region one,in Europe and Australia,they use region 2 and 4 which is Pal System.Region free DVD players can be purchased here in Canada and the US,if you do not wish to purchase one,go on to the internet and type in DVD players hackers list,this web site will give you instructions on how to change the region settings on your DVD player,not all DVD players can the region codes be changed. Another interesting item,Barry Zetlin,who produced this film appeared in it,a cameo appearance,he has also done this in other films he has produced. Alfred Hitchcock used to do the same thing.

A real surprise

[Wild-2 · 6 August 1998]

I rented this movie one night just because I had nothing better to do. To my surprise, I found it entertaining. I will not tell the plot, but this is a pretty good action/thriller. The colour on it is pretty dull, but the movie has some good special effects and explosions. B-

Prefer this to Top Gun crap

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10/10 · 9 July 2020]

This is for me my prefered Jon Mostow's stuff, with of course BREAKDOWN. Such topics should be more numerous. Good suspense and acting too. Dark, bleak, but effective. I love the Gordon's character. The scene where he kills his family is absolutely terrific, more than any other feature I have seen. It reminded me TARGETS with the young military man killing his whole family at home. I also thought about DEADLY TOWER, for the same reason.

Scary, and Very Realistic

[nitecruz · 29 January 2003]

Just enough details to make this seem very real, and very possible.

Makes you wonder about the military phrase "routine training exercise" used in actual news stories.

No breaks in the action - and no subplots. This is straight action from beginning to end. Well worth watching.

Good film

[pilot1009 · 8/10 · 21 October 2021]

Another reviewer gives a low score and says who could land a jet on a road and take off again and scoffs, well Germans, Israelis and several others so no so incredible as it might seem. Stories a good one and the film wilst a little melodramatic at times is entertaining and IHO it far better that Top Gun if not in pretty pictures it sure is in terms of drama and story.

Rent it

[Wild-2 · 22 April 2000]

A movie about a dedicated pilot who is driven mad to extreme depression, and ends up trying to blow up Las Vegas in the process in order to fulfil his sick purpose. Good acting, plenty of action, and an unexpected twist in the end makes this one worth watching.

Great Film

[spriggan43-1 · 9/10 · 1 January 2010]

Flight of Black Angel is easily a great film because it relies on storytelling and characterization rather than special effects to get its point across. It's low budget but I think that is what works in the movie's favor. It doesn't have to rely on whiz-bang special effects. William O'Leary is awesome as the psychotic Air Force pilot who's slipped a gear and decides to carry out God's will and Peter Strauss plays it straight and to the point as his mentor trying to stop him. The story is very believable and hooks the audience instantly. Easily one of the best films i've ever watched from a storytelling aspect. If this movie had a bigger budget, I could see it winning some awards.

Silly movie, only good for when you're drunk

[DavidBarak · 30 May 2003]

Ludicrous plot, bad acting, glaring factual errors. Stylistically, it's a bit of a Top Gun rip-off. And seriously, who ever heard of anyone landing a fighter on a road and then taking off again later? If you like to make up funny lines for the dialogue or you like to pick out errors, etc., then this is the movie for you. And Peter Strauss, next time you play a military man, get a haircut.

Terrific topical thriller

[lor_ · 11 June 2023]

My review was written in February 1991 after watching the movie on Showtime.

"Flight of Black Angel" is an unsettling, extremely taut thriller about a craze American fighter pilot with a tactical nuclear weapon board. This timely, cautionary tale is one of the better features presented as a direct-to-cable offering.

Billed as a "Showtime Original", film was made as an indie theatrical feature y Hess-Kallberg Associated, but was acquired by the pay-cable company and premieres via Showtime rather than in theaters.

A proper subtitle could be "He Came to Bomb Las Vegas", as young U. S. Air Force Academy pilot William O'Leary goes nuts kills his family and arms his plane to turn routine training exercises of young pilots into a game of death.

He also fakes the serial numbers on a computer requisition form and successfully thwarts other fail-safe systems to get a 50-megaton tactical nuclear weapon loaded onto his F-21 Mirage jet. He then arms it for a kamikaze run on the nation's gambling capital.

Helmer Jonathan Mostow, making a quantum leap here to quality from his debut Hess-Kallberg feature "Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers", directs with ruthless skill that makes this film the most disturbing of its type since "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer".

Clues gradually inform the viewer of the anti-hero's despair with the world and his religious fanaticism, believing himself to be a messianic angel of God out to destroy earthly corruption . O'Leary's subtle, understated acting does a terrific job of avoiding the maniac cliches of the genre (that persist right through the current feature "Silence of the Lambs") and creates the horror beneath a classical all-American boy facade.

As his commander and ultimate nemesis, top-billed Peter Strauss offers solid support. An affecting performance is turned in by Michelle Pawk as a young mother kidnapped by O'Leary along with her husband and baby.

The power of this film can be measured in its avoidance of the happy ending syndrome that afflicts modern screenplays. Though there are survivors to pick up the pieces, "Black Angel" packs a morbid wallop and genuine suspense as to the fate of the protagonists.

Good model work for explosions and effective use of aerial dogfight photography deserve high marks for this low-budgeter.