Fire Birds

Last updated
Fire Birds
Firebirdsposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Green
Screenplay byNick Thiel
Paul F. Edwards
Story byStep Tyner
John K. Swensson
Dale Dye
Produced byBill Badalato
Starring
Cinematography Tony Imi
Edited by Norman Buckley
Dennis M. O'Connor
Jon Poll
Music by David Newman
Production
companies
Touchstone Pictures
Nova International Films
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • May 25, 1990 (1990-05-25)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$22 million
Box office$14,760,451 [1]

Fire Birds (released under the alternative title Wings of the Apache) is a 1990 American military action film directed by David Green and produced by William Badalato, Keith Barish and Arnold Kopelson. The storyline was conceived by retired Lt. Colonels Step Tyner and John K. Swensson and retired Marine Capt. Dale Dye [2] and developed into a screenplay written by Paul F. Edwards, Nick Thiel and uncredited David Taylor. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones and Sean Young. Cage is cast as a helicopter pilot attempting to help dismantle a drug cartel in South America. Jones plays his pilot instructor and senior ranked military officer during his flight training, while Young portrays his love interest.

Contents

Production of the film was a co-production between the Walt Disney Studios and Nova International Films. It was commercially released under Disney's Touchstone Pictures label. The movie featured elaborate aerial stunt sequences, involving combat helicopters.

Fire Birds premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on May 25, 1990 grossing a modest $14,760,451 in domestic ticket receipts. The film was met with negative critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas; generally due to its melancholy dialogue and striking plot similarities to the more popular 1986 action film Top Gun , starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. [3]

Plot

A joint task force operation between the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Army has been formed to dismantle one of the largest drug cartels operating in South America. Multiple attempts to assault the cartel's mountainous compound have been thwarted by a (fictional) Scorpion-attack helicopter (based on MD500 helicopter) piloted by a mercenary pilot, Eric Stoller (Bert Rhine). After having several aircraft shot down, most notably a pair of UH–60 Black Hawks and their AH–1 Cobra escorts, the army turns to the new AH–64 Apache attack helicopter, which can match its enemies' maneuverability and firepower.

Pilot Jake Preston (Nicolas Cage) is subsequently enlisted in the Apache air-to-air combat training program. Earlier, Preston was the sole survivor of a previous air-attack by Stoller. Upon his arrival at the training course, he encounters his ex-girlfriend Billie Lee Guthrie (Sean Young), who broke off their relationship to pursue a separate career flying OH–58 Kiowa scout helicopters which often work alongside the Apache as target identifiers and designators. Jake's arrogance and loose improvised style quickly earn him the mixed respect and chagrin of veteran pilot and flight instructor Brad Little (Tommy Lee Jones). During the training schedule, Preston is revealed to be suffering from an eye dominance disability, which makes it difficult for him to utilize the Apache's visual input. Using an unconventional but effective training method, Little helps Preston deal with his handicap.

A formation of military aircraft consisting of four Apaches and Guthrie's Kiowa, flies down to South America to provide air support for a DEA mission to hunt down and arrest drug cartel leaders. However, they are soon attacked at their base camp, and one Apache is destroyed. With another Apache left to protect the DEA personnel, Preston, Little and Guthrie attempt to seek out Stoller. They soon locate his position, as well as a pair of Draken jet fighter aircraft who are also protecting the cartel. Little destroys one aircraft, but is shot down in aerial combat by Stoller. He survives, but his Apache is disabled. Stoller later targets Guthrie, but Preston reaches their coordinates and engages him in a fierce dogfight. Using the Apache's manoeuvrability near a mountainous peak, Preston manages to trick Stoller into flying past him; then attacks and destroys his helicopter. Meanwhile, Guthrie uses one of the Stinger missiles onboard Little's downed Apache to destroy the remaining enemy aircraft. With no air support, the cartel's defenses cease, and their leaders are later apprehended. As an injured Little is loaded onto a Medevac helicopter, he expresses pride in both Preston and Guthrie.

Cast

Nicolas Cage Deauville 2013.jpg
TommyLeeJones07TIFF cropped.jpg
Nicolas Cage (left) and Tommy Lee Jones (right) portrayed Jake Preston and Brad Little, respectively

Production

Filming

Filming for Fire Birds was shot primarily on location in Tucson Arizona at Pima Community College as well as at Fort Hood, Texas army installation, home of the Army's Apache Training Brigade (21st Cavalry Brigade (AIR COMBAT) [4] ) . [5] Extensive aerial stunt sequences were coordinated with the National Guard of the United States, the United States Army and the United States Air Force. [6] Between technical advisers, stuntmen, and pilots, over 100 personnel were directly involved in the production aspects of the film. [6] AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Blackhawk, AH-1 Cobra, MD Helicopters MD 500 and OH-58 Kiowa rotorcraft, as well as Saab 35 Draken aircraft were employed during filming. Technical assistance from McDonnell Douglas service representatives was also utilized during production. [6] The helicopter training aerial stunt sequences were designed by Richard T. Stevens who also coordinated visuals for the film, Top Gun. [7] Scenes from the movie, also features as static shots from MicroProse Gunship 2000 computer game.

Music

The original motion picture soundtrack for Fire Birds, composed and conducted by David Newman, was not officially released to the public when the movie was released, however Intrada has released a special collection of the soundtrack. [8]

Release

Home media

Following its cinematic release in theaters, the film was released in VHS video format on September 26, 1990. [9] The Region 1 Code widescreen edition of the film was released on DVD in the United States on February 3, 2004. Special features for the DVD include, a closed captioned French language track, Dolby Digital Surround Sound, and a Widescreen (1.85:1) enhanced feature for 16x9 televisions. [10] The film was released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment on July 7, 2015 and by Kino Lorber on Jul 10, 2018. While the Mill Creek release had no special features, the Kino Lorber release includes an audio commentary by the film's director David Green and a theatrical trailer.

Reception

Box office

Fire Birds premiered in cinemas on May 25, 1990 in wide release throughout the U.S. During its opening weekend, the film opened in a distant 5th place and grossed $6,358,761 in business showing at 2,006 theaters. [11] The film Back to the Future Part III opened in first place with $23,703,060. [12] The film's revenue dropped by 58.9% in its second week of release, earning $2,611,812. For that particular weekend, the film fell one spot to 6th place still showing in 2,006 theaters. The film Total Recall , unseated Back to the Future Part III to open in first place. [13] [14] For its final weekend in release, the film opened in 8th place showing at 1,539 theaters grossing $1,246,590 in box office business. The film went on to top out domestically at $14,760,451 in total ticket sales through a 3-week theatrical run. [1] For 1990 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 83. [1]

Critical response

Among critics in the U.S., the film received mostly negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 9% of 22 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 3.1 out of 10. The consensus summarizes: "Despite the talent on board, Fire Birds is little more than a subpar military adventure sporting video game-like action, outdated philosophy, and uneven acting." [15]

Hal Hinson, writing in The Washington Post said, "Fire Birds is a primitive dogfight movie, with Nicolas Cage and Sean Young as its stars, that serves as a kind of extended commercial for the U.S. Army and its AH-64 Gunship helicopter". He bluntly noted that "it would be hard to reduce filmmaking to its basics more than Fire Birds does. It's more video game than motion picture – the first coin-operated movie." [16] Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times offered a negative review; commenting: "It was tempting to say that I might have liked this movie more if I'd never seen Top Gun; but the fact is, if Top Gun had never been made, Fire Birds would still have seemed like a completely ordinary movie." He continued, "the aerial sequences in Top Gun are so superior to the confusing helicopter battles in this film, there's no contest there". He concluded: "I was really left unmoved by it." [17] In the Deseret News , critic Chris Hicks wrote that the film's "predictability isn't the worst of Fire Birds' problems. The dialogue is so hokey you'll have a hard time not laughing out loud. Did I say dialogue? Make that pontificating soundbites." He further expanded on his viewpoint saying, "the most obnoxious aspect of Fire Birds, however, is how everybody tells Cage's character how wonderful he is at every opportunity — including Cage himself, who has a big scene in a chopper simulator where he screams "I am the greatest!" after every target he hits." [18]

"the movie plays as if it had been patched together between midnight and 3 A.M. One might go along with the suggestion that the Arizona desert and the Catamarca Desert, South America, look alike, but would they really have the exact same rocks?"
—Vincent Canby, writing in The New York Times [7]

Vincent Canby writing in The New York Times saw the film as having "many laughs, all of them unintentional" while pointing out that actor Cage "plays the sort of B-picture role that might once have suited William Gargan. Unlike Mr. Gargan, though, Mr. Cage insists on acting. Mr. Cage simply won't quit. He never listens to or sees anybody else in a scene, being too busy monitoring his own utterly mysterious, attention-getting responses." He did though compliment Jones and Young on their performances saying, "Mr. Jones and Miss Young are somewhat better. He has a secure, cool manner that registers well on the screen, and she can seem to be intelligent". [7] The Variety Staff , felt Fire Birds had a "tongue-in-cheek aspect" and that "Camaraderie and rat-a-tat-tat dialog may have started out as fun a la Howard Hawks' classic Only Angels Have Wings but emerges at times as a satire of the genre." On Jones's performance, they noticed how he was "dead-on as the taskmaster instructor who cornily singles out Cage for rough treatment". [19] Film critic Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film a thumbs down review gruffly saying, "this movie had nothing to do with the drug wars at all" and that "they could have been having a competition for the olympics". In reference to the drug wars, he openly wondered–why couldn't the movie have been "written at that hard level?" [17] Similarly, Owen Gleiberman writing for Entertainment Weekly viewed Fire Birds as "a third-rate knockoff of Top Gun and Blue Thunder ". Not impressed with the overall acting, he noted how Cage gave "a dull, one-note performance." He did however, reserve praise for the stunts and visuals in the film saying, "the climactic air battle is well staged, though without the edge-of-the-envelope dread that made the Top Gun dogfights genuinely thrilling." But in summing up his overall negativity for the movie, he expressed his dissatisfaction by lamenting, "the film practically pats itself on the back for featuring villains that have been in the news recently. Yet, with the exception of one anonymous enemy pilot, we never even get to see the bad guys. And so it's hard to work up much enthusiasm for their destruction." [20] Film critic Leonard Maltin's review was similar: "...Standard military issue with a ruptured-duck script and a complete lack of romantic chemistry between professional rivals Cage and Young. Jones doesn't exactly evoke memories of Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High when he pep-talks Cage into a 'full-tilt boogie for freedom and justice'." [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Cage</span> American actor (born 1964)

Nicolas Kim Coppola, known by his stage name Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Known for his versatility as an actor, his participation in various film genres have gained him a cult following.

<i>Air Force One</i> (film) 1997 film by Wolfgang Petersen

Air Force One is a 1997 American political action thriller film directed and co-produced by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Xander Berkeley, William H. Macy, Dean Stockwell, and Paul Guilfoyle. The film was written by Andrew W. Marlowe. It tells the story of a group of terrorists who hijack Air Force One and the President's attempt to rescue everyone on board by retaking his plane.

<i>Arachnophobia</i> (film) 1990 film directed by Frank Marshall

Arachnophobia is a 1990 American horror comedy film directed by Frank Marshall in his directorial debut from a screenplay by Don Jakoby and Wesley Strick. Starring Jeff Daniels and John Goodman, the film follows a small California town that becomes invaded by an aggressive and dangerous spider species. Its title refers to the fear of spiders.

<i>Con Air</i> 1997 American action thriller film by Simon West

Con Air is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Simon West and starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich. Written by Scott Rosenberg and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the film centers on a prison break aboard a Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System aircraft, nicknamed "con air". It features an ensemble supporting cast including Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Colm Meaney, Mykelti Williamson, Dave Chappelle, Rachel Ticotin, Danny Trejo, and Monica Potter.

<i>Cliffhanger</i> (film) 1993 American film

Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action thriller film directed and co-produced by Renny Harlin and co-written by and starring Sylvester Stallone alongside John Lithgow, Michael Rooker and Janine Turner. Based on a concept by climber John Long, the film follows Gabe (Stallone), a mountain climber who becomes embroiled in a heist of a U.S. Treasury plane flying through the Rocky Mountains. The film premiered at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on May 28, 1993, by TriStar Pictures. It received positive reviews and earned $255 million worldwide, becoming the 7th highest-grossing film of 1993.

<i>First Blood</i> 1982 film by Ted Kotcheff

First Blood is a 1982 American action film directed by Ted Kotcheff and co-written by and starring Sylvester Stallone as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. It co-stars Richard Crenna as Rambo's mentor Sam Trautman and Brian Dennehy as Sheriff Will Teasle. It is the first installment in the Rambo franchise, followed by Rambo: First Blood Part II.

<i>Blue Thunder</i> 1983 American action thriller film by John Badham

Blue Thunder is a 1983 American action thriller film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Gordon Carroll, Phil Feldman, and Andrew Fogelson and directed by John Badham.

<i>Stealth</i> (film) 2005 film by Rob Cohen

Stealth is a 2005 American military science fiction action film directed by Rob Cohen and written by W. D. Richter, and starring Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Sam Shepard, Joe Morton and Richard Roxburgh. The film follows three top fighter pilots as they join a project to develop an automated robotic stealth aircraft.

<i>Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III</i> 1990 film by Jeff Burr

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is a 1990 American slasher film directed by Jeff Burr and written by David J. Schow. It is the sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) and the third installment in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre film series. The film stars Kate Hodge, William Butler, Ken Foree, Tom Hudson, Viggo Mortensen, Joe Unger, and R.A. Mihailoff.. The plot follows Leatherface and his cannibalistic family stalking a motorist couple in the backroads of Texas.

<i>Kippur</i> 2000 Israeli film

Kippur is a 2000 Israeli drama war film directed by Amos Gitai. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Gitai and Marie-Jose Sanselme; based on Gitai's own experiences as a member of a helicopter rescue crew during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The film stars actors Liron Levo, Tomer Russo and Uri Klauzner in principal roles.

<i>Rescue Dawn</i> 2006 film by Werner Herzog

Rescue Dawn is a 2006 epic war drama film written and directed by Werner Herzog, based on an adapted screenplay written from his 1997 documentary film Little Dieter Needs to Fly. The film stars Christian Bale and is based on the true story of German-American pilot Dieter Dengler, who was shot down and captured by villagers sympathetic to the Pathet Lao during an American military campaign in the Vietnam War. Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Pat Healy, and Toby Huss also have principal roles. The film project, which had initially come together during 2004, began shooting in Thailand in August 2005. It received critical acclaim.

<i>Bird on a Wire</i> (film) 1990 film by John Badham

Bird on a Wire is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by John Badham and starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn. It was shot mainly in British Columbia, Canada. The title refers to the Leonard Cohen song "Bird on the Wire". The alley motorcycle chase scene was filmed in Victoria's Chinatown, in Fan Tan Alley.

<i>Iron Eagle II</i> 1988 Israeli-Canadian-American action film directed by Sidney J. Furie

Iron Eagle II is a 1988 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and written by Furie and Kevin Alyn Elders. It is the first sequel to the 1986 film Iron Eagle, with Louis Gossett Jr. reprising his role as Charles "Chappy" Sinclair, alongside newcomers Mark Humphrey, Stuart Margolin, Maury Chaykin, Alan Scarfe, Colm Feore, and Clark Johnson. An uncredited Jason Gedrick also returns as ace pilot Doug Masters in the film's opening scene.

<i>Forgetting Sarah Marshall</i> 2008 film by Nicholas Stoller

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand. The film, which was written by Segel and co-produced by Judd Apatow, was released by Universal Pictures. Filming began in April 2007 at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of Oahu Island in Hawaii. The film was released for North American theaters on April 18, 2008, and in the United Kingdom a week later on April 25, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aircraft in fiction</span> Fictional depictions of aircraft

Various real-world aircraft have long made significant appearances in fictional works, including books, films, toys, TV programs, video games, and other media.

<i>Left Behind</i> (2014 film) 2014 film directed by Vic Armstrong

Left Behind is a 2014 American apocalyptic thriller film directed by Vic Armstrong and written by Paul LaLonde and John Patus. Based on the 1995 novel of the same name written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the film stars Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, Cassi Thomson, Nicky Whelan, Jordin Sparks, and Lea Thompson. The second film adaptation of the first Left Behind novel but not following the book's chronology, it centers on a worldwide disaster, which is shown from the perspective of one family, a husband and wife facing marital difficulties, and their two children.

<i>Planes: Fire & Rescue</i> 2014 American Disneytoon film

Planes: Fire & Rescue is a 2014 American animated comedy-adventure film produced by Disneytoon Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Bobs Gannaway, written by Gannaway and Jeffrey M. Howard, and produced by Ferrell Barron, it is a sequel to Planes (2013) and a spin-off of Pixar's Cars franchise. Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Danny Mann, and Cedric the Entertainer reprised their roles with new additions to the cast including Hal Holbrook, Julie Bowen, Ed Harris, Regina King, Wes Studi, Patrick Warburton, and Dale Dye. In the film, Dusty Crophopper (Cook) is assigned to become a wildland firefighting plane in Piston Peak National Park after he learns that his engine's gearbox is damaged.

<i>American Made</i> (film) 2017 action comedy film by Doug Liman

American Made is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Doug Liman, written by Gary Spinelli, and starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Alejandro Edda, Mauricio Mejía, Caleb Landry Jones, and Jesse Plemons. It is inspired by the life of Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot who flew missions for the CIA, and became a drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel in the 1980s. In order to avoid jail time, Seal became an informant for the DEA.

<i>Sully</i> (film) 2016 film

Sully is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Todd Komarnicki, based on the 2009 autobiography Highest Duty by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles. Tom Hanks stars as Sullenberger, with Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Anna Gunn, Autumn Reeser, Holt McCallany, and Jamey Sheridan. The film follows Sullenberger's January 2009 emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, in which all 155 passengers and crew survived – most suffering only minor injuries – and the subsequent publicity and investigation.

<i>Top Gun: Maverick</i> 2022 film directed by Joseph Kosinski

Top Gun: Maverick is a 2022 American action drama film directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie from stories by Peter Craig and Justin Marks. The film is a sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun. Tom Cruise reprises his starring role as the naval aviator Maverick. It is based on the characters of the original film created by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. It also stars Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris and Val Kilmer, who reprises his role as Iceman. The story involves Maverick confronting his past while training a group of younger Top Gun graduates, including the son of his deceased best friend, for a dangerous mission.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Fire Birds". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  2. ↑ Liner notes, Fire Birds soundtrack album, Intrada Records Special Collection No. 241
  3. ↑ Pym, John. "Review: Firebirds" (aka Wings of the Apache)." TimeOut London. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  4. ↑ "21st Cav Brigade (Air Combat) - Apache Collective Helicopter Training - Home". Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2012-04-09.
  5. ↑ Green, David (Director). Fire Birds [Motion picture]. Hollywood, California: Touchstone Pictures , 1990.
  6. 1 2 3 "Fire Birds." Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Canby, Vincent. "Mpvie Review: 'Fire Birds' (1990)." The New York Times , May 25, 1990. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ Special collection of the soundtrack for 'Fire Birds'." intrada.com. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Fire Birds VHS Format." Amazon.com . Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Fire Birds: On DVD." MSN Movies.. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  11. ↑ "The Top Movies, Weekend of May 25, 1990." The Numbers. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for May 25–28, 1990." Box Office Mojo . Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for June 1–3, 1990." Box Office Mojo . Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  14. ↑ "The Top Movies, Weekend of June 1, 1990." The Numbers. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Review: 'Fire Birds' (1990)." Rotten Tomatoes. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved: October 28, 2022.
  16. ↑ Hinson, Hal. "Review: 'Fire Birds'." The Washington Post , May 25, 1990. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Siskel, Gene and Roger Ebert. "Review: 'Fire Birds'." [ permanent dead link ] At the Movies , May 25, 1990. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  18. ↑ Hicks, Chris. "Review: 'Fire Birds'." Deseret News , June 1, 1990. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  19. ↑ Variety Staff. "Review: 'Fire Birds'.". Variety , January 1, 1990. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen. "Review: 'Fire Birds' (1990)." Archived 2013-06-23 at the Wayback Machine Entertainment Weekly , June 1, 1990. Retrieved: July 18, 2015.
  21. ↑ Maltin 2009, p. 456.

Bibliography

  • Maltin, Leonard. Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2009. New York: New American Library, 2009 (originally published as TV Movies, then Leonard Maltin’s Movie & Video Guide), First edition 1969, published annually since 1988. ISBN   978-0-451-22468-2.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.