 |
It is 1926, and the nation is totally facinated by airplanes. They had all seen their importance during the Great War (WWI) so anytime one showed up, large crowds of people gathered just to see it. Well, this is how Waldo Pepper (Robert Redford) made his living, by doing aerobatic stunts and selling plane rides to the spectators. Business was pretty good. Of course, there were competitors. Axel Oleson (Bo Svenson) was one such competitor. They usually would show up after a crowd was gathered, and then try to horn in on the other flyers customers. Waldo told stories of dogfights and combat and the ultimate fight he had with the top German Ace, Ernst Kessler(Bo Brundin). The problem is that although Waldo is one of the beat pilots in the world, and could have been an Ace in the war, he never got the chance, because he had been made to be an instructor instead. One day while telling this story, Axel Oleson exposed Waldo's deception. It seems that Axel was in fact one of the pilots who had actually been in that fight. Axel and Waldo become friends and team up trying to make a living performing in flying circuses. Waldo has a good friend who is an aeronautical engineer and has an idea for a radical new design for a monoplane capable of doing an outside loop, a stunt never before successfully accomplished. Their problems increased with time. Injuries and accidents were common, and after the death of Waldo's engineer friend during the attempt of the outside loop, the rules quickly change. Waldo always planned to make the attempt himself, but was injured earlier in a crash. His friend, Ezra, made the attempt instead because Kessler was going to make the attempt, and being first equaled fame. After this failure the FAA stepped in and said no more of this foolishness because of the danger to the general public. As the stunts got more dangerous and foolish, all was banned. Axel and Waldo are grounded, with no place to go. . . only airlines and properly licensed people could fly. Moving to Los Angeles, Waldo and Axel are working as pilots in the movies. Banned from flying, Waldo is flying under an assumed name. In this war feature, he is to be flying against the famous Ernst Kessler. The movie script gets radically changed when both pilots, who were aware of eachother's reputations, get airborne and get into the greatest dogfight of all time. This is an enjoyable movie for all, and if you are a pilot or airplane enthusiast, you will be in "Hog Heaven".Read full review
As a WWI fighter pilot Waldo Pepper (Robert Redford) thought he could make a difference the war ended too soon. Waldo went on to be a great Barnstormer but with the world of Aviation changing around him Waldo pepper was unable to change.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is an older movie with a great cast and is a clean movie the whole family can watch. It has its satire without going overboard. To me, it is an excellent movie and I was glad to find it on DVD.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
1998 issue in a DVD format, it does little to enhance the audio.visual presentation from the VHS version but is still quite good. In WWI, a young American (Redford) sets out to achieve fame through his love of flying. After the war, he takes up barnstorming in rural America. Quite an unusual film based on its' story - I can't think of a good comparison. The flight scenes are absolutely fantastic and the movie is very well-written. Definately worth owning! Not recommended for children. Please note that my reviews are written with no knowledge of the seller.
What a shame this film is so highly priced and not available in wide release anymore on dvd. Lets hope this tale of Waldo Pepper, a biplane pilot trying to make a buck, will get released again on dvd. The film features outstanding supporting actors including Susan Sarandon whose short part is memorable - especially when her clothes begin to fly off on the wing of a plane. I actually think this is one of Redfords best films. The airplane stunts and airshow material is entertaining too. Please someone rerelease this on dvd.
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
