Monday 3 May 2010

80/80 - Firefox fails to fly

What's so wrong with the movie, Firefox? Whilst it may not be one of Clint's very best it's certainly not as bad as some people say. Upon its release in 1982 it wasn't a hit but its budget of $21 million was easily made back. Mind you that was the age of the VHS boom and most modestly budgeted movies would eventually make their money back.

Firefox isn't your standard Eastwood film, he's almost branching out into Star Wars territory here with this Sci-Fi Cold War Spy thriller. Eastwood directs himself - The majority of the cast is made up by British character actors. The first half of the film is a straightforward spy thriller and can be pretty nail biting at times . The second hald of the film is like a video game with some impressive visuals as the super plane cuts majestically through the skies, the enemies in pursuit.

It's one for Eastwood fans only, I guess but it does have its moments. I think the problem with the movie is that the character Eastwood plays just isn't suited to the actor, nor is the style of movie and the film does plod in places but it's not all bad and I quite enjoy it. The aerial scenes are excellent at least and although the cold war setting (good Americans Vs Bad Russians) is these days dreadfully old fashioned in this post Glasnost world is is good fun if you check your brain in at the door.

2 comments:

Abe Lucas said...

I was 11 years old when FIREFOX his theaters and I got into a long debate with some friends about which movie we should see that particular 1982 weekend. I wanted to see Clint in Firefox, but I was outvoted by my friends, so we saw TRON instead.

I've always thought of Firefox as Clint's THE EIGER SANCTION of the '80s in that both films have their few fans but are largely dismissed. Of course Clint had a lot more misfires in the 1980s than during his glorious '70s reign.

Gary Dobbs/Jack Martin said...

Couldn't agree with you more. I think Eiger Sanction is a good comparison and one, funny enough, I was going to make in the post itself. I think from this period onward Clint never got back to his classic status until The Unforgiven.

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