Product Description

An ex-flyer who is a distress victim from Vietnam experience is ordered back into military duty to head a secret mission. His assignment is to sneak into Russia and steal a Soviet warplane which is far more advanced than any other air machine being used by the NATO alliance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #12902 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-10-01
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 136 minutes

Amazon.com
You can tell Clint Eastwood is getting old by all of the "retired" characters he plays who are pressed back into service, as in this early '80s effort. It's one of Eastwood's lesser action entries, in which he served as both star and director. He plays a retired fighter pilot who is enlisted by the U.S. government to infiltrate the Soviet Union (back in the days when it was still an Evil Empire) and steal an ultra-top-secret fighter plane with all kinds of superior capabilities (back when the Stealth bomber was still a struggling prototype). Sure, no problem. Except that it takes forever to actually get Clint into the plane--and once he's got it, he keeps interrupting the fighter-plane sequences (the best thing about the movie) to land the thing and have fistfights and gunfights. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

firefox
I've always wanted to buy this dvd, ever since I read the novel and saw the movie on t.v., I've search for this dvd and I found it on amazon.com. It's a good movie, with flawed characters, but despite this he made it, and the amazing dogfight with the other firefox, it just blew my mind away, eastwood is great!

A fun film with a great conclusion
I'm partial to certain Eastwood films, especially the early spaghetti westerns which made him famous. This film is sort of a Cold War CAVIAR EASTERN.

Here, a long-retired, Vietnam-mentally-damaged Eastwood is tapped on the shoulder by the CIA to steal a new Soviet fighter-jet that is invisible on radar, the Firefox. (Clearly, the film preceded the unveiling of our own top-technology in that realm, which the Soviets never ever achieved). Eastwood, whose mother was Russian and so he speaks Russian like a native, grudgingly acceeds to the arm-twisting proposal and goes undercover behind the Iron Curtain. There, the CIA network ultimately gets him through a morass of close calls and to the Firefox, which he steals but at great cost of life to all the folks who helped him.

The final third of the film is totally focused upon his attempt to escape The Soviet Union with a second Firefox aircraft and a very ticked off Russian pilot (Eastwood had kicked his butt back at the Russian base), hot on his tail.

Of course, none of this could actually have been pulled off but it's nice to think that it COULD have happened, so, it's the purest form of silly fiction. But still, the film is well-conveyed, not hokey in any way.

Like John Wayne, Eastwood is the worst sort of actor, coming off as contrived and isolated from his supporting actors, but that is actually why most of us love him (and John Wayne too). Also, the special effects are very realistic in this film, well-done.

In the end, if you love Eastwood, you'll find this movie much to your liking, very macho and all. The stereotyped Russians (Soviets at the time), fully meet our western expectations of arrogance, bad temper, and ineptness.

If you're not a big Eastwood fan, I'd pass this one by as there are better choices in his film repertoire for the casual viewer. Don't look for anything deep and/or philosophical in this one -- it's a very straightforward flick, typical Eastwood really.

movie preview
Clint Eastwood was a great choice for the lead role in this movie. His emotional flashbacks add a nice touch to the suspense surrounding his effort to sneak into Russia and steal a high-tech airplane. While the airplane is an interesting focal point, I enjoyed more following the logistics and complications the intelligence service had to confront to get Clint to the airplane and then out of Russia.. Good entertainment, particularly for spy fans.