| Fire Birds |
Promotional film poster |
| Directed by |
David Green |
| Produced by |
Bill Badalato (producer, credited as William Badalato)
Keith Barish (executive producer)
Dale Dye (co-producer)
Bettina Gilois (associate producer)
Arnold Kopelson (executive producer)
John K. Swensson (co-producer) |
| Written by |
Step Tyner (story)
John K. Swensson (story)
Dale Dye (story)
Nick Thiel (screenplay)
Paul F. Edwards (screenplay) |
| Starring |
Nicolas Cage
Tommy Lee Jones
Sean Young |
| Music by |
David Newman |
| Editing by |
Jon Poll |
| Distributed by |
Touchstone Pictures |
| Release date(s) |
May 25, 1990 |
| Running time |
85 min. |
| Country |
United States |
| Language |
English |
Fire Birds (also known as Wings of the Apache) is a 1990 action film starring actors Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones and Sean Young released in 1990 by Touchstone Pictures.
Critics panned the film, saying it was a mediocre rip-off of the much more popular and acclaimed Top Gun with Tom Cruise.[1]
Plot summary
A joint task force operation of the DEA and US Army has been formed to take down one of the largest drug cartels in Central America. Multiple attempts to assault the cartel's mountain compound, however, have been thwarted by a black Scorpion attack helicopter (actually a Boeing MD500 Defender) piloted by Eric Stoller, a known terrorist and one of the world's most skilled pilots. After having several aircraft shot down (most notably a pair of UH-60 Black Hawks and their AH-1 Cobra escorts), the US Army turns to the new AH-64 Apache attack helicopter - the only aircraft in their arsenal that can match the Scorpion for both maneuverability and firepower.
Hotshot pilot Jake Preston (Nicholas Cage) was the sole survivor of Stoller's previous attack. He is subsequently enlisted in the Apache air-to-air combat training program. Upon his arrival he encounters his ex-girlfriend Billie Lee Guthrie (Sean Young), who broke off their relationship to pursue her career; she now flies the OH-58 Kiowa, a scout helicopter that often works alongside the Apache. 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), who is already distraught at having to train a new generation of pilots rather than fly into combat himself. Over the course of the rushed training program, Preston attempts to rekindle the relationship with Guthrie, with little success at first. He also has difficulty with "the bag", a night flight simulation that requires him to utilize the Apache's ultrasophisticated instrument systems. It seems that he suffers from eye dominance, which makes it difficult for him to accept the Apache's visual input. Using an unconventional but effective training method, Brad Little helps him to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, Preston and Guthrie do get back together, but then have an argument when Jake finds out that she will be joining the Apache task force in South America, putting her in harm's way. Brad Little is also able to convince his superiors to allow him to join the group.
The task force, consisting of four Apaches and Guthrie's Kiowa, flies down to South America, where it will be providing air support to a DEA mission to hunt down and arrest drug cartel leaders. However, they are attacked at base camp, and one Apache is destroyed. With a second left to protect the DEA personnel, Preston and Little (and Guthrie) go hunting for Stoller. They soon find him, as well as a pair of jet fighter aircraft who are also protecting the cartel. Little destroys one plane, but is shot down by Stoller. He survives, but his Apache is unflyable. Stoller targets Guthrie next, but Preston gets to them first and engages him in a fierce dogfight. Using the Apache's maneuverability, he manages to trick Stoller into flying past him, them blows him out of the sky. Meanwhile, Guthrie uses one of the Stinger missiles onboard Little's Apache to destroy the remaining fighter. With no air support, the cartel's defenses crumble, and the leaders are quickly arrested. As Little is loaded onto the Medevac helicopter, he expresses his pride in both Preston and Guthrie.
Title
In the UK the film was titled Wings of the Apache; however the cover of the UK DVD (released in April 2007) combines the names (Firebirds appearing above Wings of the Apache, although in a much smaller font).[2]
The film was also renamed in the following countries:
Trivia
- In an actual timeline, the fictional conflict portrayed in this movie would be the second operational use of the AH-64A helicopter above foreign soil. Apaches were first used in the December 1989 invasion of Panama during Operation Just Cause, and later used during the first attack of Operation Desert Storm in January of 1991.
- The ranks used for the pilots are mostly accurate. Apache pilots are, indeed, typically at the rank of a warrant officer. Tommy Lee Jones' superior was either a Major or LTC so Jones would probably be a CW5. Cage's character, on the other hand, is an experienced pilot from an alternate program (Cobras, most likely) much less senior than Jones, so he would probably be a CW2 or CW3 at most.
Errors
- Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) Brad Little is referred to as "Sir", by Non Commissioned, Warrant and Commissioned Officers, although being called "Sir" by officers is incorrect. Calling him "Sir" by the Non Commissioned Officers and junior Warrant Officers is correct. He could also be called Mister or Chief Warrant Officer.
- At the start of the movie during and after the debriefing Jake Preston is wearing a Colonel's insignia. At the briefing with Little he is wearing no insignia, then for the rest of the movie is wearing the insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer 2.
See also
References
External links
