Michael Goodfellow

This is an example of what a great movie it could have been. Granted, it came out in 1982 so many of the effects we take for granted today weren’t invented yet but there are a couple spots of really bad moviemaking. When the Firefox is being stolen, it is quite obviously night, pitch black outside, but we see a couple of scenes in the Final Cut where it’s night then day then night for events happening within a few minutes of each other. The movie’s end was rather abrupt with the destruction of the second prototype and so-called “rearward firing missiles” mounted within the wing were a stretch. The “thought control” was nothing more than voice control. The movie’s plot takes great liberties with the science. I think this would be a great candidate for a modern remake with more effort placed in the story after the Firefox is stolen. Leading up to that, we got a great insight into Mitchell Grant and his PTSD from Vietnam, as well as the supporting characters but there is a glaring plot hole…Gant was just supposed to know the systems and flight characteristics of a hypersonic, prototype, warbird. A big part of the movie was that Gant needed to refuel the aircraft en rout. It’s no wonder considering how low he was to the ground while flying. His fuel consumption, while flying that low, was through the roof due to wind resistance and greater atmospheric pressure. He might have gotten u to about 75,000 feet and just poured on the speed. This wasn’t a bad movie but it cold have been a whole lot better.