Iron Eagle (1986)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Director:

Sidney J. Furie

Writers:

Kevin Elders (written by)
Sidney J. Furie (written by)

Release Date:

17 January 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller | War

Tagline:

Break the sound barrier. Break the speed barrier.

Plot:

When Doug's father, an Air Force Pilot, is shot down by MiGs belonging to a radical Middle Eastern state...

Plot Keywords:

Radical | Rescue | Pilot | Colonel | Part Of Tetralogy

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 18

6:00 AM

AMC

Cast

Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair
Jason Gedrick	...	Doug Masters
Tim Thomerson	...	Col. Ted Masters
Larry B. Scott	...	Reggie
Caroline Lagerfelt	...	Elizabeth Masters
Jerry Levine	...	Tony
Robbie Rist	...	Milo
Michael Bowen	...	Knotcher
Robert Jayne	...	Matthew (as Bobby Jacoby)
Melora Hardin	...	Katie
David Greenlee	...	Kingsley
Michael Alldredge	...	Col. Blackburn
Tom Fridley	...	Brillo
Rob Garrison	...	Packer
Chino 'Fats' Williams	...	Slappy
Jay Footlik	...	Thatcher
Jacque Lynn Colton	...	Hazel
Shawnee Smith	...	Joenie
Heather Haase	...	Tally
Kathy Wagner	...	Amy
Kevin King	...	Farnsworth
Will Jeffries	...	Smiley
David Ward	...	Lt. Col. Kerns
Terry Wills	...	Tally's Dad
F. William Parker	...	Kingsley's Dad
Albert R. Schara	...	Principal
Christopher Bradley	...	Airman
Michael Kehoe	...	Flight Control Officer
Steve Rabin	...	Air Policeman
Kevin Elders	...	Pilot
Tony Becker	...	Guard at Intelligence Center
Paul O'Brien Richards	...	Guard at Gate
Lance LeGault	...	General (as Lance Le Gault)
Max Thayer	...	Intelligence Officer
Debbie Bloch	...	Family Friend
Roger Nolan	...	TV Reporter
Jerry Hyman	...	Marty
David Menachem	...	Bilyad Officer
Joseph Shiloach	...	Tower Official
Arnon Zadok	...	Il Kharem Soldier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Uri Gavriel	...	Bilyad Guard
David Suchet	...	Minister of Defense
Dominick Brascia	...	Harold (uncredited)
Michael Cavanaugh	...	Disclipinary panel colonel (uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney J. Furie

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kevin Elders		written by
Sidney J. Furie		written by

Produced by
Kevin Elders	....	executive producer
Lou Lenart	....	associate producer
Ron Samuels	....	producer
Joe Wizan	....	producer

Original Music by
Basil Poledouris

Cinematography by
Adam Greenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Grenville

Casting by
Barbara Claman

Production Design by
Robb Wilson King

Costume Design by
Lesley Neufeld		(as Leslie Nicholson)

Makeup Department
Zivit Yakir	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Larry Powell	....	unit production manager: aerial unit
Ted Zachary	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James W. Gavin	....	second unit director: aerial unit
Larry Powell	....	assistant director: aerial unit
Stan Zabka	....	second assistant director: aerial unit

Art Department
Charles Stewart	....	property master

Sound Department
Eli Yarkoni	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Bernardo F. Munoz	....	special effects crew
Sandra Stewart	....	special effects assistant
Robert Calvert	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Bobby Angelle	....	stunts
John Ashby	....	stunts
Janet Brady	....	stunts (as Janet S. Brady)
Deborah Bryan	....	stunts (as Deborah Ann Bryan)
Doc Duhame	....	stunts
Steve Hinton	....	stunts (as Steven Hinton)
Chris Howell	....	stunt coordinator
Chris Howell	....	stunts
Keii Johnston	....	stunts
Kevin Killingsworth	....	stunts
Beth Nufer	....	stunts
Mic Rodgers	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunt coordinator (as Mike Runyard)
Michael Runyard	....	stunts (as Mike Runyard)
Art Scholl	....	special aerial stunts: snake sequence
Art Scholl	....	stunts
Keith Tellez	....	stunts
Chuck Wentworth	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer
Yoni Hamenachem	....	still photographer
Sam Nicholson	....	aerial photographer
Ron N. Sill	....	electrician
Rami Siman-Tov	....	focus puller

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lisa Riddle	....	costume assistant (uncredited)

Editorial Department
David Bartholomew	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Daniel J. Johnson	....	co-music editor
Spencer Proffer	....	music producer
Steven Scott Smalley	....	orchestrator
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer

Transportation Department
Billy G. Arter	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Karen Golden	....	script supervisor
June Jordan	....	stand-in
Michael Kehoe	....	production assistant: Israel/Arizona/Los Angeles
Solomon J. LeFlore	....	production financing
Naomi Mayberg	....	production coordinator: second unit
Steve Hinton	....	pilot (uncredited)
Craig Miller	....	marketing consultant (uncredited)
Art Scholl	....	pilot: Cessna 152 (uncredited)

Production Companies

• TriStar Pictures (presents) (as Tri-Star Pictures)
• Delphi Films
• Falcon's Flight

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2000) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (1986) (Argentina) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Inter Video  24 frame video services

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #28010) | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

TriStar Pictures

Trivia:

Some of the "Libyan" soldiers at the airbase where Duog's are rescued from, are using the Swedish 9mm SMG m/45. Originally developed during WWII. Still in use - but in very small numbers nowadays - within the Swedish Armed Forces. It has also served in US Special Forces as a very simple, easy handled and very reliable SMG. Some period also manufactured on license in Egypt. That's why the "Libyan" soldiers are using it.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Many of the external shots of the aircraft during flight clearly show that these are remote controlled scale models. This is evident by the jumpy flight characteristics. Full size aircraft do not behave in such erratic manners.

Quotes:

Col. Nakesh: Now you may deal directly with me now; Colonel Nakir Nakesh!
Doug Masters: And you can deal with me; Doug Masters!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Movin' Out (Brian's Song) (#6.2)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)

Not as bad as some people make it seem

This movie is not quite as bad as some of the comments want you to believe. It does have some serious reality flaws. But that's exactly where it excels. This is not a story about a kid trying to rescue his dad. This is a story about the flying fantasies of youth. I grew up playing quite a few flight simulators on computers, and this added to my fantasy of someday flying a fighter jet. This is exactly what this movie's about, a kid completely enthralled with flight simulations that he becomes a good pilot.

They should have left it at that though. The kid's fantasy of rescuing his dad (also a pilot) from some mysterious middle eastern base should not have been brought to reality. Reality should not have extended past his races in his single-engine crop-duster with a motorcycle. Throughout the movie, the kid does not see the world as a dangerous place. He still sees it as one big simulation. This is exactly how you should watch the movie, otherwise, it will seem like a ridiculous plot that's out-of-touch with the real world.