MovieChat Forums > The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979) Discussion > BAD? I don't get it?

BAD? I don't get it?

posted 17 years ago by lmair
13 replies | jump to latest

I really enjoyed this movie. Yeah, some of the special effects aren't just perfect and a few characters are plain silly (the old lady that keeps going to the bathroom and the pot smoking jazz singer.) And the plot is a little far fetched but you still cared about the main characters, the performences were great.

I keep hearing comments about the suicide scene of Wagner. What was wrong with it. And the TV, it really doesn't look like a guy behind glass, it looks like A TV.

What do you think?

[–] jrs-8 17 years ago

Ah! They joy of film criticism. How boring the world would be if we all agreed.

Personally I think this is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. First off they promote George Kennedy's role to lead after barely appearing in "Airport 77." And the best supporting cast they could come up with included John Davidson, Susan Blakely, Jimmie Walker, Avery Schrieber, Martha Raye and Charo???? Alain Delon was a popular foreign actor almost certainly unknown to the audience this film was intended for. Sylvia Kristel was best known for "Emmanualle." Only Robert Wagner stood out and he was best known for television work. My guess is since the director was a television man he opted to go with people he was more comfortable with never realizing that a better named cast could have helped. David Warner is there for good measure but his role is small and inconsequential.

As far as the film goes there are enough plot holes in it to drive a truck through. Robert Wagner is planning to kill Susan Blakely because she knows his secrets. First off she doesn't get on a phone and tell anyone and second, he has a chance to kill her but waits until she gets back on the Concorde so he can shoot the plane down. I imagine that might have raised a few eyebrows.

Or how about when tracking missiles are coming at the Concorde and Kennedy is able to stick his hand out the window so he can fire a flare to fool the missiles into following it. I imagine he would have really lost more then just his hand there.

And let's not forget that the Concorde lands after having been attacked once and most of the same passengers get back on a second time! I think most people who may have experienced that may have either rested a few days or taken alternate transportaion after that experience.

I could go on and on.

[–] rudeboy8080 17 years ago

The Concorde: Airport '79 was the weakest installment in the Airport film franchise, but I still enjoyed it. Lalo Schifrin's score wasn't bad, either.

[–] InvasionofPALs 16 years ago

Dear jrs: HI. I think the best term to describe AIRPORT '79 - THE CONCORDE is "non-think entertainment".

I rather enjoy all its cheesiness.

Know what other 'masterpiece' David Lowell Rich went on to direct in 1981?

Yep, you guessed it, another 'BOMB': Chu Chu and the Philly Flash

Still, I bought AIRPORT '79 - THE CONCORDE on MCA Home Video knowing full well how silly the whole thing is. Perish the thought of me ever buying this fun-fest on DVD.

A little VHS grain only adds more fun to the proceedings.

-CG

[–] jrs-8 16 years ago

I don't mind "non-think" entertainment. I guess you could always call them "Guilty pleasures" as well.

I just remember seeing this in the theater and the small crowd was howling at its stupidity (nothing beat Kennedy firing the flair outside the window). I watched it again not long before my last post and just shook my head at it. But I will gracefully agree we all have those types of films we enjoy - I certainly do. This just isn't one of them.

[–] planetmutty 16 years ago

There's nothing wrong with anyone enjoying ay film no matter how bad it is, despite what the thought and taste police might say on these message boards. I certainly like my fair share of turkeys. This movie isn't one of them. I can overlook the plot holes and goofs, as just about every movie ever made has either plot holes, goofs or both. The numerous plot holes are well-aired on various threads on this message boad.

I just couldn't enjoy this film though. I thought that the plot and dialogue were too cheesy and clumsy for my tastes even though there were plenty of fine actors involved.

When I said I wanted to be a comedian, they all laughed at me. Well, they're not laughing now!

[–] cluvonj 15 years ago

Oh and dont forget how absurd it sounded after they were attacked in France and George says very calmly over the intercom, we were attacked but dont know by who and everything is ok now, we will let you know as soon as we find out anything. I swear that sounded so totally absurd.

Yeah what a dumb plot to not find some other way to kill Susan where its just her. Instead he is planning to kill an entire plane load of people who had nothing to do with those documents lol.

I totally didnt get that these people got back on that same plane after the other two attacks. HOw absurd again. PLus SUsan meets with Robert and like you said he doenst kill her or hire someone to kill her in private. ANd how dumb for her to tell him she still is in love with him in spite of the fact that he did this horrible thing. Apparently that doenst affect him to know she loves him still so he tries to have the plane come down again. Is she so stupid she cant imagine he had anything to do with the first two attacks after she has told him twice she is going to turn the documents in.

After George does that missile fire thing the gun gets jammed. Ok i saw him shoot one of those things and it blew up. HOw come when it fell out of his hand and fired inside the concorde it didnt just blow up the plane just like that one he shot. I didnt get that either. All it took was a fire extinguisher to put it out lol.

I am lost as to why that mechanic guy was running thru the airport. I saw him screw up the plane but walking thru and he only ran when someone called him becuase a piece of paper slipped out of his pants leg. What was that paper. DId he think he was recognized or did he think they knew what he did. THis was stupid too. And he ran right out on the airfield, why. What was all t hose papers that blew out of his clothes, was it money. Was this his paymment for doing what he did and he ran because he didnt want them to find all this money on him? I was lost.

THe very abrupt ending was weird to me. It was like it stopped in the middle of it and suddenly credits rolled. IM going huh?

[–] triciaklly 15 years ago

Yes, that was money, his payment for sabotaging the plane. Airport security recognized the guy as the Concorde mechanic when they caught up with him, but nothing was ever done with that plot thread. You would think they would have tried to contact and warn the Concorde...

"I hate people. Do you hate them?"
"No, but I seem to feel better when they're not around."

[–] SnoopyStyle 15 years ago

The mechanic was the only GOOD thing to happen to this movie.
His stunt of running across the runway (if it was real) was the best example of old time stunt work. REALLY COOL.

This movie was SOOO bad.
I couldn't count the ways.
The UNREAL dogfight was probably the worst ever produced in human history.
And can somebody buy that reporter a clue?

[–] enfilmigult 13 years ago

No, it really looks like a guy behind glass. The pictures pasted on to the "screen" were bad enough, but when the newscaster showed up I couldn't stop laughing.

[–] porfle 12 years ago

The best part is that the "newscaster" is looking directly at Robert Wagner through the little TV window.

hkfilmnews.blogspot.com
porfle.blogspot.com

[–] enfilmigult 11 years ago

Maybe we're all stupid and it wasn't a TV after all: when you're that rich, maybe your private plane comes with its own newscaster who sits in a little room behind a TV-shaped window. Now that's class!

[–] Old70115 13 years ago

I think as a Theatrical release the movie is just okay. As a Dvd rental I think its lots of fun to watch. If you can get your hands on the extended 3 hour version you will laugh at the added footage Universal added for TV showings. ( About 2 years after the theatrical release the cast returned for 2 weeks of additional shooting). This footage adds nothing but its fun to see!

No this isn't the greatest movie ever made but for fans of disaster films this is fun ride.

[–] WarpedRecord 12 years ago

I need to track down the three-hour version. I think any film this entertaining is far from bad. The performances were decent, even when the dialogue and effects were cheesy. 7/10 stars from me.