MovieChat Forums > Iron Eagle II (1988) Discussion > F4's substiuted for Mig-29's, come on!!!

F4's substiuted for Mig-29's, come on!!!

posted 20 years ago by Highice007
14 replies | jump to latest

Look I understand that Israle (Where the movie was filmed) dosen't have a lot of soviet equipment avalible to them, and that they have to make due with substitutions, like M-113 APC's Mocked up to be BMP-5's, and Kiffer's standing in for Mig-23's. But in this movie could they not have chosen a lesser known fighter to portray the Mig-29 than the F4. I mean even friends I have whth only light knollage of aircraft know the F4 from all the Vietnam aircraft footage on Tv, or from watching all thoes 80's shows on the cable channels.
They would have been better off using the F-5 Freedom Fighter like they did in the movie Top Gun.
Other than that the second best of the Iron Eagle films. I like the 3rd best becase I'm a fan of the classic WW2 Fighters.

[–] mastertiger 20 years ago

I never saw #3; I LOVED #1 and #2 was just as good. I read some reviews of #3 that well, shall we say weren't all that favorable, so I didn't watch it. Granted, Lou Gossett is great in just about anything he does, and I might just give #3 a view to see for myself. And I'm one who never listens to anyone's opinion... watch it myself, then judge. Hey, I liked Porky's when hardly anyone else did, so who knows?

[–] mark-1306 19 years ago

If you notice when the movie was made (1988), we were still in the Cold War and Perestroika/Glasnost was still in effect. I was a kid the last time I saw this movie but even I understood it'd be a little difficult to knock on Premier Gorbachev's door and ask him if we could borrow a couple of their Mig-29's loaded with sensitive technology.

The thing is, there just weren't that many other fighters around at the time that didn't originate in the US or the USSR. Most countries buy their combat aircraft from either Russia or the US, which would basically limit the choices down to: F-15, F-16, F-18, and a few choice older ones like the A-4, F-5 (used in Top Gun already), and Kfir (already used in this). There are only a few other countries that can afford to design and build their own jet fighters - UK, Sweden, Israel, China, Taiwan, Japan, and that's about it off the top of my head.

My best suggestion would have been maybe a Tornado from the UK or Germany, since many people over here don't know it and it's a mean-ass looking plane. But then you gotta figure in the logistics (and budget) of organizing a multinational flight operation.

[–] Dave1498 19 years ago

Actually, the best idea would have been an F-18. The two aircraft look very similar, to the point that a layman, if he saw both planes on the field at an airshow might have toruble telling them apart. Where they are doing fliying and other stunts, they are a dead ringer for each other.

And actually the "BMP's" were castoffs from the Government's "Sergent York" antiaircraft project. I don't know what the official designation (if there was one) was, but the project had an acronym of DIVAD. Sorry, but I've forgotten what it stood for. I beleive it was built off of an extensively modified M-113 chassis along with a specialized turret and twin 40mm anti-aircraft cannon. Government scrapped the project because the contractor couldnt make it work right and I guess the film company bought the remains.

[–] monster-b 19 years ago

F-18 and a Mig-29, are you joking? The Mig-29, like the Su-27 are similar to the American F-15.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] RedGuitar81 18 years ago

If this movie were made today we could have desinged our own digital compterized version of what a real Mig would look like.But remember this was the 80's and they did not have such stuff avalible at the time.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mamacaraig 18 years ago

The movie was made in Israel so they were limited to whatever gear the Israelis had. I assume that Israeli's F-15s are so precious that they don't let them get used in movies. Even other movies I have seen, also filmed in Israel, did not use the F-15.

So that left the F16, the Kfir (already used by the bad guys), the F-4 and possibly the A-4.

[–] imdb-7367 17 years ago

I agree - F-15 would have been far more suitable.

Of course, the "Russian" F-15s would be enormous when alongside the puny "American" F-16s... So maybe that's why they opted for the F-4?

[–] sparrow_lt 17 years ago

F-15s would had been better to fit in the role of either MiG-29s or SU-27s.. there is a line in the movie when the rusian jets aproach the airbase when Cooper sais "they are twin-jet and big!" so the movie at least states that they are big , like the F-4.. wich by the way is same lenght than the F-15.
But i suppose that the IAF didnt want to lend their F-15s to film a movie. they are too important and expensive to them.. but also its the F-16 fleet and in the 80s the Phantom still was a good BVR fighter to counter enemy MiG-21s.

BTW im the only one who thinks this movie is better than the first?

-all cockpits are real.. no fansy multi-screen ones like the fist.. you get to sea the real cockpits of both F-4 and F-16.. even get to see their radars working

-the plot could be better but i think is pretty radical in that time to in a 80s movie join up russians and americans, all as good guys to save the lives of some Iranians!! Yes the mission was to surgicaly destroy the missile silos BEFORE a nuclear strike destroyed it along thousands of inocent iranian people.. the missile targets were allready saved because that silo was going to be destroyed one way or another, but they risked this mission to use the surgical sollution instead the mass destruction one..

for those things i can forgive the cheapness of many parts of the plots and some pointless ones..

And some scenes were really good done.. when Leganov and Cooper engage each other in mid movie and they are forced to land.. when they are both being reprimended by their respective officers the camera pans from the russian jet and russian speaking people to the american jet and american yelling Sinclaire all in one shot..

[–] ionian 16 years ago

>>-the plot could be better but i think is pretty radical in that time to in a 80s movie join up russians and americans, all as good guys to save the lives of some Iranians!! Yes the mission was to surgicaly destroy the missile silos BEFORE a nuclear strike destroyed it along thousands of inocent iranian people.. the missile targets were allready saved because that silo was going to be destroyed one way or another, but they risked this mission to use the surgical sollution instead the mass destruction one..

And some scenes were really good done.. when Leganov and Cooper engage each other in mid movie and they are forced to land.. when they are both being reprimended by their respective officers the camera pans from the russian jet and russian speaking people to the american jet and american yelling Sinclaire all in one shot..
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Excellent points Sparrow. I grew up in the 80s and it definitely wasn't the norm to have any pro-russia movies. This film was forward thinking for its time.

"...For every man who has ever lived, in this universe, there shines a star."
-Arthur C. Clarke

[–] maliklockett 15 years ago

F-15s would had been better to fit in the role of either MiG-29s or SU-27s..

The problem is that everyone would recognize an F-15. They are too well known. An F-4 is not quite as popular. People who are familiar with Military aircraft may recognize them, but F-15 will be recognized by everyone. No one will accept them as Soviet aircraft

Can't we all just get along?

[–] robertwnielsen 13 years ago

Excellent points, sparrow, except you forgot one --

When Lebonov gives the "There is no dignity for a pilot in being grounded, Captain..." speech to Cooper -- and basically admits that the Soviets had been as foolish as the US in the engagement where Masters was shot down. That was probably the most poignant scene (IMHO) of the whole film.

"Has anybody ever told you you have a SERIOUS IMPULSE CONTROL PROBLEM??"

[–] elwyn5150 12 years ago

The horrible thing is that anyone with a modicum of aircraft knowledge would know the F-4 moves like a Mack truck compared to the F-16.