Best/Worst Plane movies

Goodspeed

Well-Known Member
So I'm up late flipping through the channels and I see two really bad aviation movies, Die Hard 2 and Snakes on a Plane. It made me think what are your 3 favorite and 3 most hated aviation movies.

Top 3 Favs:)

1. Airplane!- no explaining needed

2. Executive Decision- Navy seals storm a hijacked 747 in flight plus, spoiler alert Stephen Segal dies in the first 20 min, yes.

3. Project X- airplanes+monkeys=great movies

Top 3 Hated:mad:

1. Top Gun- 15mins of stock F14 footage stretched out to 90 min to cheesy Kenny Loggins music and scenes of men playing volleyball and standing around the locker room

2. The movie was so bad I don't even know the name but it was about air traffic controllers, no not Pushing Tin, probably the only other movie made about the subject. It was so painful to watch even as the late late movie.

3. Die Hard 2- watching it again made me remember just how bad it is.
 
So I'm up late flipping through the channels and I see two really bad aviation movies, Die Hard 2 and Snakes on a Plane. It made me think what are your 3 favorite and 3 most hated aviation movies.

Top 3 Favs:)

1. Airplane!- no explaining needed

2. Executive Decision- Navy seals storm a hijacked 747 in flight plus, spoiler alert Stephen Segal dies in the first 20 min, yes.

3. Project X- airplanes+monkeys=great movies

Top 3 Hated:mad:

1. Top Gun- 15mins of stock F14 footage stretched out to 90 min to cheesy Kenny Loggins music and scenes of men playing volleyball and standing around the locker room

2. The movie was so bad I don't even know the name but it was about air traffic controllers, no not Pushing Tin, probably the only other movie made about the subject. It was so painful to watch even as the late late movie.

3. Die Hard 2- watching it again made me remember just how bad it is.

I think it's un-American to not like Top Gun.

Worst aviation movie of all time - "Soul Plane"
 
Best:
1. Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines
2. Fate Is The Hunter (Glen Ford)
3. Airplane
4. The Great Waldo Pepper
5. Always

Worst:
1. Die Hard II
2. Iron Eagle
3. Iron Eagle II
4. Iron Eagle III
 
So I'm up late flipping through the channels and I see two really bad aviation movies, Die Hard 2 and Snakes on a Plane. It made me think what are your 3 favorite and 3 most hated aviation movies.

Top 3 Favs:)

1. Airplane!- no explaining needed

2. Executive Decision- Navy seals storm a hijacked 747 in flight plus, spoiler alert Stephen Segal dies in the first 20 min, yes.

3. Project X- airplanes+monkeys=great movies

Top 3 Hated:mad:

1. Top Gun- 15mins of stock F14 footage stretched out to 90 min to cheesy Kenny Loggins music and scenes of men playing volleyball and standing around the locker room

2. The movie was so bad I don't even know the name but it was about air traffic controllers, no not Pushing Tin, probably the only other movie made about the subject. It was so painful to watch even as the late late movie.

3. Die Hard 2- watching it again made me remember just how bad it is.

I second that!!!! Haha
 
:drool: Geez, don't you guys know anything about the classics? Zap got close but missed one.

The pantheon of aviation movies:

The High and the Mighty
Fate Is The Hunter (Glen Ford)
Airplane
The Great Waldo Pepper
Always
Those Magnificent Men and Their Flying Machines

In the second tier:

Island in the Sky
Flying Leathernecks
Hell's Angels
Blue Max
 
Best:
1. Airplane!
2. Fate Is The Hunter
3. The Aviator
4. Airport '70
5. Top Gun

Worst:
1. Die Hard II
2. Iron Eagle
3. Flightplan
4. Airport '79
5. International Airport
 
I dont understand the hatred for Top Gun.

So it is a cheesy 80's movie that is factually inacurate, does a poor job of displaying the reality of being a pilot in the Navy and stars a wack job.

All I know is when I was a kid, who would stare up at every plane that flew over head, I thought it was the coolest movie ever simply because I love planes.
 
Where is 12 O'Clock High? Great movie

Great Waldo Pepper

Flight of the Intruder (just for the Skyraider scenes alone)

Spirit of St. Louis (with Jimmy Steward)

Tora Tora Tora
 
Well hate is such a strong word because anytime there happens to be something aviation related on the TV or in theaters, I find myself wanting to see it, even though it may not look like it will be any good!
Best
1. Always
2. Memphis Belle
3. Flight of The Intruder (story was excellent but some of the scenes had poor modeling shots of SAM's and things blowing up)
4. Bat 21

Worst
1. Flyoyboys (ok I liked the animation but the story sucked, I mean do they have to create a story about pilots in WWI? I'm sure there were plenty of fascinating true stories without having to invent one!)
2. Flight of the Phoenix 2004 (something was really missing in that movie!)
3. Iron Eagle (as a kid I loved it! As an adult..well it was funny......hate growing up)
 
What about the Snakes on a plane movie? I never saw it, but then it looked really, really awful to me
 
I keep seeing Always which was essentially a remake of A Guy Named Joe with Spenser Tracey and P-38s... much better.

12 O'Clock High (just good black and white narrative of a B-17 outfit)
Bridges of Toko-ri (Panthers and such)
Great Waldo Pepper (great bi-plane flying)
Strategic Air Command (b-47 and B-36 flying scenes)
Blue Max
Battle of Britain (although those are Buchons with Merlins and not -109s)
Airplane (and don't call me Shirley!)
The Best Years of Our Lives (not strictly an aviation movie but flying scenes and Virginia Mayo...)
Catch 22 ( one of the best movies Alan Arkin ever made)
Fighter Squadron (some very good P-47 scenes)
Flight of the Intruder (although we never carried that type rocket pod and the O2A's never had prop spinner hubs)
Flight of the Phoenix
High and Mighty (good use of CRM when nothing else works)
Jet Pilot (okay.. silly but still some good flying scenes and a few shots of the X-1 in flight and few have had a fellow aviator make a flight suit look so good as Janet Leigh)
Toward the Unknown (some excellent flying scenes of the 3 engine Martin XB-51)

more later...
 
Not a cheery subject, but an excellent movie: Fearless....loosely based on Al Haynes' experience and has Jeff Bridges as a fictional survivor. As a physician, I think it's one of the best portrayals of PTSD I have ever seen.

I would also put Independence Day as one of my favorite flying movies. I want that flying saucer!

Top Gun USED to be one of my favorites, but i cant stand watching Tom Cruise after his freak-out and Scientology stuff. Anyone have an edited version that cuts out Tom Cruise? Of course the movie would likely then only be 1/2 hour long.
 
I keep seeing Always which was essentially a remake of A Guy Named Joe with Spenser Tracey and P-38s... much better.

12 O'Clock High (just good black and white narrative of a B-17 outfit)
Bridges of Toko-ri (Panthers and such)
Great Waldo Pepper (great bi-plane flying)
Strategic Air Command (b-47 and B-36 flying scenes)
Blue Max
Battle of Britain (although those are Buchons with Merlins and not -109s)
Airplane (and don't call me Shirley!)
The Best Years of Our Lives (not strictly an aviation movie but flying scenes and Virginia Mayo...)
Catch 22 ( one of the best movies Alan Arkin ever made)
Fighter Squadron (some very good P-47 scenes)
Flight of the Intruder (although we never carried that type rocket pod and the O2A's never had prop spinner hubs)
Flight of the Phoenix
High and Mighty (good use of CRM when nothing else works)
Jet Pilot (okay.. silly but still some good flying scenes and a few shots of the X-1 in flight and few have had a fellow aviator make a flight suit look so good as Janet Leigh)
Toward the Unknown (some excellent flying scenes of the 3 engine Martin XB-51)

more later...

I need to buy a few of these movies so I can be prepared for the next snowed in day.
 
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