Product ReviewsFire Birds (DVD, 2003)

Good Movie could have been Great, but gets in Own Way

I bought this movie because I'm a helicopter pilot, an Apache helicopter fanatic, a modern war movie fanboy, and a fan of all three main actors, including Nicholas Cage, Sean Young, and Tommy Lee Jones. This movie has a lot going for it. It has high aspirations, seeking to satisfy fans of this genre who suspended their disbelief enough to enjoy the high-fiving, supersonic roller-coaster that is Top Gun. Unfortunately, a frustrating, poorly edited, combination of three separate story lines causes it to fall somewhere between the feel-good transparent adventure of The Last Starfighter and the flat melodrama of Iron Eagle. The plot device that moves the overall story is the US Army's pride and joy, the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter. The overall story though is really three subplots; namely, a window into the lives of the Army's "Top Gun" Apache pilots, a love story between characters played by Cage and Young, and a hastily thrown-together antagonist, in the form of the good ol' action movie standby: a South American drug cartel - whose avatar is the star villain in the form of an ace mercenary pilot with a history of ties to global terrorist organizations. This evil ace flies the Scorpion (the helicopter analog to a Russian MiG) against Nicholas Cage's and his Apache helicopter (the helicopter analog to the highly maneuverable and deadly A-10 Warthog). The climax of the movie and the confrontation between these two forces is a predictable outcome via a soulless attempt at the standard action movie payoff. I want to be clear that I'm not being harsh at all on the superior firepower of the US Army's amazing Apache, but rather the nose dive the character arcs take shortly after takeoff.

What could have made this movie Amazing instead of just Average would have been more focus on the hastily resolved conflicts and poorly explained history of the love between Cage and Young. This would have made us invest more emotion in those characters so that more was on the line when Cage showed his prowess in the cockpit. Also, the little details of life as an Army pilot would have been interesting to see. The US Air Force and US Navy get a lot of positive press, but we see so little about life as an Army aviator. It's like looking at the ocean from high above, where the big waves are visible but you miss out on all the interesting ripples, the structure that gives the sea its very character. Instead we're treated to brief, voyeuristic glimpses of pilot briefings with all the standard bravado and pre-battle morale boosting we're already familiar with from movies such as Top Gun or Battlestar Galactica. It would have been nice to see something new, or at least something that felt more genuine.

But enough with the negative. On balance, this movie is fun. If you're a pilot, and you like action movies, then get out the popcorn and have a little fun with this one. It's not a high budget action flick, but rather an exciting window into a world about which most people don't have the clearance to see. I give it an average rating of 3 stars. I'm tempted to add another star because of the highly satisfying engineer/pilot geek quotient of the movie, but I'll keep it honest and leave it at 3. Definitely worth purchasing or renting!Read full review...

Line sunk and reeled, another sucker sale on a less than par flick.

Everything seemed in place for a quality film. Perhaps, not an intellectually stimulating cinema event, but nonetheless a fun outing sure to entertain and impress. The odds are stacked in the favor of success; Tommy Lee Jones, Nic Cage, promise of some most excellent helicopter showmanship, and tackling the then-current issues of George Bush Sr's declaration of war on drugs in a global context. Yes folks...a lot of promises, a lot of ambiton, and a lot of lackluster results.

Oh where did Fire Birds get astray? I couldn't tell you. Could have been the overly pretentious script layered in a cloak of ambition hoping to tackle extremely powerful political issues with extreme warships and cocky pilots caught in the middle. Could be the lazy performances of Jones and Cage and Miss Young? Could be the attempt of passing Arizona for "South America"? Fire Birds just feels like a slick and polished yet inefficient clumsy tumbler of a film with no aim, no suspense, and nothing terribly memorable.

Fire Birds attempts to tell a tale of inexperienced Apache pilots overcoming performance failures through character defining triumphs, who are at war with the drug cartels of South America. We never see the cartels, which may have been a good choice as they are as faceless as anything and no identifiable enemy exists, but for story's sake, we should atleast have a catalyst, something we can visualize so when this character (s) is destroyed we know it means the cartel is destroyed. Nope. We don't even get that.

Fire Birds fails because it tries to juggle to many serious matters with no real resolutions brought about. It wants to be better than it is, and maybe at some point in the development it was more fleshed out, but the finished product is nothing worth showcasing. There's some nice Apache demonstrations, and it's nice to see Nic Cage all young and pale faced, but that aside it's an entirely forgettable piece of film history that has no long term value. Perhaps that can be attributed to it's 3 year period from theaters to VHS?

Don't be fooled folks, the star power and promise of Top Gun comparisions don't deliver, and you'll end up struggling to finish the DVD. The dialogue is juvenile and often embarrassing to hear, Nic Cage is sleepwalking, Jones could have been played by any middle age man, and the stunt work seemed mediocre, which sadly, on such a small scale of standard, is all that shines aside the mirrored disc. Skip it.Read full review...

Firebirds - my product review

I've loved this movie since it came out, and it holds a special place in my son's heart ever since he was 2. I mean, who wouldn't want another Top Gun, only for helicopters? When I discovered it had been released on DVD, I jumped at the chance to own it, and even bought one for my son. The only reason I did not rate this item as Excellent is small, but significant. The manufacturer decided to change the cover art, and it turns out that a picture of Nicholas Cage isn't as neat as the sight of Apache attack helicopters flying into the sunset. Ah, well. 4 out of 5 ain't bad!Read full review...

An Ineffectual Rip Off of "Top Gun"

I have "Firebirds" in my library but... The premise is okay, but barely okay. And then there's the acting: Tommy Lee Jones is his stereotypical rapid fire, motormouthed military character who clearly seems out of place when he has to play a family man. And Nick Cage... Whew. The sequence where he's reporting to some higher-ups in the Pentagon is the by far the worst piece of acting I've ever seen him do. In fact I have to say that just about every scene he's in is waaay below anything else he's done. And Sean Young? It sounds like she's phoning in her lines from her motorhome. David Green did a great job as director but it looks as though he just didn't have any material to work with, story-wise. The set design, lighting and photography are great, the pyrotechnics and minatures work is outstanding (some of the most realistic minature explosions I've ever seen) and the cutting is great, but overall the show simply falls flat.Read full review...

Firebirds

Well what can I say Nicolas Cage and Tommy Lee Jones another great DVD to get guys and add to your collection I truly wish though they had made this on Blu-ray and added some special features to it that would have been great.. but,. anyway.. it's still a great DVD to add to your collection .and I highly recommend it.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: lutzmotorsports

...As long as your expectations aren't too high...

This was a rough "Top Gun" copy, but with Helicopters. I bought it because I love heli's, particularly of the military kind, and I also enjoy Nick Cage. The acting and videography was sad, but the arial acrobatics and special effects were great. There is wonderful footage of the "Apache" and "Little Bird" (called a "Scorpion" in the movie) heli's that made it worth it for me.
All in all, not a terrible movie, unless you're just not into military heli's.Read full review...

FIRE BIRDS continues to excite

An oft overlooked part of the Cage/Tommy Lee Jones canon, this film continues to excite 26 years after its release. The Apache attack helicopter is the co star in this show and it is still the Army's primary helicopter attack platform. The flying sequences are fabulous. Highly recommended.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: hand0000

fun to watch

I bought the movie for nostalgia. It's a fun, fast moving movie. A bit corny but that's okay. It was fun to watch again. I wish the final battle was a bit longer.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: jay19701

Classic Nicolas Cage & Tommy Lee Jones

Nick Cage and Tommy Lee Jones are top notch in this movie. Although Sean Young leaves something to be desired, as she does in every movie I've seen her in. Great story, effects, the works. Does have kind of a "Top Gun" feel to it so if you like that you'll like this one. Not the greatest movie for either actor but their talent pulls it off. The one thing the movie really lacks is a quaility soundtrack. Overall I would give an 8 out of 10.Read full review...

Awesome and funny

It's my favorite movie because it has the apache helicopters in it and I like Tommy Lee Jones,Nicholas cage, Sean young are great actors and actress it's a butt kicking movie.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: cherish20008