Airport '77 | | Cast : | Jack Lemmon, Lee Grant, Joseph Cotten, Olivia de Havilland | | Director : | Jerry Jameson | | Studio : | Goodtimes Home Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | March 11, 1977 | | DVD Released Date : | August 20, 1998 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | November 19, 2004 | | Summary | Waterlogged Sequel | Content
 | If you are interested in this film, I would suggest looking into the AIRPORT TERMINAL PACK which includes AIRPORT, AIRPORT 75, AIRPORT 77 and THE CONCORDE AIRPORT 79. There have been some gripes about the cropping of one of these films in that set, but if you're just looking for a quick AIRPORT fix, it clearly fits the bill.
The decade of the seventies gave us many `disaster' films. None of them spawned a film and 3 sequels with the exception of AIRPORT. All along, the filmmakers had to consider "How do we make the next one bigger and better?" Having blown up a bomb on the first plane and crashing head first into a small plane in the second, what was next? Take the third film out of the air altogether and put it in the water. Well, it doesn't totally work, but all the AIRPORT films still retain a bit of charm that makes viewing painless and on occasion fun.
By crashing the plane into the ocean, the filmmakers have the opportunity to make the viewer feel very claustrophobic. But they miss that opportunity as they have created some sort of super plane that seems to have endless indoor space, lacking regular airplane seating. So, when they are underwater you feel relieved that they still have all that space and comfort surrounding them while they await rescue.
Of course, AIRPORT '77 has an All-Star Cast! Well, nowadays, that all-star cast is really just a collection of familiar looking people. Jimmy Stewart in a phoned-in performance as a millionaire tycoon and Jack Lemmon as the heroic Captain are the only big names. Sure, George Kennedy returns as Petroni but that is only as an AIRPORT staple.
'77 doesn't have Helen Reddy as a nun charming the passengers with a guitar, but they've got the next best thing: a blind piano player singing "Eyes of the beholder." It is one of the unintentional moments of hilarity parodied so well in the comedy AIRPLANE.
For the time, the special effects are pretty strong. They in no way compare with what would be done today, but the crash and the submerged plane are pretty impressive.
Finally, Airport '77 retains some of the Soap Opera elements that propelled the first 2 films in the series. Although, the characters are not as involving so their issues seem to be filler rather than real concerns.
Airport '77 is in no way a great film. Hardly even a good one. But it can sure be fun; especially on those late Saturday nights went you can't get to sleep... this'll do the trick!
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| Rating | | | Date | June 12, 2004 | | Summary | Airport '77 is all wet | Content
| Airport '77 is the story of bazillionaire Phillip Stevens (a slumming James Stewart) who is jetting some of his friends and colleagues and others on a luxury 747 to view his art collection which is going to become a museum, because, as we learn later...he has A FEW MONTHS TO LIVE!!! Unfortunately, some hijackers unleash some gas on the passengers and plan to swipe the artwork. But the plan goes awry when the plane crashes into the Bermuda Triangle. Quite realistic, don't you think? The problem is the movie is boring. None of the characters make an impression. Let's see, there's the feuding couple with the wife who cheated on her husband, but that's never mentioned again; the old lady renewing a friendship with an old man; some kids who like to play Pong; a blind pianist who sings about seeing through "the eye of the beholder"; a bartender whose wife is about to give birth to twins, etc., etc. What are their names? I don't know, all I know is that they're bland characterizations meant to sustain interest before the big crash scene. Jack Lemmon is the pilot, and Brenda Vacarro is Eve, his love interest. They generate no heat at all. To make a boring movie short, I just found this film bland and uninteresting. The big rescue scene is silly, and everything leading up to it is a waste of time. George Kennedy, who appeared in every Airport movie as Patroni, has about one minute of screentime here wherein he does nothing. Most of the movie is spent with people staring vacantly out the window, or squealing in pain. Much like the viewer would do. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 02, 2004 | | Summary | The Sequels Have Never Been That Great | Content
| Since Arthur Hailey had his book "Airport" published which was later made into a movie in 1970, it became successful. The sequels that followed: Airport 1975 (1974) and Airport '77 (1977) did not have that big of a success, though the former fared better at the box office. I was not really that impressed with the latter in scientific terms. The plane crashes at sea and sinks to the bottom when only the forward cargo hold flooded. There was plenty of air inside the rest of the plane that, in reality, could keep it afloat for as long as it was available. The characters, like Airport 1975, overacted as well. Karen Wallace (Lee Grant) was an obnoxious alcoholic who was constantly rude to husband Martin Wallace (Christopher Lee) a professional scuba diver who drowns while accompanying Captain Don Gallagher (Jack Lemmon) to the surface to send out a mayday signal. She goes nuts and tries to open a door before she is subdued and kayoed by first stewardess and girlfriend of Gallagher, Eve Clayton (Brenda Vaccaro). There have been some sequels in the past that have meaning, but most are a waste of a movie watcher's time. |
| Rating | | | Date | February 23, 2004 | | Summary | Quite primative,much room for improvement. | Content
| What can i say? There isn't much to say. A simple plot and not much to grab your attention, but some well known actors are present, so judge it how you will. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 02, 2004 | | Summary | Star-studded cast enlivens solid adventure | Content
| "Airport '77," directed by Jerry Jameson, is a good example of the disaster flick genre. In this film some aspiring thieves attempt to hijack a luxury aircraft full of valuable works of art. But when the plot goes horribly wrong, the plane's heroic pilot (Jack Lemmon) must lead the crew and passengers in a harrowing struggle for survival. Although some corny, soap opera-ish elements give the film a dated feel, overall it's a gripping and entertaining adventure. Lemmon makes a solid, likeable action hero, and he and Brenda Vaccaro (as his character's love interest) have an engaging onscreen chemistry. The rest of the cast is full of both big stars and recognizable character actors, among them Lee Grant, Joseph Cotten, James Stewart, George Kennedy and Robert Foxworth. Veteran film villain Christopher Lee is particularly memorable; here he is successfully cast against type in a sympathetic role. The film strikes a solid balance between character-driven drama and hardware-driven action scenes. The cooperation of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard (noted in the closing credits) undoubtedly contributed to the flavor of authenticity in certain key scenes. A must-see for disaster film fans. |
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