On A List of Movie Reviews
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Airport (1970)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
8/08, 3/20
8/08:
Although I've seen Airplane! and
Airplane II: The Sequel, which are equally awful, several times,
I hadn't visited Airport until now.
I now declare it the king of disaster pictures because it's that good. The suspense is exhilarating
and exciting. Until the moment disaster strikes, the heavy drama is what makes the movie intriguing, gripping, and
not all that different from From Here to Eternity.
The performances are excellent, and the standouts are Dean Martin and Helen Hayes who won the Oscar for Best
Supporting Actress. Burt Lancaster and George Kennedy are pretty good themselves, too. One of the best scenes is when
Dean Martin's character was asked why the plane was turning around and he subsequently gave his explanation in gibberish
aeronautic language just to avoid creating an alarm among the passengers. It's smart of him, I must say. The other is
how Ada Quonsett the cunning con made her way from the bathroom to inside Boeing 707.
There are plenty of films that prefer to go straight to the disaster within fifteen to thirty minutes from the beginning. But
not in Airport...this one takes a while by opting for the same route as
Titanic. A great technique is putting
together two shots of people talking to each other when they're on the phone, radio, etc. This device has been poorly
implemented many times in the past, but it's brilliantly, flawlessly, and purposefully done here.
Another thing I love is the teaching moments: how aviation works, how to best handle an imminent airline disaster, and how
to react in certain situations. Looking at the passengers' etiquette inside the airplane, I marvel at how different it is
as compared to the people nowadays which has been thoroughly ghetto.
All in all, Airport has it all: drama, story, suspense, and unpredictability.
3/20:
The first time I saw Airport, I thought it was a terrific motion picture, getting '10' from me, but now,
the flaws are apparent.
The movie runs far too long; the soap opera during the first ninety minutes makes it hard for me to stay patient, but once
the bomb is put in the plane, it's when things finally take off. Hence, it's the king of disaster pictures,
jumpstarting the genre.
But yes, in hindsight, the little stories play a big part of what's to come, making the characters look at life
differently. They're true heroes who happen to be everyday people. It's what makes Airport a compelling,
realistic film althought it might be boring, slow, and dated to some people.
There are strong performances, but the big winner is Helen Hayes as Ada Quonsett, netting herself an Oscar win. Really,
my favorite is Dean Martin. He's special and should've gotten an Oscar nomination. Burt Lancaster is superb, and
George Kennedy is a charmer. It's the final performance for Van Heflin who was a fine actor.
All in all, flawed or not, Airport is an excellent disaster picture.