BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

pronker pronker I saw this upon first release at least twice, and so am not unbiased due to the appeal of nostalgia. That said, if you are looking for Stewart to show his mean streak (and he had a whopper, just look at Rear Window when he talks to his fiancée!) you have come to the right movie. He's stuck with his past becoming more appealing than his present and future, and what middle-aged person has not had that feeling? The plot moves along with a satisfying pace; the work that is being accomplished to make a derelict flyable is actually shown. The characters work, and argue, and have understandable power struggles. The stakes are life and death, after all. Be prepared for one shocking reveal, shocking deaths, and a reasonable look back by at least one of the survivors, as he sees from his rescue plane just what hell he has been living in for miserable days on end.

vincentlynch-moonoi I guess I'm on the short end of the stick here. I'm not at all a fan of this movie. I remember watching it on one of the network movie nights at least 30 years ago, and I thought it to be very boring. Now in 2013 I watched it again, and while I may appreciate it slightly more, I still think it's boring. And why? One simple reason -- virtually the entire film takes place on just one set -- the crashed airplane. And, that one-scene locked in feeling makes almost any film boring...at least to me.And it's too bad. The film had a lot going for it, particularly in terms of its cast. The key star here is Jimmy Stewart, who was aging very well in movies, and his acting here is superb. Hardy Kruger, an extremely handsome German actor, is just wonderful as the aviation designer who wants to rebuild the crashed plane and fly out of the desert. Richard Attenborough is fine as the co-pilot. Peter Finch is appropriately annoying as the British officer. Ernest Borgnine is good as the oil worker who had a nervous breakdown. It's nice seeing Dan Duryea in a role where he's not the bad guy! And George Kennedy plays the same role he always plays...George Kennedy. It's a great cast.The plot, overall, is okay. But unlike what you might think -- a plane crashes and they rebuild it and fly out of the desert -- it's not an action film. The action is restricted to about5 minutes in the beginning and 10 minutes in the end. It really comes down to who will survive and who will die, and make no mistake -- it's not a happy ending since many die. Who dies first is a bit of a surprise. This movie is a character study.

DKosty123 It is not just because of Robert Aldrich Directing that this movie is a must see. James Stewart, Richard Attenborough, George Kennedy, and a fine cast have a lot to do with it. The solid material and script the film is based on has a lot to say for the film.This plane crash film tells the story of humans surviving and then trying to pick themselves up after a plane crash in the desert. Stewart plays the pilot and the hero but in an Aldrich type of scenario he is the anti-hero. He admits his error causes the plane to crash. As it is obviously an old plane there is some conjecture to it all being his fault but he takes the blame anyhow.The cast and direction here are excellent. It is great that Turner Classic Movies has started running this as I have to admit this is a film I had not seen. The film is a bit long though when you consider rebuilding a wrecked plane, you have to factor that in. The movie avoids the drag of length with sold performances and a good script.

Wuchak "Flight of the Phoenix" (1965) is a survival story about a group of men who crashland in the Libyan desert. A German airplane designer (Hardy Krüger) amongst them suggests utilizing the workable remains of the wreckage to create a new Frankenstein plane, "The Phoenix," and fly out. Although his scheme is initially perceived as mad they soon realize it might be their only legitimate way out.Even though "Flight" is a survival adventure it's just as much a drama since the setting is stationary (a relatively small area of desert) and there's very little opportunity for action, except the occasional punch or two. The action here is the tension between the men. First and foremost there's pilot Towns' friction with the Kraut airplane designer, Dorfmann. Towns (James Stewart) is a man of old-fashioned practicality whereas Dorfmann is a visionary. Between the two is Towns' assistant, Moran (Richard Attenborough), who understands & likes Towns but sees the genius of Dorfmann.A stiff-upper-lipped British officer and his sergeant provide more tension. The officer always seems to make the quasi-heroic decision that, while admirable on the surface, is usually the dumbest choice. The sergeant realizes this and is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does the British Army's chain of command mean anything in such a survival situation? Should he follow this boneheaded officer to a premature grave in the name of respect and loyalty or should he follow the wiser choices for the sake of survival? Towns despises the sergeant for choosing the latter, but is he really wrong? It's debatable.Other notables are on hand, like Ernest Bornine, Christian Marquand, George Kennedy and Ian Bannen. Borgnine's excellent as a half-crazed employee sent home in the company of his doctor, played by Marquand. One passenger resorts to constant joking and mocking to cope with the situation (Bannen).The film runs 2 hours and 22 minutes but the drama is so well-written it doesn't seem that long. Like all great films it pulls you in and holds your attention until the end.The film was shot, believe it or not, in the desert areas of Imperial County in SE California, as well as Yuma.DVD INFO: Some whiners complain about the DVD being butchered, etc. but I just viewed it and everything looked great and there were no scenes cut out.FINAL WORD: "Flight of the Phoenix" is one of the greatest survival adventure-dramas ever made. Although there's a little bit of datedness, the film stands head-and-shoulders above the 2004 remake.GRADE: A