Blood for the Baron!

When I saw Rise of Cobra at the cinema, I really enjoyed it, (even though it wasn't the hard-hitting commentary on modern warfare that I was expecting!), but I did feel as though I'd seen the ending before....

I've been a fan of films starring or directed by Clint Eastwood ever since I was just a kid, and I seemed to remember that the closing scenes of Firefox were very similar to what was before me on the cinema-screen that day, specifically with regard to what Ripcord was up to, flying around in that stolen enemy aircraft.

Recently I saw Firefox again, and sure enough, the same thoughts occurred to me once more.

See what you chaps and lasses think;



And especially this bit;



Rise of Cobra is still fun to watch, either way.


SPACE COMMANDER

Firefox was a great film and I always felt that the night raven was based more on that than the SR71. Especially with the rear firing missiles!

I think Firefox is a great movie also, but certainly not the whizz bang action flick it looks in the trailer! If I remember correctly it's quite a slow burner isn't it? All about getting Eastwood's character to the hanger at the end....?

Graham_UK wrote:Firefox was a great film and I always felt that the night raven was based more on that than the SR71. Especially with the rear firing missiles!

Agreed!

Shaunyboy wrote:I think Firefox is a great movie also, but certainly not the whizz bang action flick it looks in the trailer! If I remember correctly it's quite a slow burner isn't it? All about getting Eastwood's character to the hanger at the end....?

...I have been known to skip to the last 20 minutes instead of watching the whole thing! I still dig the creepy music when he finally gets to the hangar and sees the MiG for the first time;



SPACE COMMANDER

Night Raven was definitely based on Firefox. There can be no further debate.

Epic movie with lots of under-employed British thesps as the scientists/help, dropping like flies for the greater good of the free world.

Slow burner .. until Clint gets in the plane. Then it goes mental!

"Nothing on the radio .. he's gone .. sheesh .. fkn limeys"
"We... DON'T ... KNOW!"
"Steam him a runway already!"

Which reminds us, the great Vanyo story had a little to do with Firefox too, among other Ice Station -type analogs.



PS. Need to see it again, not watched since my Philips VHS-2000 died in 1991

PPS. When Clint zaps the Soviet destroyer, seem to remember that the producers had gone to some effort to replicate the typical Kamov naval helo of that era, the Soviets not leasing them out for dilettante entry-level western propaganda. All added to the flavour.

"Wave! Wave! We're meteorologists! On a meteorological mission!"

Quickfire wrote:Night Raven was definitely based on Firefox. There can be no further debate.

Agreed!


SPACE COMMANDER

Well that settles that, then.

WTF? No Blu ray.....?

Love this film. Agreed there's definitley similarities. I've been on the look out for a while now for a cheap Night Raven to do a Firefox custom after somebody posted that they'd like to the the ROC version redone with the lights round the missiles moved to the rear for the engines. I was also thinking of using the 30th anniversary Astronaut as Clint.

Gotta love how Clint thinks out aloud during all of this action, carefully explaining exactly what's going on to both himself and the audience.

Larry Hamma certainly saw a lot of cold war thriller movies/books, as so many similar plot lines/themes (or variations based upon) showed up in the Joe comics... remember that Special Missions story, featuring the Night Raven, which borrows a scene straight outta Top Gun?

humby248 wrote:Love this film. Agreed there's definitley similarities. I've been on the look out for a while now for a cheap Night Raven to do a Firefox custom after somebody posted that they'd like to the the ROC version redone with the lights round the missiles moved to the rear for the engines. I was also thinking of using the 30th anniversary Astronaut as Clint.

COOL! Maybe you could post a picture? Hmmm, I might be wrong, but I think I saw a Night Raven for sale last time I was in Norwich. I'll have another look next time I go, and get back to ya.

Thundershot wrote:Gotta love how Clint thinks out aloud during all of this action, carefully explaining exactly what's going on to both himself and the audience.

In the story, they explained that away as him having to keep an audio recording of his activities during the theft of the aircraft; he was speaking to the "black box". It's a good way to give plot exposition!

Thundershot wrote:Larry Hamma certainly saw a lot of cold war thriller movies/books, as so many similar plot lines/themes (or variations based upon) showed up in the Joe comics... remember that Special Missions story, featuring the Night Raven, which borrows a scene straight outta Top Gun?

Ah, yes! You're right! I remember that now....

Good times!


SPACE COMMANDER