Airwolf: Eine unschlagbare Waffe

What will probably surprise viewers who find the video of this pilot in video stores is the amount of foul language in something that was made for TV. Well, that's explained by the fact that what's on video is the edit that was released to theaters overseas, with the language a silly way to try and hide the made-for-TV origins.

I can see why this was released to theaters overseas; some of the production values are pretty high, and would fit pretty comfortably on a movie screen at the time. Still, I am sure that the people who did see this in a theater were pretty disappointed. Now, the opening sequence is great, flashy and action-filled. However, after that point there is hardly any action until the very end, and filled with talk talk talk. Strange thing is that despite all that talk, a number of plot points remain unclear, like why the two pilots decided to defect to Libya with Airwolf's designer. And while some production values are high, there are also some surprisingly shoddy moments. The island assault sequence, for example, is incompetently directed and edited. And some cost-saving measures like stock footage or reused footage come across like contempt for the viewer. Still, I must admit these cost-saving measures are nowhere as blatant and lazy as what was done for the ill-advised fourth season of the show!

I would most certainly recommend this film to anybody who has yet to see an episode of Airwolf, the best acting in the film is by Jan-Michael Vincent- who plays moody loner Stringfellow Hawke, and David Hemmings- The choppers insane creator Charles Moffat. The ending of the film includes a great battle scene, and i love the film that much that the tape is worn out. My favourite film of all time and made me a solid fan of the series. This was the pilot episode, and its a shame that Jan-Michael Vincent ended up the way he did. It would have been nice to see the Hawke brothers work together in the chopper, instead of how the 4th series turned out (a load of rubbish and a slap in the face to hardcore fans of the show). Thumbs way up for this one!

The 1980's were the best time for action fans. During that decade we had The A-Team, Knight Rider, Street Hawk, The Fall Guy and my personal favourite Airwolf.

In this movie Stringfellow Hawke is asked by some government agency to retrieve a billion dollar helicopter stolen by a Dr. Moffett who is working with the Libyans. And we get action and suspense throughout.

Airwolf was quite a dark show. It aired during the mid 80's when the cold war was still very hot and paranoia was at an all time high. Jan Michael Vincent and Ernest Borgnine did a great job as the duo sent to retrieve Airwolf. Vincent played Hawke who was a moody and pessimistic Vietnam veteran whose brother became missing in action. He was perfect for this role.

Alex Cord played Archangel who worked for the government agency (it was referred to as The Firm throughout the series but that was all we knew) and he seemed innocuous enough although you could never be sure what his real motives were.

The best things about Airwolf was the music and the action. The music was so cool and the action scenes were fantastic. At the end Airwolf is in Libya evading missiles and battling helicopters and Moffett himself and the action doesn't let up for a minute.

Damn good series!

The great thing about the Airwolf series is the super-cool hero, Stringfellow Hawk. He's an ace helicopter pilot who is a cello player, art collector, and an environmentalist. He doesn't eat red meat. He's genuinely cool without any fake macho bull-crap.

I also like the way he blows away villains who really need killing, but generally spares the lives of low-end flunkies. The fact that Stringfellow does not own a television is a big bonus.

Stringfellow is proud without being arrogant. He is a thinking man's hero. Airwolf is a must-see.

It is a shame that the actor (Jan Michael Vincent) fell short of the heroic ideal of the character he played. I recall that they re-launched the show without him after he cracked up. I saw one episode, but it wasn't the same.

Airwolf, the movie that launched the hit TV series, is a fast-paced political thriller, set in the mid-80s when the Americans were at odds with the Libyans. Unlike the pilots for shows such as The A-Team and Knight Rider, this is quite a dark affair. The inventor of Airwolf, Dr. Charles Moffatt, is a psychopath. Despite being a genius, he is clearly unbalanced - just watch the scene where he tests out Airwolf's devastating weaponry on the control tower. He originally built the hi-tech, hi-speed bulletproof chopper for the FIRM, a CIA-type organization who specialize in cases involving national security, but after the control tower massacre, defected to the Libyans and started performing aerial missions for them. Michael Coldsmith Briggs III, codename Archangel, is a head of the FIRM and one of the few survivors of Moffatt's slaughter. He tries to persuade Stringfellow Hawke, Vietnam veteran and ace pilot, to go to Libya to retrieve Airwolf, but he will not do it, unless the FIRM try and find his brother, an MIA in 'nam. Eventually, String goes to Libya with his best friend Dominic Santini and his girlfriend, a FIRM agent, is also on the same mission.

Airwolf is a character piece. We get to know Stringfellow Hawke as a bitter young loner who likes attracting eagles with his cello playing. He has a tragic history as both his parents died when he was 12, his fiancee was killed in a car crash and his brother went missing in action. His friend Dominic is a very cheerful father figure, ready to help String whenever he can, but he can be a bit talkative. Archangel, on the other hand, seems a bit shifty. Later on as the series progressed, he was seen as a true blue good guy, but in this film, he is another typically shady government operative, determined to get the job done and willing to sacrifice the lives of those under his command. It's good to see Hawke punch him in one sequence, because he ate his dog's steak!

British actor David Hemmings is suitably creepy and cold-eyed as Moffatt, but of course, the main highlights are the scenes with Airwolf. When that classic Sylvester Levay tune plays, you know you're gonna have some action. The beginning demo sequence, when Dom and String steal the Wolf from the air base and the explosive desert battle / confrontation are top notch. This was a show that put the likes of Knight Rider in the shade, thanks to solid characters, terrific action and engaging stories.