The Last Flight of Noah's Ark

Unemployed pilot must pay 5G's in 24 hours to his bookmaker or else his goons will work him over; he reluctantly accepts a job flying a feisty missionary and her farm animals to an island in the South Pacific in a rickety B-29 bomber, but the plan goes awry. First, the couple is joined by two stowaway orphans who are worried about the animals, then the plane goes off-course and the pilot is forced to crash land the aircraft on the beach of an uncharted island--inhabited by two Japanese soldiers who are unaware that WWII is over. In the first half of the 1970s, Elliott Gould made film after film, mostly counterculture comedies which established him as an anti-hero; he appealed to the young people of the era who hoped to shout down the Establishment. However, by 1980, Gould had become part of the Establishment, a working stiff in Hollywood, and the industry's middle ground (Disney) was eager to turn him into a grouchy sweetiepuss, a Bogart father-figure for marriage-minded women and wet-eyed youngsters. Gould doesn't embarrass himself here--he's firm with both the kids and the missionary (a forthright but not stubborn Genevieve Bujold)--but he's coasting, his energy at half-mast. The film, adapted from Ernest K. Gann's story "The Gremlin's Castle", has elements of "Swiss Family Robinson", "The African Queen" and even (God help us) "Jaws", but director Charles Jarrott blessedly keeps it moving instead of stopping to preach. There are things Jarrott probably had no control over, such as the kids fussing and crying over the animals or Maurice Jarre's cloying music, which tugs at the tear ducts. It doesn't quite work, but there are compensations: Gould and Bujold manage to develop a faintly warm rapport, and Charles F. Wheeler's cinematography is excellent. The island location is lovely, and the Japanese men (John Fujioka and Yuki Shimoda) are handled with respect. As for the bookmaker, we are to assume he got his money, and also that the seasick bull made a speedy recovery. This is Disney, after all. **1/2 from ****

While Vincent Gardenia and J.P. Ryan only appear in the film's beginning, they are pretty much in character. Gardenia wise cracking and Ryan playing a really small part as a "heavy" after Elliott Gould for money owed to his bookie. The story is rather "formula driven". Plane carrying animals goes down on an island. Japanese Soldiers appear, eventually making friends with Gould and Genieve Bujold. Two kids who were stowaways are the only reason this is a family film. I found them to be more annoying than anything, but obviously they were not going to go away. Once the plane is turned into a raft, we get the expected crisis of the minute, including a shark attack, and a storm. All ends well, and the movie is far from memorable, especially for adults. - MERK

'The Last Flight of Noah's Ark' is average.

One of the reasons for that is the lacklustre plot, which is one we've practically already seen before from Disney in years prior - like 1960's 'Swiss Family Robinson' and 1966's 'Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N.'. This isn't incredibly similar to those two, but they are certainly in the same ballpark.

The premise doesn't have much about it in terms of action or heart, the ending threatens to finish with a highly meaningful moment but instead bottles it in favour of a more happier conclusion. Elsewhere, you have a forgettable cast. Elliott Gould (Dugan) and Geneviève Bujold (Bernadette) are alright, though they lack the necessary chemistry together.

Close to being a good'un, but just misses out in my books.

I had previously written to the IMDB about this film and I wanted to add a few more comments about it because it is one of my favorites of all time. I think it is Disney's best film and I only wish that more people could see it because it has never been shown on TV. Ernest K. Gann who wrote the story for the film also wrote the classic John Wayne film The High And The Mighty. He also wrote another fine film about an airplane disaster called Fate Is the Hunter with Glenn Ford. Elliott Gould gives his finest performance in this film. This man is probably best known as Barbara Striesands husband and I feel that is a great dishonor to him. They gave her the American Film Institute's Lifetime Ahcievement Award and he has been in almost four times as many films as her. Is that justice? Genevieve Bujold is wonderful in this film and the chemistry between her and Gould is wonderful as well. She is an actress who has never been given her just due as well. She made a film a couple years later with Chris Reeve called Monsignor that was such a devastating bomb that it blacklisted her for life basically. Rick Schroder is one of the few child actors who made a successful transition to adult roles. This was his first film after he made The Champ with Jon Voight (people said that he was one of the most appealling child actors to come along) he proves in this film that he can act and I think it is his best performance. There was a biography of Walt Disney called Walt Disney Hollywood's Dark Prince that mentioned that TLFONA was one of the biggest bombs in the history of the studio and I still cannot understand why. This is family film at its very best. This movie is a classic and one of the fondest memories of my childhood is watching it.

When high-living pilot Noah Dugan (Elliott Gould) agrees to fly prim missionary Bernadette Lafleur (Genevieve Bujold) and her cargo of animals formed by an array of minor-menagerie (such as goats , bulls , assorted poultry , pigs , sheep and a four-legged potential scene-stealer : a cow , among others) to a far island , it is only because he is on the run from a pair of hoodlums (two bookies played by notorious secondaries : John P. Ryan and Dana Elcar) . What neither of them know is that two of Miss Lafleur's little pupils (Rick Schroder , Tammy Lauren) have stowed away hidden into plane rear . As a Boeing B 29 carrying various animals makes a forced landing on a desert island, and the only chance to escape is to convert the broken-down plane into a boat . There they discover which it is not as abandoned as they thought. Then they meet two Japanese soldiers isolated from second world war .

This amusing Disney movie packs fun situations , easygoing characters , emotions , humor and features impressive flying sequences with a Boeing B-29 Superfortress . However , it failed at box office and was panned by some reviewers , but is today well considered . Enjoyable cast , whose roster of interpretations includes a sympathetic acting by Elliott Gould as a pilot who must scheme their way off a deserted island following the crash landing and attractive Genevieve Bujold who holds her own admirably . And two likable little boys playing as orphans, Rick Schroder and Tammy Lauren , both of whom would have an important career , especially in TV . Furthermore , two Japanese actor as Yuki Shimoda as Hiro and John Fujioka as Cleveland , the latter would play one year later : "Keep Your Hands Off the Island" a similar role along with Terence Hill and Bud Spencer . Nice production design by Preston Ames , five B-29 Superfortresses were acquired in the spectacular flying images . One was used for interior shots at the Disney studio. Another was used for night sequences afloat in MGM's outdoor tank. The third was used for the crash site on the island and the fourth was made into the floating Noah's Ark. Colorful and bright cinematography by Charles Wheeler . Agreeable musical score by the prestigious Maurice Jarre , including some catching songs .

The motion picture was well directed by Charles Jarrott , recently deceased . Jarrot's filmmaking largely keeps sentimentality throughout . Charles was a brilliant craftsman who directed all kind of genres , and he stood out in his historical movies as ¨Mary , Queen of Scots¨ and ¨Anne of the Thousand days¨. He directed adventure as ¨The Dove¨, dramas as ¨The other side of midnight¨ , Biography as ¨Boy in blue¨ , thriller as ¨The amateur¨ , TV movies as ¨Night of the fox¨ , ¨Daniel Steel's changes¨ , ¨Barbara Hutton story¨ and Disney movies as ¨The littlest horse thieves¨, Condorman¨ and this ¨The last flight of Noah ark¨. Rating : 6.5/10 . Worthwhile seeing .