Sauvetage en plein vol

My husband doesn't usually like the normal type of Christmas movie, but this is one film we watch every year. We are usually both sniffling by the end. Robert Loggia is simply great as Gordon, and Scott Bakula his usual likeable self. Also love the passengers on the plane, the mistletoe good luck charm, etc.

BTW, the two guys grinning and celebrating up in the tower when Jay finally lands are the real Jay and Gordon!

I have watched this movie every Christmas since it came out. And the copy we have is a very old video! It's impossible to find in DVD form--I don't know why,because it is one of Robert Loggia's best movies, and Scott Bakula's as well. It's hard to believe a movie that is mostly a conversation between two pilots flying in separate planes over the ocean can be so moving, but it is. It is also suspenseful-keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. This movie is a great example of the ability of one person to encourage another through difficult times. Brings to mind "Flight of the Phoenix" (the one with Jimmy Stewart), in how people work together to solve a seemingly impossible situation. What adds to the specialness of this movie is that it is based on a true incident.

As a Scott Bakula fan, I approached this film with high hopes, and I was not disappointed.

Brilliantly acted, most notably by both Bakula and Loggia who portrayed the growing rapport between the two protagonists very sensitively and realistically.

Having said that, the supporting cast were also well cast, from the main characters such as the wife and the fellow pilot, to minor roles like the boys in the Flight Control booth.

It was funny, it was tense, it had me on the edge of my seat and it had me in tears. It was wonderful.

I highly recommend it.

Dr. Sam Beckett (Quantum Leap) and Dr. Kennedy (Neighbours) attempt to fly from San Francisco to Australia in two 'toy planes' - but once I managed to get past this concept, I was hooked! A true Christmas film with plenty of spirit, 'Mercy Mission' is both exciting and believable. I don't know a lot about the technical side of the action, but that didn't stop me rooting for the characters - wanting Jay not to give in, and Gordon to win the approval of his passengers (I loved his explanation to the children on board about what had happened to Jay, and why they needed to help). And, of course, by the end, I was just as emotional as those on screen - which is how any Christmas movie worth its salt should affect an audience. Frank's battle with his plane in Pago Pago was also convincing (even if his accent was a little trans-continental), and the dialogue was both strong and funny ("How old could you be?" "This guy's really old, 771") This film is recommended any time of year, as it's easy to watch, but sharing your Christmas with Gordon and Jay really adds to the experience.

This film is a pleasant enough way to while away a Sunday afternoon. It's becoming something of a cult classic with students (in Britain) due to the casting- Scott Bakula will forever be associated with Dr Samuel Beckett but the more legendary of the two doctors surely has to be Dr Karl Kennedy.....