The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper

Nothing much to talk about the film but just its follows the plot loosely and it was somewhat enjoyable.

I suggest to watch it only if you don't know anything about D. B. Cooper aka Dan Cooper.

The mystery of what ever happened to D. B. Cooper is completely abandoned by this film. What we already know is nothing more than a teaser opening with Cooper jumping out of a hijacked plane with $200,000 in twenty dollar bills. What happened after the jump has bee speculated about for well over fifty years. What did not happen is the remaining hour of "The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper." Robert Duvall chasing Treat Williams by car, boat, and plane plays more like a cartoon than a feature film and is a huge misfire. Not recommended for Cooperites. Recommended as brainless nonsense that fails to hold interest and doesn't come close to telling the intriguing story of America's only unsolved plane hijacking.

Plays like a backpacker's version of Midnight Run (1988), with Duvall in the de Niro role and Williams in Grodin's. Except this one substitutes mindless action for character development and rust bucket jalopies for clever dialog. The result is more tiresome than funny, despite the attractive cast. In fact, Williams plays DB Cooper's part like it's all a big joke that only he thinks is funny—I agree with the reviewer who finds him way too cutesy. In fact, that could apply to the entire movie.

Worse-- any well-meaning viewer hoping for insight into the heist itself will be sorely disappointed. We see nothing of the crime except for the dramatic dive from the airliner. I suspect that's because threats to blow up the plane would have "serious-ed up" the movie. Then Williams' Cooper would no longer be humorous at all. The one worthy aspect links Cooper to army ranger training, seemingly apt preparation for such a daring wilderness crime.

The movie does have two scenic attractions. There's the great snow-capped panorama of Jackson Hole that keeps the eye entertained whatever the nonsense on the ground. Second is Kathryn Harrold's Hannah. In skintight jeans she presents another kind of natural grandeur that may give backpacking a whole new look. Despite the visuals, however, the topic deserves better than the third-rate Keystone Cops treatment it gets here.

Here is a fine example of some good ol' Hollywood exploitation. They took the story of famed airplane hijacker D.B. Cooper and decided to make it into a "what if..." scenario by adapting a fictional novel called "Free Fall." Talk about a missed opportunity! Cooper (Treat Williams) lands easily in the woods of Oregon. Just as easily, insurance investigator Gruen (Robert Duvall), whose company is out the ransom money, discovers Cooper is a former charge of his from the Army and begins his pursuit. If you can distance the idea that this is about D.B. Cooper, it is a pretty entertaining chase flick in the SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT vein. I'm sure they threw the Cooper name on there to get the public interested which is a disservice to the film itself. Co-starring Kathryn Harrold, Ed Flanders, R.G. Armstrong and Paul Gleason (in a really scummy turn).

The mysterious hijacker with the alias D.B. Cooper (Treat Williams) jumps out of the back of the plane. The bomb is fake. Bill Gruen (Robert Duvall) is an investigator for the insurance company out $200k in ransom. He discovers that Cooper's real identity is his Ranger trainee and Vietnam hero Jim Meade. Meade had prepared by hiding equipment and a jeep. He drives out of the forest during deer season. Also on the chase for the reward is old war buddy Remson. Gruen zero in on Meade's wife Hannah (Kathryn Harrold).

There is a fair cat and mouse chase with Williams and Duvall. It isn't all logical. It's not that intense. It rambles a bit. It has a light fun tone. It's inspired by the real case but isn't real even with the start. Duvall keeps this movie just compelling enough to watch.