The Mystery of D.B. Cooper

The film is made decently enough, nothing to complain.

However, it features a series of misleading statements (e.g. The stairs story) and omissions (Cooper wasn't the gentleman he's always said to be, and many other things are simply untrue).

Most, if not all, of these suspects have conclusively been ruled out long ago.

Watch it for entertainment but don't take it for gospel. If you want to research the case you are better off on YouTube (I hate to recommend that), and forums dedicated to the case.

Like a lot of movies, they just took whatever they could to tell "a story", not more, not less.

I watch a lot of documentaries, and lately find that I am enjoying fewer and fewer of them. This one was an exception. It's in the style of some of the Errol Morris films, very fluid, not committing to a narrative, letting the story lead where the story leads. We're in the company of actual participants in the DB Cooper drama (flight attendants, co-pilots, passengers, FBI agents), plus an odd assortment of characters who claim to have known the real DB Cooper and the real story of what happened to DB and the money he parachuted out of the plane with on a rainy night somewhere over Oregon. It all adds up to a fascinating 90 minutes or so of immersive cinema that recalls a world far removed from the one we live in today. Highly recommended despite the fact that a few benighted reviewers just don't seem to get it.

This was enjoyable at best, ridiculous at worst and falls somewhere in the middle, hence my score of 5. More like 4+, but I digress. As some other reviewers mentioned the story of Bob / Barbra was by far the most absurd and should not have been included. The man and wife who tell the story said Barb got very agitated when he said "oh your DB Cooper" but then at some future point in time still allowed him to comb her hair, put sunglasses on and take her picture to show the resembalance to Cooper, a picture that was then destroyed? Not buying it. The niece's story was comprised of suppressed memories, so I do not find them credible. I do not think she or the women in Florida or any of the people were lying as some people have suggested. I think they are remembering things the way they want to, or the way that fits their particular narrative. The copycat hijacker seemed most plausible to me. But why did he have a gun on the second flight when no mention of a gun was brought up on the first flight. Also I would have liked to have the stewardess and the college student from the first flight give their impression of if they thought Floyd was Dan Cooper. Raises more questions than it answers but added some new twists I had not heard before. Not bad for a rainy day when nothing is on.

5 suspects really? They all seem like they did it and they all basically confessed. How can the flight attendant not look at the 5 pictures and know exactly who she spent all that time with. They don't even show that ladies opinion on the 5 suspects. I give it 7 only because there is still lots of facts and cool info about the actually highjack

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper is a Documentary about one of the biggest aeroplane heists in history. It was November 1971 and a man known as DB Cooper hijacked a plane flying out of Portland, Oregon. How did he do it? A stranger boarded a plane and handed a note to a female flight attendant advising that a hijacking was about to occur. The flight attendant quickly learnt that the stranger was not mucking around as his briefcase contained explosives. After demanding a large ransom involving cash, DB Cooper was successful with the heist and parachuted out of the hijacked 727 at 10,000 feet over Washington State. No trace of him was ever found. A massive manhunt was conducted by many people including the military, FBI and even Boy Scouts. In the present day, the case is still the only unsolved act of air piracy in American history. Sure, there are many suspects and theories but not enough to ever bring the case to a full closure.

This documentary rehashes the main event, re-enacted by actors and narrated by the real people who were present during the heist, including flight attendants and even the pilots. The film also includes interviews from various people who feel they know who the real DB Cooper is. There are even interviews with people who have written books about the heist or those who have devoted their lives to looking for clues trying to close the case. Several facts and evidence are also shown and discussed throughout the film.

The pacing of this documentary for the most part was quite pleasing. I did notice the runtime and found it a slight struggle as the documentary attempted to wrap up and deliver a conclusion. Visuals are great and the quality of interviews were also very pleasing. As a true story, I will confess, I had no idea about this heist, so I found watching this documentary from the start to finish extremely fascinating and insightful.

Overall, those who enjoy documentaries about unsolved true stories will certainly find this pleasing. A story of a man who conducted a heist on a large plane and then parachutes out with no trace of him is certainly a story that fascinated me. It is unfortunate that the documentary can't reveal all the details and that the final conclusion will be left up to its viewers. Pacing for the most part is pleasing and the quality of this documentary, including the film's visuals and interviews, are also quite positive. Overall, this documentary comes highly recommended.

7.4/10 - Walkden Entertainment