INTO THE SUN
US, 1992, 101 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Pare, Terry Kiser.
Directed by Fritz Kiersch.
Into the Sun is an action thriller, rather far-fetched ultimately, that might have taken its inspiration from the filming of Top Gun. Michael Pare portrays an ace fighter stationed in a troubled Mediterranean country - with echoes of air strikes during the '80s on Libya. Anthony Michael Hall portrays a rather smug, self-centred film star who is to make a film about air aces. Pare is appointed to coach him. In fact, when he goes on a training flight, he becomes involved in actual combat, bails out over the African country, the two are captured, tortured - and ultimately escape, with echoes of Iron Eagle and other action adventures.
The aerial photography is effective, the portrayal of the American air force authentic enough. The picture of the smug film star probably echoes some realities. The parody of film-making (especially in the form of Terry Kaiser's very humorous portrayal of a slick producer) is quite effective. However, the finale strains credibility. Direction is by Fritz Kiersch, director of the Steven King story, Children of the Corn.
1. Entertaining action adventure? Film-making background? The realities of aerial raids on Libya in the '80s?
2. Mediterranean settings, Europe, Africa and the desert? The aerial photography? Flight sequences? Musical score?
3. The title, the gung-ho overtones? For Paul Watkins? For Tom Slade? For the Americans?
4. The plausibility of the plot: the American base on the Mediterranean, training, action? The personnel? Training, skills? Personal relationships? Film-making? The assistants to the film's star? The flight, combat, the capture and torture? The escape?
5. Paul Watkins, dedication to the armed forces? His skills in flight, friendship with Snaker? Relationship with Lauren? The life on the base? His resistance to Tom Slade? His mockery of him? Taking him around, making him fall on his face? The relationship with Lauren? His decision to take him on the flight? The combat, ejecting? Their clashes in the desert and his despising of Slade's naivety? In prison, torture? The almost-execution? The escape, the final fight? American hero?
6. Tom Slade, reputation, the people at the base and their admiration? Paul not knowing about him? His smug style, expectations of comforts? Relationship with Mitch? Attracted to Lauren? His questions, behaviour, naivety? Comeuppance? His self-knowledge - and lack of it? The clashes with Paul? The compromising situation with Lauren - and the smoking? Going up in the plane, ejecting? His silly behaviour in the desert? His reaction to his captors, torture? The escape, the final flight?
7. Snaker and the other pilots? Skills, in combat? The expensive planes, technology, manoeuvring? In combat? Crashes, explosions, ejecting?
8. Lauren, her position on the base? Official? Authority? Relationship with Paul, clashes with him? The dance, attraction to Tom? The compromising situation?
9. Mitch, the humorous parody of the loudmouth producer - who has to ring up his mother, the mobile phone...?
10. How well did the action melodrama combine with the realism and the parody of film-making?
