Iron Eagle: Ace Combat Skills AND Heavy Metal? You Bet.

Alright, alright, alright. Let's talk about Iron Eagle. Look, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend it's Citizen Kane, but for a mid-80s action flick? It delivers. We're talking about a kid, Doug, whose dad gets shot down, and bureaucracy's all, "Sorry, kid. Paperwork." So what's he do? He pulls a Ferris Bueller and hacks into military databases! It's already gold. Then he finds Chappy Sinclair, played by Louis Gossett Jr., who's basically the 'maverick' before Maverick was cool. Chappy's got that grizzled vet thing down PAT. He's all, "Talk to me, Goose— er, I mean, Doug." Okay, I might be mixing my jets, but you get the idea. That whole training montage with Doug is pure 80s cheese, but I'm here for it. Practicing dogfights on a computer? Genius! And the soundtrack? Come on, who doesn't crank up "Highway to the Danger Zone"... I mean, uh, "Iron Eagle (Never Say Die)" when they're feeling themselves? But seriously. The dogfight scenes at the end, while probably not super realistic, are exhilarating. It's got that underdog spirit; A kid and a washed-up vet against a whole damn air force. What's not to love? The plot's kinda predictable, and some of the acting is…well, let's call it "enthusiastic." But honestly, it's the kind of movie you watch with a beer and a bag of chips. Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride. Plus, Gossett Jr. just chews scenery like nobody's business, and I'm always here for that. "Air superiority is not negotiable!" I think I’ll rewatch it this weekend. It’s definitely a few cuts above Top Gun in my book. Sue me! lol