Fire Birds
1990 · Directed by David Green
Top Gun, but with Apache helicopters and Nicolas Cage. Tommy Lee Jones plays the Viper. The military helped because they wanted attack-helicopter recruits.
Why It's Cult
Firebirds is Top Gun's loud, slightly dimmer cousin. The Apache footage is real and stunning. Cage doing his pre-Leaving-Las-Vegas earnest-leading-man thing. Sean Young as the love interest. It bombed and disappeared into late-night cable, where it lives forever as a perfect movie to half-watch while folding laundry.
The Plot, Officially
The U.S. Government is willing to help any country that requires help in ridding themselves of drugs with support from the Army. Unfortunately, the drug cartels have countered that offer by hiring one of the best air-combat mercenaries and have armed him with a Scorpion attack helicopter. The army decides to send in its best people from its Apache Air Combat school. But first they have to be taught how to fly air-to-air combat missions
Starring
Nicolas Cage, Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Young
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
