Air America (1990)

Directed by

Roger Spottiswoode

Genre

comedy film, action film, buddy film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 48m

Rated

R

Rating

5.8 of 10 from 670 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Two pilots work for a CIA airline in Laos during the Vietnam War. They discover the agency is using the airline to smuggle heroin and then find themselves targeted as the ones responsible.

fast-pacedfunnytensechaoticdarkly comiccynicalsuspenseful

What happens

Air America is a 1990 American action comedy film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. as Air America pilots flying missions in Laos during the Vietnam War. When the protagonists discover their aircraft is being used by CIA agents to smuggle heroin, they must avoid being framed as the drug-smugglers. The plot of the film is adapted from Christopher Robbins' 1979 non-fiction book, chronicling the CIA-financed airline to transport weapons and supplies in Cambodia, Laos and South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The publicity for the film, advertised as a lighthearted buddy movie, implied a tone that differs greatly from the actual film, which includes such serious themes as an anti-war message, focus on the opium trade, and a negative portrayal of Royal Laotian General Vang Pao (played by actor Burt Kwouk as "General Lu Soong"). (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Revenge (1990)
• American Made (2017)
• Fire Birds (1990)
• Shocktroop (1990)
• The King of the Kickboxers (1990)
• Jacob's Ladder (1990)
• Flashback (1990)
• Die Hard 2 (1990)