Verdict
Summary
The second Airport film in the four-entry franchise, 1975 is an improvement over the smash hit first film simply because it cuts to the chase much quicker and the film deals with the disaster first and foremost, while also peppering the movie with a swathe of name stars of the era as well as from the classic period.
Plot:
A midair collision between a private plane and a 747 passenger jet poses a crisis when the pilot and copilot are killed or incapacitated, leaving a stewardess to deal with the crisis.
Review:
What should be just an ordinary flight for a 747 jet packed with passengers and flight attendants turns out to be anything but: A private plane with an elderly pilot collides with the jet when the pilot has a heart attack, instantly killing two of the three pilots in the cockpit of the jet, leaving one blind and unable to function. A brave stewardess (played by Karen Black) steps up and tries to mayday for help, but the auto pilot systems are destroyed and she can’t land the plane on her own. A rescue mission is immediately put into play: A helicopter must somehow insert a pilot (Charlton Heston) into the cockpit (it’s already got a gaping hole in it) of the jet so that he can land the plane!
The second Airport film in the four-entry franchise, 1975 is an improvement over the smash hit first film simply because it cuts to the chase much quicker and the film deals with the disaster first and foremost, while also peppering the movie with a swathe of name stars of the era as well as from the classic period. Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Sid Caesar, Gloria Swanson (playing herself!), George Kennedy (the only actor to reprise his character in all four films), and even Linda Blair in a small role, plus a bunch more, and the film is pretty entertaining to boot. It’s a lot less goofy than the original, and while it has a shorter run time (107 minutes), it has plenty of room for everything it needs to tell a familiar type of story where people must survive a disaster. From director Jack Smight.
Kino Lorber’s 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray combo edition of Airport 1975 comes in a nice two-disc pack and shines in sharp 4K. There’s an audio commentary by two film historians, plus a trailer and a slipcover.
