“This is not our Top Gun, this is our Iron Eagle 3” That was probably one of the harshest insults to a movie i ever heard.

Next: Real Astronaut reacts to Space Cowboys.

Dirty secret: This is the movie that convinced 10 year old me to become a pilot. Was gaga about the Apache, started thinking about getting US citizenship. Fell in love with the Viper a few years later and started thinking Air Force. Sadly air force didn't pan out, and I'm freezing my ass off in northern Canada, but at least I'm flying. :D

All of that trouble would've been avoided if they sent the Airwolf.

All the tarmac scenes were filmed at Ft. Hood using my Dads' Apaches and buildings when he had command of, what was then, The Apache Training Brigade. I was there during most of the filming and remember first meeting Nick Cage and as my Dad shook his hand he told him to "go get a haircut", still one of the funniest things he ever did. All the actors were very cool and had some great stories to tell about the other movies they had done.

"That's wha thappens when you turn 40, the Apache out-taxis you..." really got me :D

"You need a whole task force for one asshole?" - Best line ever.

Fun fact: fort Mitchell was named after Pete Mitchell, a naval aviator who is now a US navy Captain who's father was a naval Avaitor during the Vietnam war

"does the army really age you that much" - Mover "I'm 29 and I feel great!" - Casmo

“I’m pushing you because you beat the shit out of me a couple days ago.” And I’m dead....😂

"He walked in the kitchen and forgot why he was there." Yep. Sounds about right.

I watched them film this at Ft. Hood. Was an Apache crew chief. The movie was so anticipated and soooo bad. The scenery takes me back. Also Sean Young was very friendly. She wandered into our hanger one day and spent about 15 min asking questions about the helos and such.

I forgot Tommy Lee Jones and Nicholas Cage were in that movie. They probably wish more people would forget that too.

I served with one of the pilots that flew in this movie. I was his crewchief on the AH-1F Cobra before he transition over to the AH-64. I met him at the food court at Eustis, while I was going thru my advancement training, and mentioned to him that the movie wasn't that great. He said, " but it was sure fun being involved and making it !" "The Bear"

"Thats about the most warrant officer thing ive seen in this movie." Awesome. Lol, fire for effect. I love Firebirds.

Also, if you're doing helo movies, ya gotta do "Blue Thunder". I mean, it's classic.

For those in the UK, this film is called Wings of the Apache.

I was an extra in this flick (along with the rest of U of Arizona Army ROTC) we watched in awe as the McDonnel test pilots took the Apache through its paces. And Shawn Young was nice enough to sit down with us for lunch. Good times!

"Three kids? No wonder he looks old!" Damn, Mover. That stung.

I agree with Mover's final thoughts. If you like military-themed aerial action & cheesy one liners, then it's a decent film to sit through. it's a film for the fans basically. And also he makes a great point, the aerial photography is first rate. You just don't see that quality anymore.

I love seeing Dale Dye in anything. The man is a legend in his own lifetime. A Vietnam vet, retired as a Marine Corp Captain and has appeared in movies or been a technical advisor on films and tv shows since 1986. In Wings of the Apache he stars as Colonel McNeil but you can usually see him as a captain or colonel in most things that want to add some real military feel to their characters. I suppose one of his most recognised roles was as Colonel Robert Sink in Band of Brothers and he put the actors through boot camp before production of that series.

Little then instructs her to remove one of the still-functioning Stinger missiles from his AH-64 Apache and attach a grip stock unit to it so it can be shoulder-launched: this is readily possible as the air-launched Stinger (AIM-92 or Stinger ATAS) is identical to the ground version, even retaining the sighting unit. This is one of the earliest appearances of an actual FIM-92, as previous launchers seen in film and television were actually the discontinued FIM-43 Redeye. It is also a rare case of a Stinger in film appearing with a real grip stock unit, rather than a fabricated one fitted to a spent launch tube.

This movie was filmed partially in Arizona and some of my fellow Army Guard members are extras in the movie. Those Cobras and the Blackhawks in the beginning of the movie were AZ Army Guard.

I'm 44, have a 6 year old and 4 month old. His pre-geriatric aches and grumblings are accurate.

Referring to a tank as a turtle is a reference to the Navajo Code Talkers during WWII. Even more fun is that Nicholas Cage featured in the movie Windtalkers about the same subject.

I’m a 38 year old CW4 with four kids. I can relate to those early morning runs near the flight line. They feel like hell. Lol

It was a Saab 35 Draaken, a "multi role" fighter that really was not meant for air-to-air. But, in my opinion, one of the sweetest looking airframes ever.

"Half ass, full blast. Let's do this boss." " Kill 'em with wing turbulence." "Riceman has nothing on Iceman." Definitely hit the brakes and let him fly by..."you don't have keys?" Casmo was so cool and low key. This was fun. Thanks Mover.😊 👍🙃

Wow long time- I am the medic (front) carrying TLJ to the medivac chopper. I was actually attached (as a medic) to the 1/285 located outside Tucson, AZ, spent my career as a flight medic (91B1F). Also much of that scene is filmed on a ranch owned by one of our pilots. The crashed AH-64 was a salvage from a tail rotor accident from another unit (Texas I think) My unit was across from the WAATS (western army aviation training) and yes we could ask to fly the simulator (lunch hour only) always a wait. I crashed- always.

now I understand why the US army find it difficult to recruit at that time

37:40 " I'm gunna hit the brakes, he's gunna fly right by!". I can almost ALWAYS predict when you're going to say that, but it still get's me EVERY TIME. That and " You're gunna WHAT?!" Love it

This truly made my morning, and hearing "Casmo" Saying "This is not our Top gun, this is our Iron eagle 3" Had me rolling!!😂😂😂 The way that you both hit this movie, as in the other segments of "Mover ruins movies" Reminds me of "Mystery science theater 3000". Again, awesome start to this Wednesday!! 👍

I wonder if an Apache pilot ever screamed “I am the greatest“ in the simulator after watching Firebirds?

I still want them to make "Iron Eagle V - Joint Assult - Firebirds 2."

As a former Stinger guy the back blast would not have killed hum. The Stinger has a small explosive charge that ejects the missile out of the tube and then the missile rocket motor ignites when the missile is a safe distance away from the gunner.

For anyone wanting a couple of books written by an apache pilot "Hellfire" written under the name "Ed Macy" and "Apache" are excellent. It's in cockpit stuff from training to front line missions. British pilot with some great stories.

Am I missing all the props for Dale Dye? Couldn't be an 80's war movie without Dale.

The "A" model did have full motion simulators, separate boxes for front and back seats...graphics were very old school, but got the job done.

My favorite Apache story was one was hovering outside of work and figured something was going on at the National Guard base down the road. I got it's attention and got it to turn the gun on the print shop I worked at. It lasted long enough for one to tell the other, "That's stupid." What shook me was I never realized how fast the gun can be turned on and trained. I loved this review!

If you ask a typical 64 pilot if this is their favorite movie you'll get punched in the face

Oh man, those helicopters sounds like Knight Rider car on Pursuit mode!

Thank you for a hilarious video, I'm impressed that you recognized the SAAB J35 Draken! :) The J35 had one or two (depending on version) 30 mm Aden cannons, so it didn't have to rely on creating turbulence to down a helicopter. :)

Tommy Lee Jones is the token old guy in every movie he stars in. This is probably the only movie he's ever looked young in

I have always loved this movie because I have always loved the Apache. One of my biggest regrets while i was in the army (2000-2010) was not trying to become a warrant officer and becoming a helicopter pilot.

I was at Ft. Hood while this was being filmed. We used to drive up and down the road that parallel the flight line. In the original cut you could see a glimpse of my blue 1986 Mustang. Good times!

This is an epic addition to the series, more "MST3K"-esque than the others so far... love it!

Back in 2005 my battallion HQ was moved to an old flight sim building on the flight line at Hood, and those simulators had what looked like an exact replica of the Apache crew compartment. I remember they were mounted up in the air on long hydraulic cylinders, and you had to use a catwalk to reach the cockpit. The computer room that drove it all ran off those large magnetic tape reels, so my thinking is that it was original Apache program equipment, from when the Army was first transitioning units in the 80s. Contractors tore it all out not long after we moved in.

Saab 35 Draken as the "fast mover" :)

Tommy Lee Jones: "The Army isn't stressful at all, I'm 25 and I feel great." *visibly old as fuck

"Who's up there?" "Cougar and Merlin, and Mover and Gonky." "Great, Mover and Gonky." "With Casmo on the rescue bird." "... I quit."

The best thing about the comment at 29:44 (and the earlier mention of a guy with a Stinger) is that's what actually wins the day against the fast movers: One guy ending up on the ground and shooting from the shoulder.

Table wasn't a pentagon. It was a coffin.

I loved the movie when it came out in the movies, I was a kid back then. I served 9 years in the army, noticed the unrealism now but I think it was still a good recruiting movie like Top Gun.

Anyone noticed those sound at the beginning they also used for Knight Rider in Hot Pursuit Mode ?? .. :D

I had a crush on Sean Young watching this movie.

I always knew that someday this masterpiece would get the respect it deserves.

I loooved this movie when it released. I even started talking to recruiters for the warrant officer flight training program, but never pulled the trigger :P Something I never noticed before: The sound effect when the Scorpion flies by is the same as when KITT drives by, in Knight Rider.

Tommy Lee Jones .. born 40, looks 50 for the majority of his career... Never passes 60!?!

"It was the Army's answer to Top Gun, and the answer was wrong" - Casmo, 2021 (colorized)

When I was stationed in Bosnia during IFOR. We would call in dust offs to clear crowds and the responding helo was always an Apache. It scared everybody to run and disperse. She is an amazing bird. I knew one of the CW5’s that ran the entire unit. He was a cool person to talk shop with! I always wanted to fly them. I went a different path though. I did learn rotary, yet my point is follow your dreams and have no regrets! There is a plan believe in that plan!

I'll have you know that Fort Mitchell was named after Pete Mitchell! Wait, never mind.

I dunno... I’m 37 and I feel as old as Tommy Lee Jones looks in this movie. 🤣🤣

"He walked into the kitchen and forgot why he was there". I can totally relate to that. It happens to me a couple times a week.

When I was a kid, 'Firebirds' was right up there with 'Iron Eagle'. It wasn't as good as 'Top Gun' or 'The Final Countdown', but had lots of good action, cool flying, and pretty good cinematography. Every blue-moon, I'll watch 'Firebirds' again. I roll my eyes at certain scenes, but still marvel at the flying, and some of the pyrotechnics. I'm never sorry I watched it, though.

This actually was the best reaction video I have ever seen yet. It reminded me of Mystery Science Theater 3000

Need to do Blue Thunder with Cosmo

Does every "War Room" look like Dr. Strangelove now?

Wow Mover - that new intro for M.R.M is sensational. Those production values keep getting better and better. Thanks for all your efforts. This had to be the BEST that you have done, so good. Cheers mate.

Dale Dye as commander. He's always the commander.

This is why I LOVED the "Strike" games for Genesis and SNES, cause you pilot a Apache in it.

In the stinger launch scene the stinger motor lobs itself about 9 meters before the flight motor kicks in to protect the operator from backslash. She was attempting to convert the stinger from weapon round to ready round. However you wouldn't put the BCU in the gripstock assembly until ready to launch back in the 80s I was 16s in the Army which is stinger crewmember

Fact: Dale Dye is in every single military movie

Thank you for this! I've always liked this movie and it was definitely a good episode of Mover Ruins Movies. It was cool to hear the views of a real Apache pilot.

I lost at "It's just a HUD!" 😂😂😂

Fort Mitchell as in Pete Mitchell the Navy Ace from Top Gun?????

When working at Martin Marietta, my coworkers and I referred to this movie as Fire Ants. DoD also said Hellfire missiles could not be used in the movie. LOL

The scorpion sounds exactly like Knight Rider :)

"I'm gonna kill him now!" was just...no.

Being a veteran myself, I find this humor hilarious Mover. Keep up the awesome comedic narrative going!

love this movie and really enjoyed you guys commentary on it. First watched it as a kid just like you and absolutely loved it and now again many years later still a really enjoyable watch. Always love the clarifications you give on how these things work. Good job. Thanks

4:17 "It's a government table so it cost $200,000" ...and has six sides instead of five....

Pre-flight "It's probably fine". Done.

I remember being part of the SIMNET testing at Ft Knox waaay back in the day. During the beta testing we let the Apache guys pop in the M1 sim and blow stuff up and we got to fly the apache sim. Back then the Apache sim was just a blacked out room with a chair and console in the middle and a bunch of TVs in front of you. The flightsim graphics in this movie look exactly like the old SIMNET graphics.......

5:59 I love the weak, quiet "hooah" :-D

I was 18 when this came out. My dream was to fly the Apache well before that, but having diabetes is a no go. Can't wait for DCS one to come out, I will live in my VR AH-64D lol.

I think the movie's weakness can be traced to Tommy Lee Jones's character never rapidly listimg things he wants and what he wants them to do . He could have said "I want every Chickasaw, Pave Hawk , Black Hawk, and Sea Hawk from here to Fort Mitchell fueled , hovering , and discoverin' where in the 8 known and charted levels of magestic fuckery my target is ." Perhaps he could have done one of his patented dressing downs of a sassy subordinate "now listen up , there is no room for your Roy Scheideresque Blue Thunder era hot doggin' in my elite rotary wing squadron , you get out there and employ proper helicoptering techniques or so help me God you'll be flying an R22 called "Lady Zip Tie" outta' Myrtle Beach showing retired plumbers from New Jersey the mystical realm so few have seen just beyond 130 feet above their time share for the low low price of $19.00 "

man Ray Finkle sure gets around...now he is an Apache pilot

First time ever watching this film was with you guys. I loved your commentary. It made the movie much fun to watch even in this shortened version.

23:35 cross eye dominance is a very common condition and the Army would have discovered his problem long before he even set foot in a helicopter.

Hope you can review Flight of the Intruder.

The Apache and Blackhawks models used are modified Miniature Aircraft USA X-cell .60's kits (10cc two stroke) with 4 blades rotor heads & 1500mm diameter blades, and the Cobra's and OH-6 are smaller X-cell .40 kits. The tail rotor was driven by automotive speedometer cable that replaced the standard torque tube drive, and for the Apache it used 2 standard X-cell 'Delta 3' tail rotor hubs spaced at 55° apart just like the real helicopter. The Cobra used the standard X-cell 2 blade rotor head but with the wider cord .60 size blades and with the flybar removed. All helicopters used Century models fiberglass fuselages. (Interestingly the helicopter kits didn't come with the stub wings because Century models was worried people would fire rockets from them, so they were fabricated. 😂) The Saab Drakens were ducted fan and had to be bungee launched from the top of the mountains, and as they were all blown up they didn't have any landing gear. One of the Drakens was so packed full of explosives that they had a hard time maintaining level flight but thankfully they blew it up before it hit the ground. All models made by Magic models in the US. As a avid Radio control helicopter pilot I love this movie as they used the same model helicopters that I fly. I can still pick the scenes where rc helicopters were used.

Love your "Mover Ruins Movies" series, so keep up the good work. The way the "panty training" is supposed to work instead of directly using the simulator is by restricting the dominant eye. It's a very common rehabilitation technique for limbs after a stroke or other type of neurological injury (I've never seen it used for eyesight though), but the way it is supposed to work is this: When one of your arms is affected, you instinctively begin using the unaffected arm more and more, which makes rehabilitating the affected arm harder, so one way to rehab it, is by restricting the good arm (like with the use of a sling), to force you to only use your bad arm to help it regain some function. Here the concept is basically the same. In the sim he could still use both of his eyes, so his dominant eye would still well, dominate, making it harder for him to process the information from the other eye. With the panty and periscope he was forced to only rely on his non-dominant eye by taking away his dominant eye. In theory it should help, although he wouldn't notice any benefits after a single training session.

This was awesome. Just as fun as MST3K. Thanks for these.

So they had stingers the entire time and only used them when they got shot down?

I was waiting for this one for a very long time. Thanks!

"Can you move...?" "No, I'm 40..." lol

Half this movies budget was spent on that table.

YES!!!! “I AM the GREATEST! I AM the GREATEST!” Nock Cages best movie barre-none

This is so awesome! Been waiting and searching for Apache pilot reactions to these scenes/movies! I'd really love to know his reaction to the Apache NY chase scene from Godzilla (1998) starring Mathew Broderick! Used to watch that movie all the time growing up, maybe as much as Top Gun! Thanks for another awesome video Mr. Lemoine!

Great stuff! My grandfather took me at 4 y/o to see my first movie, Firebirds! Loved the Blues/Tbirds too much to not think about tac jets tho. Thanks guys, yall seemed to enjoy going back too. Damn, 40 is sneaky!