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Airwolf Vol.1 [1984]
![Airwolf Vol.1 [1984]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z63JWEVZL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £1.75 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Airwolf appeared only two years after Knight Rider and, perplexingly, the same year as the short-lived Blue Thunder series. However, creator Donald P Bellisario had spent more than a little time in fully conceptualising this series. Although the format allowed for stories-of-the-week, a B-plot always ran as background motivation for the individual tales. This was a trick Bellisario would also use to good effect later in Magnum P.I. and Quantum Leap. The hook that sustains the audience here is an extremely bitter sub-plot: Stringfellow Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent) is a peculiar anti-hero to root for since he is effectively being held to ransom and doing the same in return. His brother St. John is held captive somewhere and until his release the Airwolf chopper is Hawke's to keep hidden and use under the covert instructions of "Archangel". His best friend Dominic Santini (the ever-appealing Ernest Borgnine) is a surrogate father figure caught up in the family history. All this pre-determined angst means this is never a show that plays itself for laughs. Very specific character flaws are upfront from the beginning. We are hammered over the head with the idea of Hawke being a tortured intellectual; hence the cello, log cabin retreat and inability to smile. Of course the real star is the spurious technology showcased in the Mach One helicopter armed to the teeth and able to defy the laws of physics on a regular basis. As the mid-80s looked increasingly to the lighter side in most television successes, Airwolf is a rare display of aggression. Justice is fought, but dig only a little way and the moral motivations are often in question. Toward the end of its third season things began to lose coherence and after a year's pause the show was magically resurrected with an all-new cast. It didn't last. --Paul Tonks
Editorial
Special Features
Full Screen
English
Region 2
Dolby AC-3 Stereo English
Dolby AC-3 Stereo
None
Editorial
Synopsis
In this classic 1980s action series, Jan-Michael Vincent stars as Stringfellow Hawke, a maverick pilot who flies covert missions in a hi-tech attack helicopter. Ernest Borgnine appears as Hawke's mentor, Dominic Santini. This collection includes the episodes "Sweet Britches," "The Truth about Holly," and "Firestorm."
Pretty Good, but not exactly volume one
Review date: 2006-01-17 Rating: 8 out of 10
I enjoyed this, but I was disappointed because despite being called "Volume 1", this disk starts at episode 12. I was expecting to see the pilot episode and was disappointed. That said, this was a lot of fun. Definitely worth a watch.
Similar Products
- Airwolf Vol.2 [1984]
- Airwolf Vol.3 [1984]
- Airwolf Vol.4 [1984]
- Airwolf - Series 1 [1984]
- The Best Of Knight Rider [1982]
Reviews
If you liked the show at all, get this.
Review date: 2003-10-21 Rating: 8 out of 10
This edition has some of the best episodes of the show, & I still remember these well.
Welcome to DVD Airwolf!
Review date: 2003-04-22 Rating: 10 out of 10
Well, finally, Airwolf has came to DVD. This DVD came out in mid-2001 but I didn't actually buy a DVD Player unti late 2002-and this DVD is the reason why.
Airwolf was a show ahead of it's time. It aired during the Cold War and was a dark show. It wasn't big on humour (which was a good thing)but it had plenty of intrigue, politics, betrayals etc and reflected accurately the real world where not everything is black and white and the good guys don't always wear white hats. Airwolf was a Mach 1 chopper which travelled round the world and in each episode, usually came up against either a plane of some sort of a helicopter (although not always). Airwolf had fourteen firepower options ranging from cannons to nuclear tipped strike missiles. It could outrace the fastet jets and go higher than most jets. It had an onboard computer with several features and was invisible to radar. In short, it was one bad dude (if a helicopter can be called a dude).
The pilot was Stringfellow Hawke played by Jan-Michael Vincent. Hawke was a moody and reclusive Vietnam veteran whose brother was MIA (missing in action). In the pilot, Hawke had retrieved Airwolf for the U.S. Government after it had ended up in Libya; however, rather than give it back, he kept it as collateral, the condition being that he would give it back to Uncle Sam if they could find his brother. Michael Archangel was a senior agent in The Firm (suspected to be the CIA but never actually referred to as such)and he covertly gave Hawke missions to fly all over the world. Joining Hawke was his avuncular friend Dominic Santini. Together, they kicked butt.
The first episode on this DVD is 'Sweet Britches' which is a second season episode introducing a female character known as Caitlan. Perhaps one of the best episodes of the entire series, this sees Hawke and Santini going up against a corrupt sherriff.
The second episode is 'The Truth About Holly'. I cannot say too much about this great episode without giving stuff away. Let's just say that some strange goings on are happening and nothing is what it seems. I can say no more I am afraid...
The third episode is 'Firestorm'-another fantastic episode. This time, Hawke and Santini go up against a disgraced former U.S. Army General who plans to launch a nuclear missile at Russia.
I highly recommend this excellent DVD!
Absolutely Fantastic, A long awaited release on DVD
Review date: 2002-01-11 Rating: 10 out of 10
Speed, Thrills and Corny but acceptable lines make up this DVD version of Airwolf the indistructable Helecopter. The picture and sound in this version is spot on, clear and defined. This really brings home the excitement of the original.
Airwolf, the greatest helicopter in the sky.
Review date: 2001-06-16 Rating: 8 out of 10
Too long in coming, but now it's here, it's great to be able to see Airwolf in all it's glory, a show greatly missed. Can not wait for the next one.
Product Details/Specifications
Director(s):
Recording label: 4 Front Video
Manufacturer: 4 Front Video
EAN: 0044007817728
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2005-06-06
Universal product code (UPC): 044007817728
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 139 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1984-01-22
Language: English (Original Language)