When they teamed up for 1990's Air America though, they were both riding high. Downey Jr. was a rising star, and Gibson was the established star coming off the Lethal Weapon and Mad Max movies, among others. It is an oddity among Vietnam War films in that it has a comedic touch to it, something you wouldn't normally associate with such a dark time in American history. We're not talking obvious humor or even slapstick, just an odd attempt to be funny at times. It is based on a true story -- supposedly -- with some conspiracy theories and shady government dealings going on. I don't know. It could all be true, but mostly I'll recommend this movie for the cast.
It's 1968 in Laos, and the United States is officially not in that country at all....seriously, we weren't. Working for a company called Air America, American pilot Gene Ryack (Gibson) is several years into a job that has him dropping supplies, food, arms, materiel into Laos to help the locals fight the ever-present North Vietnamese. He is part of a small group of American pilots working for the company (CIA? Interesting...) who get a weird adrenaline rush from flying these highly dangerous missions. A new pilot fresh from the U.S., Billy Covington (Downey Jr.), arrives in Laos to join the crew and immediately starts to question what's going on. Officially, none of these men are even in country because the government says they're not, but what's really going on? What are they actually shipping? A curious Billy wants to find out, and a weary Gene just wants to make some money.
A variation on the buddy picture, 'America' succeeds (or fails I guess, depending on your take) because of Gibson and Downey Jr. as the two leads. Besides both men dressing and having the look of someone from well...1990 and not 1968, they are an ideal ying and yang to work off each other. Gibson's Gene has thousands of hours flying under his belt with little to show for it. He has a little side business he hopes will prove lucrative while Billy is a bit of a thrill-junkie, an idealist at times and naive to what's really going on in Laos. Not quite the Odd Couple, but close. Both actors are immensely talented which is on display here with characters and a story that isn't really anything new. You've seen characters like this before, and you'll see them again most likely. Gibson and Downey Jr. make it interesting in this light, comedic take on the Vietnam War.
Doesn't sound quite right, does it? A comedy about Vietnam? That description isn't completely fair, but director Roger Spottiswoode does keep 'America' at a certain light and happy level. While based in the Korean War, MASH satirizes Vietnam successfully, and that's the route to go. This isn't satirical, just a dig at a war and conflict that was and is hard to understand. The humor that does work is the out of left field, almost bizarre humor. Gene and co-pilot Tim Thomerson fight over crayons while they draw in a coloring book while Billy almost crashes in foggy weather. Gene, Billy and the American pilots go on a bender of sorts, playing mini-golf in the midst of a war. Thomerson's Babo says when asked if they always go on benders like this "No, this is nighttime." There are some laughs here, but the story on the whole needed to go deeper and darker.
The potential for a story based in darker roots comes from the supporting cast and the very interesting parts they play. Burt Kwouk plays the Vietnamese warlord working with the Americans, ready to betray anyone for the right price. Nancy Travis is Corinne, an aid worker working at a refugee camp. Ken Jenkins and David Marshall Grant are perfectly cast as Major Lemond and his right hand man, CIA(?) officials running a drug operation with Kwouk and the American pilots. Lane Smith is very good as Davenport, a visiting U.S. senator looking for answers. Along with Thomerson, Art LaFleur, Ned Eisenberg, Marshall Bell and David Bowe round out the other American pilots. With so many characters, 'America' covers a lot of ground and from a ton of different perspectives. I felt like I got a good, detailed picture of a murky, shady situation. The picture just wasn't cynical enough. A hidden war with drug money supporting the effort is as dark as it gets, and 'America' doesn't truly capitalize on that darkness.
That is most evident in the ending, a finale that is too pleased with itself wrapping the story up nicely. It goes for the generic happy ending that would have been better suited to so many other movies. But as I write this, I realize how negative this is all sounding. I did in fact, like this movie. It is a good story, no matter that it could have been better. There is some crazy aerial footage from a variety of different planes, Thailand is an incredibly visual backdrop for the story, and a classic rock soundtrack from the late 1960s is never a bad thing. It's not a great movie overall, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Air America <---trailer (1990): ***/****
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