Airport 1975 - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

If it were the 1970s and you went to the movies or turned on the television, the odds of you seeing something where the plot took place on or near an airplane were shockingly high. While not a new concept, the glut of airplane or airport-themed content was practically an exploitation genre all its own. Now, George Seaton’s 1970 disaster epic Arport, wasn’t the first film or show to feature an airplane in peril, but it hit big at the box office and started a run on the genre in Hollywood. Three sequels, dozens of imitations, and two incredible spoofs later, we’re going to take a look at the four-film Airport series. 

Since we initially anticipated reviewing only the collection set from KLSC, we will repaste this section for each film while offering a unique analysis of the A/V and extras. None of these films is altogether complicated enough to warrant lengthy individual reviews. By the time we get to the third film, the idea had already moved into the land of ridiculous. By the time we get to Concorde, the franchise had already drifted into unintentional self-parody. So let’s dive in.

Airport

Starring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, George Kennedy, Jean Seberg, Van Heflin, among numerous others, the film is part “day-in-the-life” of a fictitious Chicago airport, part disaster epic. As snow and ice blanket the runways, Van Heflin, at the end of his rope, takes a bomb onto an airplane. When the bomb severely damages the aircraft, pilot Dean Martin must land the aircraft as Burt Lancaster and George Kennedy race to clear the runway.

What sounds like a thrill-a-minute plot is often bogged down by the everyday mundanity of going to the airport. As a friend once told me, “thank god this film wasn’t made in the modern era, it’d been two hours of people taking their shoes off to get through security.” Throughout the repetitive exposition and introduction of characters and their respective roles in this high-flying soap opera, the film somehow manages to remain human and somewhat exciting. Bad weather is bad enough, but add a bomb to the mix and you’ve got an interesting balance of 90 minutes of setup and 45 minutes of genuine excitement. 4/5

Airport 1975 

After five years, the high-flying drama of an airport or airplane in distress was in full swing with countless imitations, so it’s time for a sequel. George Kennedy returns as the gruff Patroni as he’s caught in between the troubled romance between Charlton Heston and Karen Black. But when a private aircraft crashes into the cockpit, killing the copilot and engineer, Black is forced to pilot the aircraft herself as passengers Sid Caesar, Gloria Swanson, Myrna Loy, and Linda Blair brace for imminent destruction. 

More action, less melodrama, this sequel leans into the pulp entertainment value, wasting little time on exposition and the inner day-to-day workings of the Airport. In fact, there’s barely an airport at all. Heston already fought James Brolin and saved an airplane in 1972’s Skyjacked, so this wasn’t much of a stretch for him. Karen Black delivers her best strong-damsel-in-distress performance. Myrna Loy is doing what she can as the foil for Sid Caesar as he marks time, trying to deliver the comedy. Gloria Swanson, in her final role, is just her Swansoniest best self. As the near-comatose kid awaiting a new kidney, Linda Blair doesn’t turn any heads with this post-Exorcist performance. This film serves as the basis for a lot of the gags for Airplane! The Movie, while the leftover footage was used for the Incredible Hulk episode “747.” 3.5/5 

Airport '77

When human drama at 10,000 feet becomes old hat, you put those passengers 100 feet underwater! The terror strikes the uber-rich when a luxury airplane owned by James Stewart crashes into the water after a team of dumbass thieves screws up their hijacking plan. With the plane resting on the bottom of the ocean, it’s up to Captain Jack Lemmon and Dracula to find a way to reach the surface and signal rescue. If they fail Lee Grant, Joseph Cotten, Darren McGavin, LaserDisc, and Olivia de Havilland will either drown or run out of breathable air as George Kennedy drops by for his obligatory cameo appearance. 

Where the last film was heavier on survival terror, this sequel was heavier on high-concept action. But through all its corniness, it’s actually a surprisingly entertaining, edge-of-your-seat disaster flick. I hope he got workers' comp because Jack Lemmon acted his ass off carrying this load, outclassing everyone in the show. While McGavin is his usual amiable self, the rest of the cast are virtual nonstarters. Lee Grant is stuck in a thankless part of supposedly being in love with Christopher Lee while throwing a hissy fit. Her future satanic Damien: Omen II co-star, Robert Foxworth, has a strong start as the co-captain/hijacker, but he’s quickly left with little to do. As LaserDisc makes its big screen debut, legendary stars Joseph Cotten and Olivia de Havilland more or less pass the time until the check clears. But where this film is thin on character, its pace and energy hold your attention right through the thrilling rescue mission. 3/5

The Concorde… Airport ‘79

Some franchises should be left to die lest they become their own parody. Sadly, that’s where we’re at with The Concorde. George Kennedy’s Patroni becomes a leading man hero when the former mechanic specialist is promoted to full captain. In the co-pilot chair is Alain Delon, with David Warner as the navigator. Together, the three men must get a cabin full of character actors like Eddie Albert, Avery Schrieber, Charo, Jimmie ‘JJ’ Walker, and sexy stewardess Sylvia Kristel safely to Moscow when Robert Wagner launches a missile drone and two fighter jets to kill his reporter girlfriend, Susan Blakely!

So this is just… bad. But still oddly very entertaining as the effort to one-up the previous films takes the disaster survival franchise into the realm of espionage and intrigue. Alain Delon is doing his damned best, exuding all of the talent and star presence he could, but sadly, this would be his final effort to crack into major American films. George Kennedy is as amiable as ever, but it’s impossible not to laugh when he opens the cockpit window of the supersonic jet going Mach 2 to fire a flare gun out the window as Delon does barrel rolls to evade a missile strike. And that’s before he spends the night with a prostitute! The movie performed poorly with critics, and at the opening weekend box office, it was pulled and re-marketed as a comedy, playing up its unintentional silliness. Ill-conceived and strangely executed, this is high-flying, hilarious nonsense that, nonetheless, remains entertaining - if for the wrong reasons. If Airplane! The Movie and Airplane 2: The Sequel didn’t exist; Concorde… Airport ‘79 would be the funniest airplane film of them all. 2/5 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
We return our 2160p trays and seats to their full upright position as we board the thrilling follow-up Airport 1975. A two-disc 4K + Blu-ray set, the 4K version is pressed on a BD100 disc with a Region A BD50 serving the 1080p. The discs are housed in a standard black two-disc case with identical slipcover artwork.

Airport 1975 taxies onto the 2160p Dolby Vision jetway, reportedly sourced from a new scan of the 35mm negative elements. And it looks pretty damned good. I don’t think this transfer will stand the test of time as the end-all be-all of classic restorations of 50-year-old films, but considering the genuinely awful previous Blu-ray disc, this is a marked improvement!  From the hairstyles to the decor to the clothing, this film is not trying to be timeless. But those facial features, hairstyles, and clothing patterns offer plenty of clean, clear details. I was impressed that even a lot of the effects shots held up. The only slight failing in my eyes was the projected backgrounds around the open hole in the cockpit. Colors are bright and appealing. Skin tones are healthy and human. Black levels and shadows are strong throughout without any crush issues. Film grain is cleanly rendered, offering a nicely cinematic appearance for the whole smash.

Airport 1975 checks in for departure with its own set of DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. Similar to Airport, playing the 2.0 against the 5.1, it doesn’t sound like a fold-down. Again, audio elements that appear in the surrounds of the 5.1 are present in the 2.0 track. But like the first film, I have to tip my hat towards the 5.1 mix. Especially when the big action setpieces settle in like the airplane impact or when Charlton Heston repels into the cockpit, that blend of dialog, score, whining engines, and whipping winds is a nice effect. But, if you want to go for the 2.0 option, that’s a nice contender too.

Just as thin for bonus features, Airport 1975 takes off with a great commentary track and little else. If you’ve heard Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson in action together before, you know what to expect - a ton of relevant trivia and interesting information intermixed with a healthy dose of fan appreciation and enjoyment.

• Audio Commentary featuring Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson 
• Trailer

One good turn deserves another, especially when there are so many films and series aping your game. Airport 1975 might not be a necessary or even a great sequel, but on its own, it’s an exciting sky-high survival adventure with another cast of screen gems and contemporary favorites. Following its predecessor on 2160p, the Dolby Vision transfer is often an impressive effort. As these films have never been treated very well on home video, this is easily the best we’ve seen this one on disc or any other medium. Completing the package, we get another strong pair of audio tracks. Again, bonus features aren’t plentiful, but the commentary is an engaging, entertaining listen. Recommended