Air America (Blu-ray Review)

December 8th, 2009 Blu-ray-au

Air America (Blu-ray Review)

?So we’ll sit back and we’ll do what we do best. We fly.”

A few weeks ago, I interviewed a Vietnam War veteran for a magazine article I was writing on, of all
things, Civil War reenactors. While our conversation initially circled around his long-time hobby?
donning a Union officer?s uniform and educating school kids?the topic unexpectedly turned to the
ingloriousness of war. This gentleman was especially miffed because, as part of a unit on active duty
in Laos, where, to this day, the government denies ever sending combat troops, the sacrifices …

Video

Air America takes to the wild, Blu-ray yonder with a bright and colorful 1080p/AVC-
encoded transfer, framed in the film?s original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. There?s just something about
the quality of the image here?the film stock used, the colors, the cinematography?that smacks
of late 1980s, big-budget action flicks, which is exactly what Air America is. That the film
was shot in Thailand certainly adds some color, from the lush and verdant jungle foliage to the
multi-hued a…

Audio

Lionsgate doles out another of its characteristic DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround tracks, and
while Air America?s sound design isn?t as raucous and accurate as what you might hear in a
similar film today, few will be disappointed by this mix. As expected of a 7.1 track, Air
America offers near constant engagement by the surround speakers, even if it?s just for
ambience, like Laotian city sounds, crickets in the jungle, or rain beating down all around. There are
a number …

Supplements

Audio Commentary with Co-Writer/Producer John Eskow
Eskow gives a laconic but insightful track, detailing some of the logical nightmares inherent in the
production, and giving his own opinions on the CIA’s involvement in Laos and Cambodia. He’s full
of stories and bits of trivia?the prostitutes in the film were real prozzies?and he’s got something
nice to say about everyone involved. A decent track, overall.

Return Flight: Revisiting Air America (SD, 22:03)…

Final Words

While not nearly as effective as other war satires, Air America is at least a moderately
entertaining buddy comedy that pairs Mel Gibson?s all-smiles charisma with the boundless energy of
then-young Robert Downey, Jr. The film gets a satisfying treatment on Blu-ray?sporting a lossless
7.1 audio track and excellent picture quality?so if you?re a fan of the film, you?ll definitely be
pleased here. If you?re a late 80s, early 90s action buff, I can see this being a worthy addition to……

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