Customer Reviews

Active Stealth [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"Active Stealth" is a story of "US Army Rangers" on counterdrug and hostage rescue missions in Central America; plausible Ranger missions. It goes terribly awry from there with more than the usual howlers for a straight-to-video action flick. "Rangers" assault targets in broad daylight, with no suppressive fire, no body armor and no face camoflauge-it was obvious few of the actors had experience with M16s/AKMs/Berettas. Firefights ensue with 2000rds being expended at a range of 50 meters or so, with almost no casualties-to both sides. After this mission, where for the first time since Norris' "Delta Force" in the '80s we find actors who need haircuts, we meet the characters in "Company C" (only 4 though, apparently the other 100+ folks and A,B and D Companies are on leave..it's ALWAYS Company C in these movies). Colonel Williamson, who also needs a haircut and moustache trim, assigns Company C to a Stealth fighter that can hold about 4 people behind the pilot-not unlike "Executive Decision". The plan is insert Company C, rescue a guy left behind, blow stuff up and escape. Two ARMY pilots are sent off to a carrier to fly an F14 for top cover, presumably to take advantage of ample stock carrier footage. The F117 static for the loading scenes is actually a pretty good model of an actual F117. Also, stock footage of F117 ops are matched closely with shots of the mockup. The HUDs in the air-air scenes are fairly realistic-much more so than in Iron Eagle-faint praise indeed. Uniforms look well researched. Rank is correctly placed and the ribbons appear to be in the right sequence (yes, costume designers there IS an order to how ribbons are placed and it doesn't take much research to get it right); BDUs (fatigues) have too many Ranger tabs-1 per shoulder has always been found to be sufficient.

The good points, yeah there are some, are two: I originally got this DVD when I saw that Ms Ava Fabian had a part in the movie. (I had the pleasure of playing beach volleyball with her in a Pro_Am tourney many years ago. One of her expressions of disgust in the flick reminded me of a look I got when she set me up for a spike, which I promptly put in the net. But I digress.) She acquits herself well here, given her small, uncredited part, and is so mentioned by the director in his commentary, the other good part. The commentary is definitely more interesting than the movie, as he explains exactly what financial and time constraints he was under-and even points out some howlers of his own.

Worth renting on Dollar-night for the director's commentary, and if you're a fan of Ava Fabian, for her pretty good performance. My DVD says it's rated "R". Might be hype to sell DVDs-there's nothing in this over say, PG-13.

What is wrong with you people talking bad about this movie? It is a touching story about a band of unlikely heroes, manly men undoubtedly (witness Chiccio's casual pipe smoking in the heat of battle) but perhaps a little over the hill for such intense action as they're engaging in here. None the less, all give some and SOME GIVE ALL in the name freedom, standing true to their values and never giving in, even when faced by the treacherous treachery of a higher-up (which I think is to this day a starkly evocative metaphor for America-hating liberals, who would turn over this country to the terrorists if it meant men could marry other men.) Frankly, it makes me feel proud to be an American, and was inspired enough by it to put two more yellow ribbons on my 2003 Ford Excursion. And to those of you who question the military accuracy of the film, DUH, IT WAS ON PURPOSE. If they went in there with body armor, face paint, and "accurate" weaponry weilded professionally, OF COURSE the enemy would know it was the US Army Rangers! By not using standard field equipment and tactics, they were able to maintain the cover that such covert operations require. You East-Coast-College-Educated morons should grow brains instead of pot and try thinking tactically a little bit.

Active Stealth is a standard search and rescue B programmer with Daniel Baldwin and Fred Williamson. The film also features August 1986 Playboy Playmate Ava Fabian in a supporting role. Lots of gun battles and some decent aerial footage with the Stealth and other aircraft can be found throughout the film. Great commentary by director Fred Olen Ray. The packaging mentions a trailer, but there is no trailer included.

The budget for this movie obviously didn't include any technical advisors. This might have made for some enjoyable fare if there weren't so many obvious technical goofs and downright stupid plot points. Examples: An army pilot is carrier qualified to fly the F-14. Battle sequences that any Quake player could execute better. An F-117A with a cargo bay to carry passengers! There are many more, but I think you get the point.

This movie is for someone who has absolutely no knowledge of the real world. I can usually suspend belief if the story is any good, but this one just stinks!

Daniel Baldwin, I hope you don't include this turd on your resume because it's a career killer!

ACTIVE STEALTH stars Daniel Baldwin, Fred Williamson, and Hannes Jaenicke (sp.?) in a standard rescue-mission action flick. Soldiers fly in a "modified" Stealth fighter to save their comrade, held prisoner by a Central American drug lord. Watching the DVD the first time, the movie held my interest, and I thought it was average fare--entertaining but not memorable.

I watched the DVD again with commentary by director Fred Olen Ray, and it was a blast. Ray is a hoot. His comments give all kinds of insight into how the movie was made. He introduces actors, and explains how shots are usually set up and executed. He explains special effects. Ray tells what it cost to rent the plane, and how the crew created "smoke" blowing past the actors in a few scenes (a worker blowing pipe smoke at them, actually).

Throughout the commentary, Fred is entertaining. If you've ever wondered how a B-movie gets made, ACTIVE STEALTH is for you.

I give the movie 3 stars, and the DVD 5 stars. Split the difference, and the ACTIVE STEALTH DVD gets 4 stars.

This movie was a real loser. It is so innaccurate. "Rangers assulting a target in broad daylight with standard issue M-16's an M9's with no silencers or scopes. Most Rangers would use an M-4 or an MP5. No face paint, no stealth at all. Also, what Army unit flys a news crew style helicopter to pickup Rangers in the middle of South America? It should have been a Blackhwawk or a Huey gunship with AH-64 Apache air support.
The capabibility to shoot of these "Rangers" is terrible too. At little more than 100 feet they empty an entire clip and hit nothing but air.
The worst part of the movie was Army pilots flying an Air Force F-117 TWO SEATER WITH A CARGO BAY? NO NO NO!! It is a 1 man AIR FORCE, stealth bomber. Also Army pilots "carrier qualified" and F-14 qualified? No.
No. This movie was terrible, do not rent or buy it.

I have this movie, and found it to be very watchable. I knew it would be something that my mother would like, so ordered a used copy for her. I haven't heard any feedback from her yet. She did receive very fast shipping on it, and it arrived in good shape.

It's funny...in this movie, the stealth fighter plane is hardly used or involved at all, until the very ending. Aside from that, you get a pretty standard macho heroic action movie that tries to throw in a few twists to give it some margin of originality. Those twists are fairly predictable however, but they don't actually spoil the movie. You have to remember, this is a Fred Olen Ray movie and you get cheesy effects, standard plot and acting, and the good guys winning at the end. It's harmless and actually entertaining in its mediocrity. Where else can you get an A-list of B-movie actors: Daniel Baldwin, Chick Vennera, Hannes Jaenicke, Shannon Whirry, Tim Abell, Terry Funk, Fred Williamson and Andrew Stevens! Lisa Vidal is effective as the rebel Maria and Ava Fabian is so bad as Williamson's aide, I loved her. An effective time waster.

First of all, the movie/plot description on the DVD clamshell is so inaccurate that I wondered if I had received the wrong DVD. Example: The plot description states that a new Army (?) Stealth aircraft" has been stolen, so some special forces rangers are to lead an AH-64 Apache Squadron to bring the Stealth back to U.S. hands. Fine. BUT, there were NO AH-64's in the movie at all. AND, since when does the Army develop fixed-wing aircraft these days? Rangers in dire need of haircuts with no body armour going into battle? USAF/Army pilots that are carrier qualified to fly F-14s?
This movie is so technically inaccurate that it was frustrating. Very rarely do you see any of the actors (good or bad) actually aim there weapons when firing. Horrible acting, horrible technical advising (if there was any), lousy plot...I can go on and on. WARNING!: Don't be fooled by the DVD cover!!!!

What were these people thinking. As far as I am concerend 1 star is too many stars this movie does not even deserve a point on of a star. The movie is very unrealistic. First of all there is no way the Air Force would let any Lt. Fly the F-117, let alone an army Lt. And in this movie an Army Lt. is an expert on flying this bird. I'm sorry it would never happen. The Army is not even allowed to fly fixed wing aircraft. they are limited to Helocopters. Please no one buy this it is extremely bad!!!!!!!!