Customer Reviews

Mercy Mission/Nowhere to Land

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I saw this film quite accidentally one evening while channel surfing and became engrossed in the story almost immediately. It is a disarmingly entertaining tale about a pilot who becomes lost over the Pacific Ocean in his small plane and seems certain to die as his plane is running out of fuel. His only hope is a resourceful and determined Air New Zealand commercial pilot who happens onto the unfolding drama, along with his planeload of passengers. The commercial pilot has to convince the Cessna pilot not to give up when everything looks hopeless and, at the same time, convince skeptical passengers that this is an effort worth taking a risk on. Overall, the story is gripping and highly entertaining. The final outcome is very inspiring and the movie as a whole provides a great message about what great and moral leadership is all about. A film you will want to watch with your children over and over.

Being a single-engine airplane pilot myself, I first saw this film quite a few years ago and was very impressed at the realism of the story. This was basically due to the fact that I almost got into a situation of final loss in the middle of the jungle in Brasil. After seeing the film I knew it was a true story, and could feel the tightening around the heart that this pilot must have felt. Very good story! very good film! I highly recommend it!

I have been awaiting this to come out on dvd for a while now. It stars Robert Loggia and Scott Bakula. Bakula is flying a single engine plane to another destination in the blackness of night over the ocean. He then encounters some problems with his plane and Loggia, who is Captain of a jet liner, offers his help. Won't say how it ends. This is an excellent tv movie that is full of suspense and tension. I highly recommend it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. My 5-star rating is based on the quality of it being a tv movie. You don't find many like this one. Not sure if I have seen "Nowhere To Land" so I won't rate that one.
By The Way: These are not Widescreen, they are Full Screen TV movies.

This is a true story of how a pilot ferrying a single engine cropduster across the ocean, was saved by the help of a pilot in a passing airliner. Finding the location of the lost pilot is a lesson in science. It's a heartwarming family movie.

This DVD duo shares the common framework of AIRPLANES but unlike many of its predecessors it does not merely focus on the traditional disaster "airport" prototype. Mercy Mission is actually based on a true story and as you watch you will become immersed into the real life drama. Robert Loggia gives a powerful performance and the story focuses on the human spirit and lessons learned rather than technology and special effects. The other movie on the disc, Nowehere to Land, is more like the traditional disaster movie but the acting of Jack Wagner and the intricate storyline make this one just as equally pleasing to watch. So, make sure that your tray tables are closed and in their upright position and get ready to watch some riveting "air" drama movies.

I'm a huge Scott Bakula fan, so Scott was the initial attraction for me. To be honest though , I had no idea whether or not I would enjoy this particular movie - although after reading other reviewer's comments and knowing that the price I was spending was very reasonable, I figured the chances were pretty good that I would not be disappointed. Needless to say, both actors gave a very convincing and moving performance. Based on a true story, Robert Loggia plays a commercial airline pilot who is flying a passenger loaded plane on an overseas flight. Scott Bakula also plays a pilot, but one who is flying a smaller craft - also overseas - to a buyer. In sum, the smaller craft loses it's way and is lost somewhere in the middle of nowhere, with a tired pilot and a limited amount of fuel. The young pilot manages to contact air traffic control and is then hooked up with the much larger commercial airline. With permission from the passengers the pilot of the larger plane sets out to locate the smaller craft and assist the pilot in finding his way to the airport. There are some tense moments when it seems more and more unlikely that this mission will be a successful one, which should keep viewers glued to the screen. My favorite element of this film however is the relationship that is formed between the two pilots. The older pilot (Robert Loggia) refuses to let the younger pilot (Scott Bakula) give up - even when the situation becomes a dire one as the younger pilot is exhausted and running out of fuel. I wont give away the ending - although most can probably predict - but it is a rewarding one. As T.V. movies go this one is much better than average and it's a very inspiring story that the whole family can enjoy. I would highly recommend it to everyone!!!

Please note that I am only reviewing this DVD for the film MERCY MISSION. I have been wanting this movie on professional DVD for some years now, having relied on a VHS copy for so many years. This has been a Christmas favorite at our home since it was broadcast on NBC. However, don't worry, it doesn't contain cute elves, warm Santas, or bathotic family reunions; it just takes place at Christmas.

Jay Parkins is a young pilot to whom flying takes first place, even to his responsibilities at home and his pregnant wife. After he's fired from a job for deliberately annoying the client, he and a fellow pilot agree to fly two crop dusting planes to Norfolk Island, deep in the Pacific Ocean. The plane his friend is flying malfunctions as they leave Pago Pago, but Jay continues, knowing he will need the fee for ferrying the plane when his son is born. Unfortunately his navigation equipment fouls, leaving him with no idea where he is, alone with the vast Pacific below. A nearby Air New Zealand commercial flight offers to help find him.

If this all sounds tedious, it isn't. Scott Bakula as Parkins and Robert Loggia as senior Air New Zealand pilot Gordon Vette brilliantly carry this tense film, as Vette uses all his aviation wiles to locate Parkins' tiny plane, and both men form an emotional bond via anxious radio calls. Supporting characters such as Vette's cockpit crew, the head stewardess, Parkins' flying partner, and a planeful of New Zealanders returning from holiday all enhance the story and the tension until the gripping conclusion. If you like good character pieces this film is highly recommended; aviation buffs will probably love it, too.

This DVD is very, very good! Two films about airplane stories and one inspired in real life!
My favourite is "Mercy Mission" where Scott Bakula and the veteran Robert Loggia are great! Scott is the pilot of a small airplane lost in the Pacific Ocean who is helped to safely land by a commercial airline senior pilot. It is really touching. Watch it if you have not done it yet. It's marvelous!! The second film is not as wonderful as the first one but is worth seeing, indeed. "Nowhere to land" is the story of of a flight from Australia to the USA where a maniac ex-husband of one of the passengers hides a gas bomb inside the plane and cowardly leaves the aircraft before it takes off. The fight of the pilot and co-pilot to take the plane safely to land in LA before the gas spreads all over is what makes us watching this good film up to the very end!

I got this for my husband for Christmas. He had not seen it for a long time. He watched parts on t.v. He likes having his own copy and really enjoyed both movies.

I missed the first part when it was on the PBS channel so I bought it. I really liked the story, real edge of your seat movie. I like the plane crash genre, the second movie on this is good.