The Flight of the Phoenix
Director: Robert Aldrich
Year Released: 1965
Rating: 2.0
Action yarn about a group of men who crash in the desert and have to rebuild a new plane from the parts of the old one - lucky for them, there's a German plane designer on board (don't take off without one!). Although it came out two years after The Great Escape, I was reminded of that film - maybe it's the presence of Sir Richard Attenborough - and I found myself to be less intrigued by the struggles of these men than those escaping from prison camp in the Sturges film. It's quite evident from the beginning that they'd somehow survive so the arguments that develop between the men don't always ring true. Some people really like this, but there are several other big-budget adventures I'd much rather re-watch.
