Rating: 
Summary: Well, two of the films work!
Review: After the release of the 1980 film spoof "Airplane", one can't look at the movies in the "Airport" series without a stifled laugh.
That said, each of the films in this compilation does have some unique characteristics. The first, and arguably the best, was nothing more than a glossy airborne soap opera, the trademark of producer Ross Hunter. Based on the extremely popular book of the same name, the film had all the trappings of a "sudser": infidelity, histrionics, cliffhanging tension, over-the-top acting, stoic heroes, and a little old lady in the form of an Oscar-winning performance from theater matron Helen Hayes. Although the film was released in 1970, it seemed more of a 60's film, especially with the casting of one of that decade's infamous "Rat Pack": Dean Martin as the swinging pilot having an affair with stewardess Jacqueline Bisset.
My RATING for "Airport": 4.5 Stars
After the box office success of the first film, Universal decided that "once was not enough" and brought out the first sequel in the form of "Airport '75". The casting of Charlton Heston was somewhat obvious. Who better than the man that played "Ben-Hur" and "Moses" could helm the ill-fated plane in this film!!! Two legends of Hollywood's Golden Age, Myrna Loy and Gloria Swanson were among the passengers of the all-star cast.
My RATING for "Airport '75: 3 stars
"Airport '77" owes a debt of gratitude to Irwin Allen's disaster classic "The Poseidon Adventure" in that this entry placed its passengers in peril in a submerged 747. Like its predecessors, "Airport '75" boasted a heavy-hitting cast of Oscar winners and nominees (Jack Lemmon, Brenda Vaccaro, Lee Grant, George Kennedy, Olivia de Haviland, and James Stewart). It also features a stunning crash sequence and believable heroics for the American Navy.
My RATING for "Airport '77": 3.5 stars
"Airport '79: The Concorde", the last of the films, seemed more at home on the small screen than it does on the large one. The ridiculous plot, the laughable special effects, and the cast of mostly television stars didn't improve its tele-movie appearance.
A bit of trivia: Both Robert Wagner and Susan Blakely were featured in Irwin Allen's mammoth (and much better) disaster flick "The Towering Inferno" some years earlier and had better parts.
My RATING for "Airport '79: The Concorde": 1 star
And poor George Kennedy must've been contractually obligated to appear in all four.
He should've stopped while he was ahead with Number ONE or at least ended with number THREE.
His "Petroni" in the last film could easily have fit in the aforementioned "Airplane"!
Rating:
Summary: yes, these films are awful
Review: Airport 75 is only worthwhile for Karen Black, who looks very good here for a change- tall and thin.
The 1st film was decent (like the 1st Death Wish) but the sequels are cheap attempts to cash in on audience exploitation, and the singing nun in '75 makes me quite sick to my stomach. The best of all this garbage is probably Irwin Allen's Poseiden Adventure from 1972, as the Towering Inferno should burn in hell.
Rating:
Summary: Sorry, Universal: here goes another framing problem
Review: Buyers beware: all transfers in this pack are fine (even the awful 'Airport 79' and its ridiculous special effects), except that there is a problem with 'Airport 75'. For some reason, the 2,35:1 anamorphic framing has not been properly handled, and as a result, the image retains a slight horizontal squeeze that can be really annoying: the 747's wings looks much too short, its wheels are not circular but oval, and all actors look unnaturally thin (especially Charlton Heston who looks like he could use some bodybuilding...)After all the trouble we had with the 'Back to the Future" pack, this is another fine mess from Universal...
Rating: 
Summary: Fasten your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy flight!
Review: First of all, Kudos to Amazon for the supersonic delivery, getting it into my mailbox the same day it was released! First class. Like the other reviews state the packaging is terrific, more than one would expect for a four film set at this price. If you like the disaster films of the 70's then you are already a fan of at least one of these films. Airport is "Grand Hotel in the sky" to paraphrase Pauline Kael. The transfer is terrific and I'm glad to finally get the widescreen version that my laser disc never provided (which jumped between aspect ratios as it juggled the many split-screen scenes.) The surround mix is top notch. Airport 1975 is the campiest and funniest of the three. The picture looks great but I did miss getting a surround mix of John Cacavas' stirring score. There is a trailer that Goodtimes DVD lacked. Airport '77 surprises as it forgoes camp for some terrific performances that overcome so-so dialogue. Christopher Lee sparring with Lee Grant is a highlight. The mono mix is a HUGE improvement over Goodtimes previous DVD which left the score almost inaudible. The Concorde.. Airport '79 is , well, the reason there wasn't an Airport'81. The picture quality of the transfer isn't as sharp as the other 3 films but so much better than the VHS copy. The Lalo Schifrin score sounds terrific and the tribute to the now decommmisioned Concorde adds significance to this capper to the Airport series.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Film Series
Review: Having discovered that all the AIRPORT movies were in one DVD set I was very excited about it as it is one of my favourite film series. I received them very fast considering they were imported from America. I am very pleased with them, although having read some of the reviews that were submitted I was very disappointed that so many people has criticised Airport '75 because in my opinion it was without a doubt the best of the Airport series. I thought it had a gripping story and was very suspensful with a great cast and score to back it up. I would highly recommend this movie to anyone, and is definately a worthy addition to this fantastic film series. Also to all those people who don't like the movies here is a tip, DON'T BUY IT, and leave them alone for the people who do appreciate them.
Rating: 
Summary: "Fly baaby, fly!"--Charlton Heston, "Airport 1975"
Review: Here they are in all their brazen glory, everybody's favorite cinematic whipping posts, those relics of '70's kitsch, the "Airport" films. Each of these cinematic atrocities belong in a time capsule, if for no other reason than to provide future generations with hours of unintentional laughs and the pathetic sight of some of our greatest actors at the end of their careers, attempting against all odds to maintain some dignity while prolonging the inevitable end of their careers for just one more film. Here's a brief rundown of each:
"Airport" (1970) is actually a decent and entertaining film, although it DEFINITELY did not deserve its plethora of Academy Award nominations (including Best Picture!). Burt Lancaster stars as the general manager of a Chicago airport who deals with every crisis in the book in one memorable night: a snowstorm, a disabled plane blocking the main runway, an elderly stowaway (Oscar winner Helen Hayes), his obnoxious b*tch of a wife, his lout of a brother-in-law (Dean Martin) who is also an airline pilot, neighborhood critics who want the airport shut down due to noise, his brother-in-law's pregnant girlfriend (Jacqueline Bisset), his comely assistant whom he clearly wants to bed (Jean Seberg), and oh, yes, the plane that just took off with a mad bomber (Van Heflin) on board. If you like old-fashioned, episodic, "Grand Hotel"-like soap operas with diva-like acting and melodrama-galore, you'll love this one. Unfortunately, Lancaster didn't, and called it his worst film. It's no wonder, since he's a real stiff here, and competes with a drunken-looking Martin for worst performance of the year honors. And while Hayes won the Oscar for her equally horrid performance, Maureen Stapleton, George Kennedy (as an airline troubleshooter), and Van Heflin are all excellent and the primary reasons to see the film, along with the suspenseful final 30 minutes, which are expertly helmed by writer-director George Seaton. By far the best of the series. *** (out of *****)
"Airport 1975" (1974!) Dana Andrews has a heart attack and flies his small plane into a 747, wiping out the crew and leaving cross-eyed head stewardess Karen Black to fly the plane. Unfortunately, she's flying it right into the Rocky Mountains (over Salt Lake City), so boyfriend (and ace pilot) Charlton Heston (in a horrid plaid suit and yellow turtleneck) has to attempt a daring mid-air transfer from a helicopter into the cockpit, with the help of the original film's George Kennedy, who has been promoted from chief mechanic to "Vice President of Operations." But all this drama is secondary to the real purpose of this film: to provide a dozen-or-so has-been comics and TV actors a forum to ad-lib quips and portray worthless stereotypes as if they were guest-starring on Hollywood Squares. And then there's the unforgettable sight of folk singer and feminist icon Helen Reddy in full habit as Sister Ruth, a "flying" nun who counts her beads, prays the rosary and, in the infamous camp scene classically parodied in "Airplane!", pulls out a guitar and sings inspirational folk tunes to kidney-transplant patient Linda Blair (who looks like she still hasn't recovered from "The Exorcist"). And how sad it is to see legends like Gloria Swanson, Sid Caesar and Myrna Loy playing worthless stereotypes (in Swanson's case, herself) who are so useless to the story they could have blown out the cockpit hole along with the crew and nobody would even notice. Awful, to say the least. * (out of *****)
"Airport '77" (1977) My favorite of the sequels is much-maligned as Jack Lemmon's worst movie but is actually pretty good on its own rather modest terms. Millionaire James Stewart is flying friends and family (and his valuable art collection) to Palm Beach on his plush luxury jet for the opening of his new art museum when art thieves knock out the passengers and crew with nerve gas (their co-pilot partner excepted) and fly into the Bermuda Triangle with the intention of unloading the cargo on an abandoned airstrip before the passengers awaken. Unfortunately things go awry and they crash into the ocean, sinking to the bottom (!) with the pressurized fuselage intact and not crushing since the plane is apparently built like a submarine. It's up to brave pilot Lemmon to somehow save the day by finding a way to the surface and alerting the Navy to their whereabouts. Yes, it's preposterous. Yes, there's no way a plane can stay intact against that much underwater pressure. And, yes, the cast consists of typical stereotypes (the rich b*tch, the resentful daughter, the saintly scientist, the innocent children, the concerned matron, etc.). But it still works since the cast (including Olivia de Havilland, Christopher Lee, Darrin McGavin, Brenda Vaccaro and Kathleen Quinlan) is actually pretty good and each character is actually given some purpose toward advancing the plot. Lemmon is terrific in an unusual heroic role; however, the usually reliable Lee Grant is just awful as the b*tch, who is supposedly comic relief but so nasty you'll be begging to watch her drown. And, yes, George Kennedy is back as Joe Patroni, who acts as cheerleader and sounding-board for Stewart in two brief, pointless scenes. And unlike its tacky immediate predecessor, this film actually has good special effects and is competently filmed by TV hack Jerry Jameson. **1/2 (out of *****)
Finally, there's "The Concorde--Airport '79" (1979) which is quite simply one of the absolute worst movies ever committed to celluloid. Tacky, illogically plotted, filled with pointless cameos (including Charo, in an unbelievably stupid walk-on bit), laughably written by "Forrest Gump" Oscar-winner Eric Roth (!!), and atrociously directed by TV hack David Lowell Rich, who should never have been allowed to helm a major studio effort. The plot is so stupid I won't even dignify it with an explanation, let's just say it is so illogical it's amazing noone at Universal pulled the plug before principal photography began and has plot holes so big you can fly a fleet of SSTs through them. The cast is also incredibly lame and filled with TV nonactors who are so far down on the celebrity scale they shall remain nameless. However, I do find it sad watching the wonderful actress Cicely Tyson, who should have won an Oscar for 1972's "Sounder," reduced to picking up a paycheck in this awful dreck. How sad the state of African-American roles were back then. And what can you say about a film that was initially advertised as a suspense thriller until opening night audiences laughed it off the screen, whereas it was immediately re-advertised as a "comedy"! And by the way, George Kennedy is back again as Patroni, who has gone from being a mechanic in the original to Concorde pilot in this (!) 'Nuff said
(no stars) out of *****
An additional note: Universal has remastered and restored the films and they are finally available in their original widescreen formats (the first three in 2:35:1 and part four in 1:85:1). So even if they're not great films, at least we can ridicule them in their original pristine state.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Can't I get Airport'79 as a standalone product
Review: I already have Airport, A75, and A77 individually. They are in excellant shape. I have no need to replace them. So why can't I get Airport '79 as a single package without having to replacing what does not need replaceing?
Rating:
Summary: Airport takes a nosedive!
Review: I bought this collection partially because it was recommened to me by some people at work and a good friend of mine. I Figured with the low asking price what did I have to loose, $20, thats what! This is by far the worst disaster movie I have ever seen. There is no suspense and there is really only one funny scene. When it comes to airport movies, I would recommend people stick with Airplane!. Any disaster movie made after say 1980 will have a lot more suspense and action than this.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I can't believe how bad "Airport" really is - and it received 10 oscar nominations including best picture. Helen Hayes in fact won for supporting actress. A big orchestral musical score dominates this melodrama involving pilots, passengers, and airport personnel. Much of the "drama" involves removing a plane implausibly stranded in snow near the edge of the runway. It has every cliche you could ask for (nerdy science whiz kid in fake heavy glasses, etc). And this is the best of the 4 movies? This movie actually deserves no stars, but it is one of those unusual combinations in film-making of big names, silly plot, and a technological behemoth that makes you want to see just what other schlock they can do. Luckily or unluckily, I have three more films in the series to find out. (Subsequent note: OK, I found out. The best scene of the series - George Kennedy sticking his arm out the cockpit of the Concorde (as it performs a loop) to fire a flare gun as a decoy to a heat-seeking missle. There is another scene almost as good after this, so you have even more to look forward to. A co-worker giggled when I mentioned the series to him, and then bought it from me :-) No extras unless you count trailers of the movies, which seems redundant. Very nice case and slip-jacket.
Rating:
Summary: "Airport" remains a winner 34 years later
Review: I got this over the President's Day weekend and have watched only the original. "Airport" is in anamorphic widescreen and DTS 5.1 surround sound. This one fact, on this one film, makes the pack worth its asking price. This is the movie that got them all started -- every one of the disaster flicks of the 70s. It's a classy production with a classy cast. It has a first-rate screenplay, solid production values and a superb music score by Alfred Newman (his last). In DTS, the score has never sounded better. Thoughts and feelings washed over me while watching the film: Dean Martin was a very, very good actor. He was NEVER better than when he was away from his Rat Pack cronies. Jacqueline Bissett was very lovely and affecting as Gwen, the lead stewardess. (Sad to say, there's not a young actress out there today, to my knowledge, who has the pure beauty and grace Bissett had -- or the ability to play such a role convincingly). George Kennedy was terrific. Helen Hayes was marvelous as Mrs. Ada Quonsett. It's just one of those roles and she made the most of it. However, it's Maureen Stapleton as Inez Guerrero who gives the best performance in the film -- she's heartbreakingly real and tragic. When she broke through the security barricade -- absolutely distraught and pitifully apologizing to the returning passengers for what her husband had done -- she broke my heart. Some people say they think Jean Seberg looked like Faye Dunaway, while I sat through the whole film misremembering her as Dina Merrill. Burt Lancaster was solid, if not challenged. Barbara Hale makes the most of a small part as the wife of Dean Martin who realizes she's lost her husband when she sees him leaving the airport with the EMTs and the seriously injured Gwen. Dana Wynter served up another superb performance as Burt Lancaster's bitchy wife (and with good reason was she bitchy). This film holds up extremely well. There were some cockpit sequences in the early going -- as the plane was airborne and the crew and Bissett were discussing their stowaway and the odd Mr. Guerrero -- that looked as though they might have suffered some irreversible damage. The center of the screen is well lighted but it's framed in darkness. Later cockpit shots are normal. It was nominated for a slew of Oscars. I think Hayes' Best Supporting Actress nod is the only win it had. I bought the pack for the one film. To hear Newman's score in DTS. The score is a miracle. Alfred Newman was the most significant figure in film music for three decades, as a composer, conductor and music department head. He gave many out-of-work composers their best assignments -- David Raksin and "Laura," Bernard Herrmann and "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" and "The Egyptian" and "Beneath the Twelve-Mile Reef" to cite only a few, and Hugo Friedhofer's output in the CinemaScope 50s was unparalleled. Newman was a very sick man when he began scoring "Airport," and it was to the credit of his associate, Ken Darby, and friends Friedhofer and Fred Steiner (not related to Max) that the score was finished. All thematic materials were Newman's own, and "The Airport Love Theme" is one of film music's finest creations. On top of that, it was a top 10 hit in 1970. But it's the propulsive main theme and overall dramatic underscore that give this film the guts it has -- demonstrating that when all the right elements are married together you get a major piece of entertainment. The rest of the Airports I'll watch over time.
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