Rating: 
Summary: One of Jimmy Stewart's All-Time Greatest
Review: Ask folks to list five Jimmy Stewart films, and (if they can) most likely you'll get at least three of these: "It's a Wonderful Life", "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington", "Philadelphia Story", "Harvey", or the Hitchcock masterpieces "Vertigo" and "Rear Window". All great films, all worthy of attention (and purchase), and without a doubt, all deserving of the popularity they enjoy."The Flight of the Phoenix", though lesser known, is no less deserving of a top 10 (or even top 5) spot on any list of Stewart's all time best films. Stewart turns in one of his most brilliant performances in this movie, with his portrayal of the rough-around-the-edges pilot Frank Towns. Gritty, unpolished and real, Stewart's Towns shines in stark atypical contrast to his usual "All American Guy" roles, and cowboy heroes. Casual Stewart fans, or those who have only seen his Frank Cappra stuff, can look forward to a whole new side of Stewart in this adventure. A tense, exciting and captivating story, as well as a fantastic supporting cast (Richard Attenborough, Ernest Borgnine, and George Kennedy co-star) make this a must-see on many different levels. I am a HUGE Jimmy Stewart fan, I've seen over 30 of his pictures, and "The Flight of the Phoenix" easily lands in the top five on my list of favorite Stewart films. Other must see Stewart movies you may not have heard of: "Anatomy of a Murder" (brilliant!), "You Can't Take it With You", "Rope", and "Call Northside 777" - that's not the rest of my top 5, by the way - it's just a list of recommendations for your viewing pleasure! - S.A. Smith
Rating: 
Summary: Watchable adventure
Review: At almost two and a half hours, Aldrich's desert-bound drama is a little overlong, but a good cast and regular points of interest compensate. James Stewart stars as an ageing pilot who crashes a plane in the desert and must, with his dozen or so fellow passengers, find a way to escape. Help comes from an unlikely source, a German engineer played by Hardy Kruger, who sets about building a second plane from the remains of the first. It was a mild stroke of genius to have Stewart, the all-American, ever-triumphing homeboy, in the role of a dilapidated pilot who must concede failure and let himself be upstaged by a German. In post-WWII America, this is a kind of subversive statement on America's collective ego, in contrast with comparable films of the same era, such as, say The Great Escape, where Steve McQueen's cool, macho persona is a far cry from Stewart's prideful, impotent character. There are several memorable moments provided by an eminently interesting cast, including Peter Finch, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Attenborough and Ronald Fraser. The epic finale is fantastic; retired stunt pilot Paul Manz died while filming it, and the film is dedicated to him. (Oh, and, as an aside, the film reminded me somewhat of another of my favourites, Ice Cold in Alex, in which John Mills treks across the Egyptian desert with his men in search of a cold beer. In Aldrich's film, Attenborough is heard to comment, "The only thing wrong with this country is there aren't enough pubs!" What is it with Englishmen stuck in the desert and their insatiable thirst for beer?)
Rating:
Summary: GREAT CAST...great adventure
Review: One of the great adventure movies of all time. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been remade...it's a perfect little movie. Basically, we see the trevails of the survivors of a plane crash into the dunes of the Sahara. Their quest to find a way out is only part of the adventure...the human quarrels and intersecting interests are just as fascinating. The movie has a slightly dated "manly" feel...there are no women, but it isn't a "tough guy" movie, a la, THE DIRTY DOZEN, let's say. These are military men, mostly, each with his own idea of how to escape. How all these efforts play out is at the heart of the movie. Everyone is very good. Richard Attenborough is very good, and Peter Finch even better. What a underrated actor he was. He is certainly someone who should have had more work. Hardy Kruger is very fine...and his character holds the key to possible escape (and a VERY BIG humdinger of a surprise too!!). And James Stewart is at the top of his game. We so often remember him in romantic comedies like PHILADELPHIA STORY, and impersonators have done him no favors with their stammering, slightly dim-witted approach. When he was a mature actor (not an older, more feeble man)he could be very strong, and very unlikeable if need be. This is one of those roles. He is a convincing tough guy...not just a bland hero, but a hard-headed, sometimes wrong, leader. I put this right near the top of my Jimmy Stewart list. If you haven't seen this movie, and you are an adult viewer who doesn't require lots and lots of noise and special-effects to have a good time...you MUST see this film. It is a nearly forgotten classic, in my estimation, and one that bears up very well with repeated viewings.
Rating:
Summary: Intense and unforgettable!
Review: James Stewart stars as a grizzled, washed-up pilot reduced to flying a broken-down shuttle plane in Arabia. His copilot, well played by Richard Attenborough, is a loser with a drinking problem. The memorable passengers include Ernest Borgnine as a retarded man, Peter Finch as a by-the-books British officer, and, my favorite, Hardy Kruger as an airplane designer who has, it turns out, never worked on "the real thing."
Their short flight runs into trouble when they crash land in the middle of nowhere. Together they face the hardships of surviving the heat and dealing with each other, until they come up with a plan to rebuild the plane and make it fly again. All of the actors are outstanding. The film is an emotionally charged celebration of the human spirit. Top-notch family entertainment!
Rating: 
Summary: Flight got shortened
Review: I had seen this movie probably half a dozen times over the years, and had always loved it. When it finally came out on DVD this year, I had to get it, but was VERY disappointed when I watched the DVD. As I was watching it, I kept saying to myself "this doesn't seem right"....and then I realized that there were quite a few shortened and even missing scenes from the original. Some of the missing scenes are quite significant. There is a scene where the group is moving the wing with the pulleys, and Capt. Towns stops them for no good reason, just to show that he is in charge. The whole scene where Towns and Dorfman have a silent standoff is missing, leading up to Dorfman asking the whole group "who is in authority here". I can go on and on with missing or shortened scenes. Very disappointing to me.I have read 35 other reviews and no one else has mentioned the shortened scenes. I am going to purchase the old VHS, to see the original version.
Rating:
Summary: A forgotten classic?
Review: I've seen this movie maybe half a dozen times and I'm pretty sure each time was a Sunday afternoon when I should have been doing homework. I think I made the right choice! A decent cast for this movie, set in the unbearable heat of the central Sahara desert. Plane crashes and there is seemingly no way out. Someone has the idea of cannibalising the damaged plane to build another airplane to get them out of there as the only other way out is to walk and the surrounding natives are none too friendly. The design of the plane is undertaken by Hardy Kruger, who claims to have designed airplanes before. Unfortunately the only designs he has done are for children's model planes. Nevertheless, Attenborough, Stewart and the gang dig deep and finally make something flyable. But do they have enough cartridges to get the engines started? Watch and find out. A gripping movie suitable for most ages.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Being a Jimmy Stewart fan and having read the other online reviews, I purchased this DVD. I was disappointed mostly because of the language and the "fantasy" scene that one of the men experienced. It may have been more realistic to have that stuff in a movie of men in a plane crash, but I didn't appreciate it and wish I had been aware of that before I bought it. In my opinion, the story wasn't as good as other James Stewart films.
Rating:
Summary: Unhappy Landings !
Review: I'm sure that many movie buffs will remember this fine, suspenseful thriller from the 60s. Jimmy Stewart is flying a cargo plane with an interesting assortment of male passengers across the Sahara desert, and he decides to battle through an oncoming sandstorm. The sandstorm wins ! The plane crash-lands in an ocean of sand--not without casualty--and our heroes are stranded, with limited supplies, under a brutal sun. The men waste several precious days on the assumption that help is on the way. They eventually realise that survival will depend on their own resilience and ingenuity. Of course, we have one of the finest American actors in the lead, but Mr. Stewart is ably supported by a blue-chip international cast, including Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, Hardy Kruger, Ernest Borgnine and Ian Bannen. As the sun gets hotter and with no rescue party in sight, this unfortunate group displays all of the human qualities that arise in desperate situations--resentment, fear, arrogance, assignment of blame, madness, cowardice and courage. Richard Attenborough is the sensible voice of reason and compromise, which makes the scene where he finally "loses it", even more compelling. Peter Finch is the typical British "stiff upper lip " officer--stubborn and brave-- though I doubt that this role was much of a challenge to such a talented actor. Ernest Borgnine gets to chew up a little scenery as a guy who is pretty unhinged even before the plane crash--that blazing sun doesn't do him any good at all ! Well--it's 1965 and you need someone to play a brainy, cold, arrogant German--Hardy Kruger, come on down ! The other actors are excellent--Ian Bannen, in particular, is effective as a guy who would get under your skin even at the North Pole ! As another reviwer has noted, the film is perhaps longer than it needs to be, although it does give the characters plenty of time to interact with one another, and display the psychological aspects of the plot. After a while, you--the viewer--will also start to feel that oppressive heat and sand, and the tension of being trapped in this hell-on-earth. I can't really comment on the feasibility of the plan that Hardy Kruger's character comes up with to save everyone--I'm not an aeronautical engineer ! It certainly gives the film an exciting climax though. I found the DVD picture to be beautiful--the sound typical for an almost 40-year old film. "Phoenix" gave Jimmy Stewart another great role, later in his career, and with the supporting cast--and a liberal amount of suspense--this nice DVD could appeal to a variety of viewing tastes. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: I've seen this a score of times since it was released in 1965. I've enjoyed it every time. You can't go wrong with this one.
Rating:
Summary: A Soaring Moment in Filming making History...
Review: Currently I have around about 280 odd DVD's in my collection.
All films of which I know I can watch again and again and be
thoroughly entertained, all the time.
I knew of the pending arrival of "The Flight of the Phoenix" 6 months before it's release, I don't have a copy as yet, waiting to see if it's released here in Australia for zone 4 in Pal format, suffice to say that it will be part of the library soon!...and as already mentioned in, I think about 3 previous reviews, it is the scene in which Richard Attenborough starts to laugh which gradually changes to an hysterical cry that gets me all the time, arr to be an Actor!
This is a Good film in every respect, I can't wait to see it again.....
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