Macho, sometimes unintentionally campy Vietnam flick from self-proclaimed "Zen fascist" John Milius. The Naval Bomber A-6 "Intruder," a title card informs us, could fly at treetop level in any weather and possessed no defensive weapons. Given that ominous description, the film takes us
to the naval cruiser commanded by Commander Frank Camparelli (Danny Glover) a by-the-book, benevolent despot, who has to deal with the emotional loss to Lieutenant Jake Grafton (Brad Johnson) of his flight partner, killed by ground fire on a futile raid by Intruders, a raid selected, not by the
military experts, but by the politicians. Jake is morose about the death and when the cocky and professional Virgil Cole (Willem Dafoe) arrives, Jake hints to him that he would like to raid a SAM installation in Hanoi--an installation designated off-limits by the American government for fear the
bombing of Hanoi would affect the Paris peace talks. Bombing and bonding ensue.
The films of John Milius (THE WIND AND THE LION, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, RED DAWN, FAREWELL TO THE KING) exhibit a lunk-headed 50s conservatism tinged by 60s psychedelia and the mix has never yet worked in Milius's favor. Milius wants to be Sam Fuller, but lacks Fuller's primeval cinematic punch.
Instead, his films come across as lumpy, strident tracts. FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER is no exception, and more plodding than most.
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