The earlier reviewer who said that Starflight (or as my video copy is titled, Starflight One) should have been called Airport '83 hit the nail on the head. This is very much an Airport style disaster movie, albeit one with pretty decent effects (for a TV movie from 1983!) and a very original storyline. Its not great by any stretch of the imagination, but I found it to be a diverting way to spend 2 hours, and that is all I asked from it. I liked Lee Majors, and Hal Linden, but the rest of the cast was lacking. Dykstra's effects are very good for the most part, and I really enjoyed his model work and motion control shots -- very nice especially considering they were crafted for the small screen. If you like Airport and its sequels (as I do),then this hard to find TV movie is worth checking out.
Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land
1983
Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land
1983
Action / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Keywords: space shuttleairplane accident
Plot summary
This is the story of Starflight One, the world's first "hypersonic" plane, which flies faster and higher than any other commercial jet. On the night of its maiden flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, a freak accident incolving an unauthorized rocket launch sends Starflight One out of the atmosphere and into a decaying orbit around the Earth. With no heat shielding and limited oxygen, it is up to the bravery of the crew and the ingenuity of N.A.S.A. and the plane's designers to save the passengers trapped on-board.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Good TV Movie version of an Airport film
I can admit that I still enjoy this made for TV movie.
When I saw this film during it's first airing back in 1983, at the age of 14, I thought it was a good movie. It had one of my favorite actors, Lee, the Six-Million Dollar Man, Majors in it. My generation also grew up on disaster films and this movie carried on the torch. Actually it is probably one of the last of the 70'ish type disaster movies. The plot, IMO, closely resembled that of AIRPORT-77, only this plane was stranded in space instead of underwater in the ocean.
I, especially now as an adult, can see why people may dislike this film. Although this film is supposed to be realistic it is about as realistic as and child's fairy tale. You know what, I don't care. I still enjoy this film. I don't watch a film like this for the real life science and technology. I watch it for fun and take the science and technology about as seriously as I do that of a Star Trek film or show.
Chezzy films may not be for everyone but for those that don't mind a little cheese this film will probably be worth viewing, at least once.
"Kill the burn, Cody. Kill the burn."
Made-for-TV hokum, in the tradition of the fun Airport films, with an "all-star" cast playing the usual group of strangers with soap opera issues who board a fancy new rocket-powered hypersonic plane on its maiden flight. All hell breaks loose and the plane is knocked into space! NASA comes to the rescue. Really dumb and never as much fun as you would hope. It's actually pretty dull, which is unforgivable given the absurd premise that begs to be mocked. Cast includes Lee Majors, Lauren Hutton, Ray Milland, Hal Linden, Tess Harper, Heather McAdam, Terry Kiser, and Phil from Murphy Brown. Robert Englund has a bit part. John Dykstra's special effects are good, particularly by TV standards. That's about the best thing I can say about this. I wish it was more fun.