Airport – Review

Ah, the hustling and bustling airport, everyone’s favorite place to be. On a wintry night in December at the fictional Lincoln International Airport near Chicago, the worst storm in six years hits, and runways are cleared of ice so planes can attempt to land. Air traffic control changes open runways after one plane skids off into the snow after touch down. This shuts of runway two-niner.

Airport GM Mel Bakersfeld (Lancaster) scrambles to get up to speed. The off-runway plane is cleared from people and crews work to free the aircraft. Despite the snow, this is regular business. Mel calls in crew boss Joe Patroni (Kennedy) to help with the emergencies. Meanwhile, a flood of characters are introduced: pilots, stewardesses, and travelers alike. It is mostly a typical travel day, besides the extreme weather. There are stowaways, noise protesters, hidden romances and usual life dramas.

But… eventually a new disaster hits. There is a potential emergency in the sky, as a disgruntled man D.O. Guerrero (Heflin) wants to explode a plane. This turns the drama and the heat up to 11! Too bad it doesn’t melt the snow.

Based on a novel, Airport presents itself as both slice of life drama as well as disaster thriller. It may be a bit slow compared to modern pictures, but it has a nice cadence and flow which is easy to get absorbed into. The enormous cast of famous and seasoned actors help give it credence. Come fly the friendly skies, and try to avoid explosions and dramatic runway troubles!

The film was successful enough to spawn three sequels; however, I have not seen any of them.