Franchise Flashback: Iron Eagle

Iron Eagle is probably the last movie you would think had a bunch of sequels but Hollywood actually cranked out three sequels with the only link between them being Academy Award winner Louis Gossett Jr.’s Chappy Sinclair.  Let’s strap on our cassette players and head into the wild blue yonder.

Iron Eagle (1986)- Doug Masters’ father is shot down by an unnamed Middle Eastern country and tried by their courts.  He is sentenced to death and Doug finds this unacceptable so he enlists the help of Col. Chappy Sinclair to fly with him to the country and rescue his father.  With the help of Doug’s friends, Chappy and Doug are able to acquire a pair of F-16s and head off.  Upon arriving in the country, Doug and Chappy are attacked by anti-aircraft guns and enemy jets.  Doug manages to take the jets out but Chappy is critically hit and crashes.  Doug heads on alone and blows up important facilities until the country’s head general agrees to release his father.  Doug and his father narrowly escape from the runway and get into a final dogfight with the evil general, which Doug wins.  Doug is brought before an Air Force tribunal (along with Chappy who survived the crash and was picked up by a freighter), and, although reprimanded, is admitted into the Air Force Academy and acquitted of all charges.

Iron Eagle II (1988)- Another unnamed Middle Eastern country is threatening the security of the world, this time holding the world ransom with ICBMs.  A US/Soviet task force is formed to lead an attack against the country, led by Chappy.  One of Doug’s friends, Matt Cooper, is also in the task force.  The group has to overcome technical and personal problems but they eventually come together and stop the threat.

Aces: Iron Eagle III (1992)- Chappy is enlisted by Anna, whose South American village has been taken over by drug dealers led by a former Nazi.  Chappy agrees to help but when he tries to get help from the Air Force he finds out that the general he contacts is actually the Nazi’s partner.  Chappy then goes rogue and recruits a group of older pilots and together in some vintage jets they fly to South America to stop the drug dealers.

Iron Eagle IV: On the Attack (1995)- Chappy is tasked with training a group of ragtag Air Force recruits for an upcoming aerial competition.  Chappy asks Doug to come and help him and they set about to training the pilots.  The group stumbles onto a conspiracy among a group of Air Force officers who are dealing in toxic waste.