Published via Ecency

(source:tmdb.org)

When the author of this review went to watch Star Wars for the first time, he was introduced to the effect hype can have on society. It materialised not only in endless queues in front of the cinema, but also in demand for George Lucas’s film outstripping the supply provided by my hometown’s theatre infrastructure. The problem, additionally worsened by the presence of experienced and well-organised ticket scalpers, was such that my friends and I quickly concluded that we lacked the patience, money, or any serious chance to watch Star Wars that day. Instead, we went to watch Sky Riders, the 1976 action thriller directed by Douglas Hickox.

The relatively simple plot begins in Athens, where the home of wealthy industrialist Jonas Bracken (played by Robert Culp) becomes the target of masked intruders who kill the staff and abduct the industrialist’s wife, Ellen (played by Susannah York), and her two children. The abductors reveal themselves to be radical leftists whose method of achieving a just society includes extorting money from rich capitalists to buy arms for violent revolution. Jonas is willing to pay the outrageous ransom, but Greek police inspector Nikolaidis (played by Charles Aznavour) appears more interested in eliminating dangerous terrorists than rescuing the hostages. Jonas receives help from Ellen’s ex-husband, Jim McCabe (played by James Coburn), a mercenary pilot with shady business connections. Using a detail in a photograph sent by the abductors, he discovers the hostages are held in an abandoned clifftop monastery, a well-guarded and almost inaccessible location. The only practical approach appears to be from the air, so McCabe contacts a group of travelling hang-gliding enthusiasts led by Ben (played by John Beck) and hires them to take part in a daring rescue mission.

Sky Riders became known for its very troubled production, which included the death of a crew member and producers having to spend months in a Greek jail. Those problems, however, don’t reflect on screen. The script is minimalistic and effective, without any unnecessary character exposition or subplots (with the possible exception of Nikolaidis’s unfortunate nephew), and disciplined direction by Douglas Hickox keeps the film under 90 minutes. The main actors are solid but leave less of an impression than veteran character actors Harry Andrews and Kenneth Griffith in small roles as McCabe’s shady friends. The film also features quite impressive aerial photography, good use of the locations in Meteora (later used in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only), a good soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin, and some impressive stunt work, which included James Coburn himself. Some scenes are disappointing, namely the night landing, which uses the annoying “day for night” technique that renders everything confusing, and the finale features a spectacular but overlong and repetitive gun battle. Despite that, Sky Riders can be recommended as a good action film and an even better alternative to today’s Hollywood blockbusters than those of many decades ago.

RATING: 6/10 (++)