Movie Review: Aurora: Operation Intercept

Aurora: Operation Intercept

Starring: Bruce Payne , Natalya Andreychenko, Lance Henriksen, John Stockwell, Michael Champion, Dennis Christopher, Corbin Bernsen, Curt Lowens, Corinne Bohrer, John Prosky, Jon Chardiet, Paul Eisenhauer, Kay Gerhard, Dean Howell, Katherine Moffat, Rick Scarry, Kevin Contreras, Daryl Keith Roach, Tucker Smallwood, Phillip Stewart, Jackie Kallberg, Spencer Newberg

Director: Paul Levine

Trimark Pictures, Hess/Kallberg Productions, USA, 1995.

Francesca Zaborszin's (Natalya Andreychenko) scientist father (Curt Lowens) is murdered. Three years later a passenger plane (with pilot Corbin Bernsen) crashes after losing its power. Gordon Pruett (Bruce Payne, just noticed that he also played blue-lipped villain in Dungeons & Dragons) is going on vacation with his wife Sharon (Corinne Bohrer) and kids. Vacation can wait because Gordon and friend Andy Aldrich (John Stockwell) are called into service. Defense Secretary Stenghel (Lance Henriksen) welcomes them to Groom Lake base (Area 51!)

Francesca Zaborszin

Gordon Pruett and Sharon

Defense Secretary Stenghel

Francesca is blaming the USA for the murder of her father. She is destroying airplanes until the government admits the guilt. Dr Zaborskin was working on elecromagnetic pulse weapon project. Now Francesca has the weapon and the pilots must destroy it using Aurora-2 plane. Aurora-1 was captured by Francesca along with pilot Warren (Dean Howell).

Hottest hot in technology

Aurora

Stenghel's plan is working but Francesca forces Gordon and Andy down also. They get captured and must escape the bad dudes. Gordon must also save his family because Francesca threatens to destroy their plane. However CIA has duped both Gordon and Francesca. 

Victor and Johann

Secret stash of Aurora planes

The movie's offers some decent low budget action. The villain henchmen are very "Die Hard"- style with lots of regular mooks and two harder enemies Victor (Dennis Christopher) and Johann (Michael Champion). Plot has some silly moments and some of the flight scenes are poorly animated but there are also in some scenes better looking miniature models. Still the movie offers some okay action and Lance Henriksen is always good to see.

Going gets tough

Aurora SR-91 plane was rumoured to be capable of flying Mach 4-6 speeds, but it is unknown if the project was ever completed. For some reason the airplane in some DVD-covers is F-117 which is not present in the movie. Made during the years when Chris Carter's "X-Files" and UFOs were hot, the movie uses lightly Area 51 setting with new secret airplanes and espionage. Year after this movie Lance Henriksen went on to play in Chris Carter's "Millennium" series.

Rating: Average