My review was written in November 1991 after watching the film at a Manhattan screening room.
New Line should do fine business with "Aces" an action-packed, campy entry in Lou Gossett's "Iron Eagle" series. Pic was originally slated as an off-season January 1992 release by since defunct distributor Seven Arts, but now receives a prime summer slot.
Best in its cartoonish moments, this followup helmed by James Bond director John Glen notably introduces the beautiful body-builde Rachel McLish. Though she has to strive mightily to get out her lines of dialogue.the fledgling actress is perfectly cast and could well become an important action heroine.
Producer Ron Samuels shifts here from the youth-oriented storyline of the first two "Eagle" pics (both helmed by Sidney J. Furie) to an over-the-hill gang premise reminiscent of the British "Wild Geese" pics.
Air Force pilot Gossett rounds up a group of fellow veteran fighter aces to fly to Per3u and blow up a cocaine factory.
The American government won't support this mission so the guys use vintage World War II-era planes they've been flying in air shows.
Gossett fights the drug lords because a friend was killed by them and his sister (McLish) captured and tortured. He frees McLish, who turns out to be more than the equal of any of the male combatants.
Scripter Kevin Elders, who has worked on all three "Eagle" films, throws in a streetwise ghetto kid (Phill Lewis) who stows away on the mission and offers a combination of comic relief and heroism.
Film's camp value derives from the mocking use of the fighter aces, including Christopher Cazenove in the Roger Moore role, vet action star Sonny Chiba as the Japanese kamikaze pilot and a very fit Horst Buchholz as the German wiz.
When not making corny patriotic speeches Gosett is a steadying force here.
McLish is terrific in action scenes and merely needs intensive coaching on her acting to supersede Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hamilton in genre roles.
Paul Freeman reprises his stock Nazi from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as the nominal heavy.
Dogfights in the air and pyrotechnics on ground are up to the high standards of Glen's 007 credits.
