Where to watch Aces: Iron Eagle III
1 1/2 Stars
Chappy Sinclair is back. This time he tries to help a woman, whose South American village has been taken over by a former Nazi, who is now a cocaine dealer and who uses her village as his base of operations. She manages to escape and goes to the States and meets up with Chappy. When Chappy tries to get help from the Air Force, he discovers that the General he is speaking to, is the Nazi’s partner. So, he along with three ageing pilots, take some vintage fighter planes and go there to try and help.
The Iron Eagle franchise continues with its third installment, Aces: Iron Eagle III. While the film introduces a new story with returning star Louis Gossett Jr. as Chappy Sinclair, it differs significantly from the previous entries. th The distinctive qualities that made Chappy a memorable mentor figure in part one are less prominent here, while also substituting with a harsher tone than its predecessors.
Just three years after helming the Bond flick License to Kill, director John Glen takes on this assignment and delivers a surprisingly bland film that lacks energy or a distinctive visual style. The storyline pairs Chappy with a group of ethnically diverse World War II veterans—making it a film about old men, told by an old man, that is likely to appeal mostly to older male audiences. While that’s fine, it doesn’t match the typical Iron Eagle fan demographic. This mismatch likely explains Aces: Iron Eagle III’s limited theatrical run, followed by a quick release to home video, where it reached a larger—but ultimately disappointed—audience. The film’s dull and off-brand approach makes Part IV a welcome finale for fans who felt burned by the bait-and-switch of Part III.
Directed by: John Glen
Written by: Kevin Alyn Elders, Sidney J. Furie
Starring: Louis Gossett Jr., Rachel McLish, Paul Freeman