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Sky Pirates
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (7th October 2023). |
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The Film
 "Sky Pirates" (1986) Taking place at the tail end of World War II, rambunctious RAAF pilot Lieutenant Dakota Harris (played by John Harvgreaves) is drafted into a top secret mission in which he must pilot an aircraft to deliver a mysterious box from Australia to Washington, D.C. The box contains a mystical artifact discovered in a cave on Easter Island, and on board the craft are Revered Mitchell (played by Simon Chilvers), General Hackett (played by Alex Scott), squadron leader Savage (played by Max Phipps) and others for the mission to deliver the cargo to allied safety. But when the box is opened in mid-flight, it causes a massive disturbance leading the plane to crash in the water. In addition, the surviving crewmembers find themselves thousands of miles off course. After being rescued, there crew are brought back to Australia, where Harris is court martialed and sentenced to military prison. He knows that the crash and disturbance was not his fault, so he escapes from authorities, gathers evidence of the incident, and enlists the help of Reverend Mitchell’s daughter Melanie (played by Meredith Phillips) to find the truth about the artifact and the crash. In 1981 George Lucas and Steven Spielberg unveiled “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to the world. Taking inspiration from adventure comics, serials and features from the 1940s and 1950s, it was not particularly in tune with the entertainment trends of the day, but it went on to play in cinemas for months and became the highest grossing film of the year around the world with a total of $354 million. It was reissued in IMAX theaters a year later to great success and in the following year of 1983 it was issued on home video, quickly becoming one of the bestselling titles of all time. In addition there was plenty of merchandizing with comic book and novel adaptations, video games, action figures and more, plus a prequel television series and four sequel films in later years. The success of the film and its main character caused a slew of inspired and cloned works in the film and television world for years to come, and it was the most prevalent in the 1980s. Australia had its own “Raiders” inspired feature from producer John D. Lamond and that was “Sky Pirates”, which had a brown leather clad hat wearing rugged hero in the lead, a beautiful female alongside for a romantic whirlwind, power hungry military officials, a mystical artifact, and action on land, in the air and underwater. With all the ingredients that made “Raiders of the Lost Ark” a major hit rolled together, it should have been an easy bet to make “Sky Pirates” a massive hit. But it wasn't. What made it fail and what was to blame? Lamond was able to finance the film for a AU$4 million, which was a fraction of the budget of “Raiders” which was made for US$20 million, though it was a significant amount in comparison to the average Australian feature film. Quite a lot of effort was placed on the many visual effects as well as the location shooting in Australia and Los Angeles, plus Bora Bora and Easter Island, and they are all impressive to say the least. The effects such as the light rays from the mystical tablet piece, the car chases sequence stuntwork, the incredibly dangerous stunt of the character of Harris walking out onto the top of the plane while in midflight, all are incredible and work well with the action scenes as well as the images of the supernatural or unexplained. Director Colin Eggleston, who previously worked on the Lamond directed thriller “Nightmares” in 1980 as the screenwriter, does an admirable job with the big sequences, but the film’s weakest points are the script and the characters, which don’t hit all the marks they should. The story starts off with a prologue showing what happened to the excavators that discovered the mystical tablet in a cave on Easter Island and the film is set into gear quickly with Harris’ assignment and the men on the secret mission. The major issue comes with the surviving crewmembers and their rescue, taken back to Australia and having Harris being court martialed turns the story back and halts the pace as the audience is more interested in the crew’s landing spot with many questions unanswered. It takes some time for the story to kick back in gear, but the clunky first half does hamper on the enjoyment. But once the action gets back on track there are some excellent sequences to be had with the characters and their journey to the mysterious island. As said the characters are also underwritten. There is some good banter between Harris and love interest Melanie, but there is a spark lacking in their relationship. Hargreaves is very good in the role of Dakota Harris with his lone wolf ways and some funny one liners. Meredith Phillips does a fair job, but not particularly memorable as Melanie, who isn’t necessarily the damsel in distress but does get the pair into some hot water. Phipps as the villainous Savage is the most memorable of all with his look and stoic frame, but again his true intentions are not fully realized or detailed. Lamond’s script has some great sequences and fun ideas, but too much seems recycled rather than fresh. It’s easy to see what was borrowed, or rather even stolen from “Raiders” with the style and theme, as well as a car chase scene which is close to being a remake than being an original. It may have the ingredients for success but it also lacks the consistency and depth. “Sky Pirates” does make up for it in charm though, as there are a lot of fun and exciting moments, impressive effects and stunts, as well as a fitting adventurous music score by veteran Australian composer Brian May. Independently produced by John Lamond Motion Picture Enterprises, it was distributed theatrically by Roadshow in Australia on January 16th, 1986. Unfortunately it didn’t do much business in the country and was quickly forgotten about. It was released in other countries either theatrically or straight to video, but it failed to grab an audience anywhere. The major issue was that there was an onslaught of similar films that did very well and “Sky Pirates” seemed like a cheaper cash grab. “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” was released in 1984 and was the highest grossing film that year internationally. A modern adventure take with Robert Zemeckis’ “Romancing the Stone” was also a major hit that year. 1985 saw a retelling of “King Solomon’s Mines”, bringing the vintage character of Allan Quatermain, one of the inspirations for Indiana Jones, to a newer audience. It is said that after Lamond saw “Temple of Doom”, he was distraught on how his smaller sized feature could ever top that one. Another drawback was that there were no internationally recognizable actors, as the main cast members were Australian or Australian based. It may have helped to have a Hollywood star in the lead for international appeal to increase awareness and ticket sales. While the film was released on home video, it was a title which was missing from the DVD format in its home country. (Though it did have DVD release in Germany.) More than thirty-three years after its underwhelming theatrical run, Umbrella Entertainment has given the film a 4K restoration and its Blu-ray debut in 2023. With this new release, the Aussie entry in the "Indiana Clones" genre is ready for a new generation to enjoy, with its fun and faults. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The film was restored in 4K resolution and made available for the first time in the Panavision shot widescreen aspect ratio on a home video format in Australia, and the results are quite strong. Colors from the dark sequences at night and in the cave are reproduced well, and skin tones look great. There is a bit of a "vintage" look to that the film captures well, and there are no issues with sharpness or detail being quite strong for both. Damage marks have been removed while still keeping a healthy amount of film grain for its filmic look. There are some scenes such as the court room scenes that look a bit filtered in the color spectrum for a thicker look, though it doesn't seem too off. There are some weaker portions with superimposed shots or bluescreen work, but that is to be expected. Overall, it's a solid transfer for the film from Umbrella Entertainment. The film's runtime is 88:04.
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo The original stereo mix is presented lossless. The music and effects sound excellent using directional cues with Brian May's score plus the explosions and chases sounding clear and well balanced. Dialogue is also well balanced against the music and effects. The track has been cleaned to remove hiss, pops, and other unwanted sound for a clear audio experience throughout. A great job with the audio by Umbrella Entertainment. There are optional English HoH subtitles for the main feature in a white font which are well timed and easy to read. There are no issues of grammar or spelling errors to speak of.
Extras
Audio commentary with producer Michael Hirsh, cinematographer Garry Wapshott, script supervisor Jenni Tosi and stills photographer David Parker moderated by filmmaker Mark Hartley This newly recorded commentary has crewmembers Michael Hirsh, Garry Wapshott, Jenni Tosi, and David Parker along with filmmaker Mark Hartley serving as moderator. Discussed are about the ideas for the film's production by Lamond, raising the funds, their scouting locations to the remote islands of Bora Bora and Easter Island, shooting in Panavision, the make-up not arriving to Easter Island in time, the difficult stunt sequences, memories of the cast and crew, how Roadshow sat on the film and didn't know how to distribute it well with its scattered release, Lamond's disappointment with the final film and its reception, and much more. It's a lively conversation and Hartley does an excellent job by asking questions to clear up much of the information. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Extended "Not Quite Hollywood" Interviews with writer/producer John D. Lamond and cinematographer Garry Wapshott (19:04) Hartley's essential 2008 documentary on Ozploitation cinema had him interview many cast and crewmembers of various films in which many of the segments had to be left out of the final edit. Thankfully, they have been archived and here are interviews with Lamond and Wapshott specifically discussing "Sky Pirates". Lamond is quick to talk about his disappointment of taking on the ambitious project and not being as good as it could have been. He also discusses about the DC3 plane that was used for the film and memories of the shoot. Wapshott discusses the massive scale the film was for an Australian feature and his memories of shooting on Easter Island, but his disappointment of the unoriginal content of the film itself and not finding a wider audience. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Deleted and Extended Scenes (19:12) Presented here are some never before seen sequences, including an alternate opening with narration by Hargreaves, an extended scene of the plane boarding and the midflight turbulence, extra court martial scene shots, Harris climbing onto the plane in midflight, an extended chase scene, the repository sequence extended, and more. While none of the scenes make a drastic change in the narrative, it's clear to see they were deleted for pacing reasons. These scenes are taken from a standard definition tape source, which has time code on the screen and are incomplete, with sound effects and music missing. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles VFX Test Footage with commentary by visual effects supervisor Dennis Nicholson (6:39) Presented here is never before seen test footage from Dennis Nicholson's archive shot on VHS. From tests of airplane models, making fake clouds with cottonwool, smoke and explosive test, these are fascinating to see. The reel is presented with mandatory commentary by Nicholson who narrates each sequence with what was being accomplished and also pointing out his colleagues that appear on screen. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "VFX Breakdown" featurette (7:17) This might be the best extra on this disc, which features a special effects sequence from the film, then a stillframe of behind the scenes which has notes by Nicholson explaining how the scenes were done and sometimes where they were done, such as in a backyard or a swimming pool. As these were all practical effects, it’s quite impressive to see how things like a wine glass, cottonwool, toys and other household items could be used for visual effects. At the end there are a few behind the scenes stills. The image is slightly windowboxed. A slightly different version of the featurette has been embedded below, courtesy of Nicholson's YouTube channel. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.39:1 / 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Film Buffs Forecast tribute to John D. Lamond with Michael Hirsh, Alan Finney, Paul Harris and Mark Hartley (37:24) This podcast which was recorded after Lamond's passing 2018 has film producers Hirsh and Alan Finney, Hartley, moderated by Film Buffs' Paul Harris discussing the writer/producer/director's career. From his smutty start with sex films becoming big business and to his later Australian works like "Nightmare" and "Sky Pirates", there is a lot of information and fun to be heard. In addition, Harris plays the songs "Mama’s Little Girl" by Linda George which was featured in Lamond's "Felicity" at the start and the end theme from "Nightmares" at the end in full. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Stills and Poster Gallery (10:28) Presented here is a series of behind the scenes stills, promotional stills, and poster designs (including the Japanese titled "Sky Raiders"), coupled with music cues from the film in an automated slideshow. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 Original Theatrical Trailer (1:40) The original trailer, with American narration is presented here, looking a bit weaker than the restored feature but still quite good nonetheless. It has also been embedded below, courtesy of Umbrella Entertainment. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.39:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Indiana Clones" Trailer Reel (41:09) - "Race for the Yankee Zephyr" - "High Road to China" - "Savage Islands" - "Treasure of the Four Crowns in 3D" - "The Raiders of Atlantis" - "Romancing the Stone" - "The Jewel of the Nile" - "Gwendoline" - "Yellow Hair and the Fortress of Gold" - "Secrets of the Phantom Caverns" - "King Solomon's Mines" - "Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold" - "Jungle Raiders" - "Treasure of the Amazon" - "Sky Pirates" - "Firewalker" - "Jake Speed" - "The Armour of God" - "Miracles" - "Golden Temple Amazons" - "Bloodstone" - "River of Death" Presented here is an abolutely fun trailer reel featuring a series of "Indiana Clones" films - ones that have been inspired by or ripped off. As they come from differing sources, the picture and sound quality differs from trailer to trailer. Some are remastered from original film elements. Others are fullscreen transfers from analog sources. Others may be from film, but suffer from scratches in the image and crackle in the sound. All of the trailers are in English, with the exception of ""Gwendoline", which is the French trailer with French text and no dialogue. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in various ratios, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles
Packaging
The disc is packaged in a standard keep case. There is inner artwork which is not reversible. Initial copies also come with a slipcase with differing artwork. It is also available in a Collector's Edition exclusively from the Umbrella Web Shop limited to 300 copies with the following: - "Indiana Clones Diary - An Indispensable Guide to the Best Big Screen Raiders Rip-Offs" 48 page bound book - custom designed outer rigid slipbox - custom design slipcase - 8 replica lobby cards - A3 reversible poster The booklet is an excellent one, which features written information on the various "Indiana Clones" films of the 1980s with artwork for each, with many of them being featured in the trailer reel on the disc. the lobby cards are sturdy, and the reversible poster has artwork on one side with the original theatrical poster design with the Key Video distributor logo at the bottom (home video artwork?) and the other having the newly created artwork for the slipbox. The poster is housed in the keep case, and all the contents fit inside the rigid slibox nicely. 
Umbrella seems to have copied and pasted the embarrassing error from their last few releases, which says on the back of the box that is exclusively from the "Umbrealla" webstore...
Overall
"Sky Pirates" is not one of the better "Indiana Clones" movies of the 1980s with its plot structure and characterizations being weak, but it is still has a lot of charm and the effects and action sequences are certainly a standout. Umbrella Entertainment has lovingly given the film its long overdue disc debut in Australia with this world-first Blu-ray release of the forgotten Aussie film, with a great transfer and a great amount of extras. Highly recommended.
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