Being a child in the 1980s, of course I watched the "Airwolf" TV series, and I loved it back then. I got nothing but fond memories of the series. And when I stumbled upon the 1984 movie "Airwolf" by random chance here in 2022, there was just no doubt about it that I had to watch it. If for nothing else, then for sentimental reasons.

Oddly enough, then I didn't even knew that they had made a TV movie about "Airwolf". So I was rather surprised when I stumbled upon this movie.

Writer and director Donald P. Bellisario definitely managed to put together something that felt like the TV series. And while there was a familiarity in that sense, then it was also what restricted the 1984 movie, I feel. While this is a TV movie, it actually just felt like a prolonged episode of the TV series, for better or worse. In a sense, of course it was good, because you feel right at home here, but on the other hand, I feel like a TV movie could have offered more.

It was nice to see the original cast in the movie, that being Jan-Michael Vincent, Ernest Borgnine and Alex Cord. It was also nice to see the likes of David Hemmings and Eugene Roche in the movie as well.

If you enjoyed "Airwolf" as a TV series back in the 1980s, then you will also enjoy this 1984 TV movie.

My rating of "Airwolf" lands on a six out of ten stars.

I would most certainly recommend this film to anybody who has yet to see an episode of Airwolf, the best acting in the film is by Jan-Michael Vincent- who plays moody loner Stringfellow Hawke, and David Hemmings- The choppers insane creator Charles Moffat. The ending of the film includes a great battle scene, and i love the film that much that the tape is worn out. My favourite film of all time and made me a solid fan of the series. This was the pilot episode, and its a shame that Jan-Michael Vincent ended up the way he did. It would have been nice to see the Hawke brothers work together in the chopper, instead of how the 4th series turned out (a load of rubbish and a slap in the face to hardcore fans of the show). Thumbs way up for this one!

Hollywood enjoyed a period of unprecedented interest in technology during the mid-1980s with super vehicle shows such as AIRWOLF, BLUE THUNDER, THE HIGHWAYMAN, KNIGHT RIDER and the underated STREET HAWK.

Borne from the mind of one of US Television's most creative writers of quality entertainment - Donald P. Bellisario who brought us TALES OF THE GOLDEN MONKEY, MAGNUM P.I., QUANTUM LEAP and currently with the military drama series, J.A.G., it had everything with action, adventure, espionage, adult scripts, international intrigue, coupled with real-world politics (which is rare in Hollywood) even pushing some right-wing, hawkish politics into the middle of the action.

With grim-as-granite Jan-Michael Vincent in the main role as loner pilot, Stringfellow Hawke, aided by Oscar-winning movie veteran, Ernest Borgnine and a support cast including movie actor, Alex Cord (and C.I.A. Deputy Director - Michael Archangel) and TV regular Jean Bruce Scott, it was a show on the edge, that, with the exciting aerial climax at the end of most episodes pushed the boundaries of television with its movie quality action sequences, technology and locations (including the beautiful Monument Valley in Utah).

It now has a sizeable following of loyal fans worldwide (the Wolf Pack), including many people who became pilots (military and commercial) through their love of the show - many fans of which have been following the commercially successful shows of Donald Bellisario (Belisarius Productions) from its humble beginnings in the early 1980s, including the current success of J.A.G. on CBS.

A show which deserved a bigger following at the time, it's a rare gem of television history.