The Robert Downey Jr. Film Guide: Air America (1990)

Two pilots in Laos discover that the US government is doing shady things during the Vietnam War, with action-packed mildly comedic results.

Mid-High. Mel Gibson is the star.

Billy Covington, a pilot.

Rather average, but not bad at any point.

Also not bad, but not memorable.

I’m not gonna die dropping pigs from the sky! Not gonna happen!

Mel Gibson, Nancy Travis

Nancy Travis in Chaplin. Mel Gibson in The Singing Detective.

I did Air America for two reasons: to be in a movie with Mel Gibson and to make a bunch of money. And then underneath there was the hope that in doing this formulaic thing I would be launched into a whole new realm of opportunity to do A-list movies. By the time we were done, the only positive thing was meeting Mel Gibson ... It’s very easy to slip into a “one for them, one for me” mentality about your career in Hollywood. You feel you have to do the commercial films in order to keep your visibility high and your agents and managers happy, but you want to do films that are important, too. That’s pretty much the way I’ve been running my career. But since Air America, which was one for them, I’ve decided that’s bullshit ... I’m not going to be doing a big action movie again for a long time unless it’s something that really has something to say. No one gets killed gratuitously in this film. It’s not like one of those bang, bang, bang bullshit things, but it’s just so tedious! It’s acting, but the acting comes from just bearing it, getting through all the technical shit as opposed to interacting with someone, taking some chances, making some huge mistake—doing anything except jumping out of airplanes ... The realization near the end of Air America was that my cynicism about the film was polluting my life. I sat over there in Thailand, and when Sarah would call, I’d talk about how bad everything was. You know, it’s basically hip in our culture to be cynical, but halfway through the film, I realized that a cynical attitude keeps you in a non-learning state. I started to look at everything differently. I started to say to myself and everyone else, “You know, things aren’t that bad here ... While I was shooting Air America in Thailand, I went with Mel Gibson for a holiday in Bangkok. I had planned to spend a weekend there, but after 24 hours I went running back to the movie set in the jungle. Bangkok was so depressing. People would come running up offering their eight-year-old sister, who they insisted was a virgin. Any sexual perversion you wanted you could find if you were willing to pay for it. I was so grossed out, I said goodbye to Mel and went right back to the set. I think a little bit of me died it was like a nightmare. If there’s a hell, then it’s probably called Bangkok ... How was I not to be intimidated by [Mel Gibson] who was so well-versed in both acting and action films? When I first met him, I was detoxing from one of the seventy substances I’d been doing and my skin was a mess. When I met his family, one of his kids pointed at me and said to Mel, “He’s got the measles!” We both laughed and I knew things between us were going to be okay ... Good intentions, sad result ... The lesson was that sketchy movies result in nightmares ... It was a toss up whether to go see Diane Schuur [perform] at the Pantages, or go to the opening of Air America. I knew [Schuur] was only going to be there for two nights, but I thought, “Hey, that could happen with the movie, too.” ... You know, when you’re with Mel you’d better look good or you’re going to look really bad because he looks great even when he looks terrible ... Sexually, Mel and I got on famously. I found him to be a very gentle and kind lover ... Like our characters, there are certain aspects of both of us that we get on each other’s case about, you know? [Mel Gibson would] say, “Taking yourself pretty seriously today, huh, Downey?” But it’s all with good humor ... I found myself needing some loosening up on Air America. Mel finally said, “Listen, you can’t really give that much of a shit in the end. Because you’ll get too married to your perception of what something is supposed to be. You’ve got to let it go.” ... It helped me realize the kind of actor I’m not. I’m the kind of actor who puts his ass into what he does and doesn’t mind getting into those dangerous, uncomfortable places. I guess I’m an actor because otherwise I could really live in denial of my feelings or aspects of myself — if I didn’t look at them reflected back at me ... Billy’s a real kick-ass guy. But his belief structure takes a beating when he’s suddenly thrust into this new environment, where, any minute, 90 unfriendlies could come ripping out of the jungle with his name on their lug nuts ... Not only does he have to deal with an entirely different culture, he has to prove himself to some of the best and most eccentric pilots in the world. It’s as though he’s been dropped in the middle of a wilderness, and meets this guy who’s not only super-cool, but knows the way out. Billy really admires the guy, then becomes disillusioned by him.

Air America by Christopher Robbins
Though it is a movie tie-in, Air America is one of several books the author has written on the subject.

Released in theaters 10 August 1990. On DVD in Region 1, 2, 3, 4 and on Blu-Ray.

Argentina: Locos Por el Peligro (Crazy for Danger)
Brazil: Loucos Pelo Perigo (Crazy for Danger)
China: Deviating from Flight Path (English translation)
Denmark: Luftens Helte (TaleSpin)

14% Fresh | 14 Reviews

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: The film remains stuck in a farcical groove, with Downey playing green kid to Gibson’s grizzled vet. Downey did the same routine to better effect as a legal clerk to a burned-out James Woods in True Believer

Hal Hinson, The Washington Post: Gibson is perfectly matched with Downey, who’s wilder and more youthfully kinetic. This is a magnetic young actor, regardless of the material. It’s fun just watching him think things through on screen.

1. For the MASH-style war antics.
2. Remember when Mel Gibson’s claim to fame was being a heart-throb?

Mediocre. Downey has a fair amount of screen time, so you can’t complain that there isn’t enough of him.