The Last Castle

In unconventional casting, Hollywood's leading liberal Robert Redford plays a maverick US Army General, who's sentenced to a military prison after disobeying orders.

Unfortunately for Old Sundance, the military prison is run by an autocratic disciplinarian played by James Gandolfini. Initially intent on quietly serving his sentence, Redford resolves to lead a prison coup after his bleeding heart is moved by the inmates brutal treatment.

What follows is a regulation prison break movie with a side-order of Bob's liberal values thrown in. However, the predictable formula is briefly enlivened by a helicopter explosion. 

During the revolt, Gandolfini calls in a chopper to help restore order in the jail's yard. The prisoners, anticipating this move, secure a grappling hook to the chopper to enable an inmate (who's also a pilot) to shin up the chain and takes control of the helicopter.

On a nearby guard tower a sadistic prison officer finds himself face to face with the helicopter's pilot. The guard goes to shoot the pilot who spins the tail of the chopper around, so the rear rotor makes mince meat of the officer, destroying the tower and the rear of the chopper.

Without a rear rotor the helicopter spins round out of control before crashing into the ground. The selflessly compassionate Redford is the first to act and helps the pilot from the chopper which has already caught fire. Moments after they're clear the helicopter explodes.

Verdict

The helicopter creates some impressive destruction prior to its crash. It's also nice to see the wounded chopper, spin around wildly as the pilot loses control.

Tantalisingly, after it crashed into the ground, it looks like the helicopter isn't going to explode, however, the camera shot lingers just that moment too long, and sure enough, up she goes.

Artistic merit

More attention is spent on blowing up the guard tower and the chopper's dramatic crash landing than the actual explosion. By now the chopper is already in several pieces following its collision with the guard tower and plummet into the ground. There's barely enough left of it to blow up. As they make their escape from the wreckage, Ruffalo and Redford both flinch in time honoured action movie style as the whirlybird finally goes up.

Relevance to plot

If anything it's TOO relevant. The helicopter makes several conspicuous appearance earlier in the film, and Mark Ruffalo's past as a pilot is gratuitously foreshadowed.

Exploding helicopter innovation

None. Director Rod Lurie fails to break any new ground in the art of exploding helicopters, however, it could be the only prison movie which features an exploding helicopter.

Positives

You wouldn't think that prison movie genre would be fertile ground for exploding helicopters, but Lockout, Fortress 2 and Escape From LA all feature chopper fireballs. 

Negatives

Unfortunately, after the excitement of the destruction of the guard tower and the damaged helicopter's crash, the final explosion of the helicopter is disappointingly routine.

Sub Zero

The world is threatened when terrorists steal a mysterious cube-like device which controls a powerful, laser beam firing, satellite.

However, when making their escape with the gizmo the terrorists have the misfortune to crash on one of the world’s highest mountains, K2.

Keen to regain their cutting-edge weapons-tech, world powers assemble a team of elite climbers and scientists (with incredibly dodgy Russian accents) are assembled to recover the cube.

For some reason - I’ll confess this low quality film didn’t have my full attention - the mountains neighbouring K2 are fortified with artillery guns.

As our team of heroes climb the mountain a saboteur intent on stopping them fires the artillery guns to start an avalanche. Along with creating snowy chaos the artillery also takes out a helicopter that happens to be hovering nearby with a direct hit.

Verdict

Perfunctory. The helicopter explodes in ‘blink and you’ll miss it fashion’. Completely consumed in a brief orange glow, there’s no outward explosion of wreckage.

Rather than get the hell out of Dodge, the helicopter pilot who is hovering in front of the guns as they start firing - decides to slowly manoeuvre round in front of one of them to conveniently enable its conflagration.

Number of helicopters

1

Relevance to plot

Entirely pointless. In classic exploding helicopter fashion there’s absolutely no reason why a helicopter had be destroyed in this scene.

Whilst there’s no doubt helicopters would be used by any military force operating in these mountains, there has to be a question mark as to whether they would be able to fly at this sort of altitude.

Artistic merit

Dismal. The director - schlock master Jim Wynorski - disappears the chopper in a moment of z-grade CGI. It’s far more rewarding to spend some time browsing Wynorski’s eclectic CV, which takes in exploitation titles like The Witches of Breastwicke, The Bare Wench Project and The Hills Have Thighs to schlock like Ghoulies IV, The Return of Swamp Thing and Chopping Mall.

Exploding helicopter innovation

The highest recorded altitude for a helicopter explosion.

Positives

Pointless and unnecessary, the exploding helicopter does at least tick a box in this otherwise poor film.

Negatives

Brief and unsatisfying.

Review by: Jafo

Die Hard 4.0

Bruce Willis banks another pay cheque as the Die Hard franchise is given a techno-thriller reboot.

Hollywood’s finest vest wearing action hero crashes through a series of increasingly improbable sequences in a bid to prevent criminals bringing down the US’s computer systems. Oh, and he needs to rescue his daughter as well.

Naturally, the action provides Willis with another opportunity to explode a helicopter. Whilst escorting Justin Long - the irritating comic foil who accompanies Bruno throughout the film - the car they’re travelling in is attacked by a helicopter. Our heroes flee into a tunnel, however, Timothy Olyphant’s dastardly villain uses his internet mastery to create traffic havoc in the tunnel.

After several near death experiences, a riled Willis climbs into a police car and guns it towards the tunnel entrance outside which the helicopter is conveniently hovering. As the car approaches the entrance, Willis jumps clear of the vehicle. Moments later it hits the road’s central reservation causing it to fly into the air and crash into the helicopter destroying it.

A breathless Justin Long surveys the carnage and tells Willis: “You just killed a helicopter with a car.”

“I was out of bullets.” Quips Willis.

Verdict

An unusual helicopter explosion which seemingly crops up out of nowhere.

Artistic merit 

Director Len Wiseman keeps it simple. The helicopter blows up amidst a conventional explosion. What imagination has been brought to the scene is contributed by the method of destruction.

Exploding helicopter innovation 

There are two noteworthy elements to this chopper fireball. It’s the first time a car has been used as an improvised, surface-to-air missile. 

Relevance to plot

The chopper’s presence is justified by the plot. Part of the villain’s plan is to create traffic grid lock in the city. Clearly the villains have planned effectively and made sure that they have suitable transport to remain mobile.

Positives

Having watched hundreds of action films, we’re often able to anticipate how events will pan out. There’s a genuine element of surprise to the circumstances that lead a driverless vehicle into destroying the helicopter as if it were an over-ripe watermelon.

Negatives

The excitement and surprise of the scene though cannot disguise its complete ridiculousness. How does the car continue to race forward with no-one at the wheel or on the accelerator? And how could Willis possibly have worked out the perfect speed and angle needed to launch the car at the chopper? Is he a professor of theoretical physics? 

Interesting fact 

The exploding helicopter scene took three weeks to film. It was shot practically with CGI only being used toe delete the cables that the helicopter was being suspended from.  

Review by: Jafo

Still want more? Then listen to the Exploding Helicopter podcast episode on Die Hard 4. Listen or download the show from iTunes, Podomatic, YourListen or Stitcher. 

Batman Forever

After Tim Burton jumped ship, the captaincy of the Batman franchise was handed to Joel Schumacher – with, shall we say, mixed results.  

With Michael Keaton also bailing out, the bat-cowl was instead donned by a visibly uninterested Val Kilmer (Big Val and Schumacher famously spent most of the shoot not speaking to each other). Meanwhile, Tommy Lee Jones (Two Face) and Jim Carrey (The Riddler) spend the film competing to see who can mug at the camera the hardest, creating two of the most irritating villains in superhero history.  

These problems made Batman Forever (1995) a distinctly inferior sequel - thought still not as bad as the cinematic war crime Schumacher would commit two years later with Batman & Robin.  

Widely considered one of the worst superhero films ever committed to celluloid, that follow-up nuked the franchise so thoroughly it was more than a decade before the Caped Crusader could return to the big screen.  

Still, whatever its deficiencies, Batman Forever does at least deliver an exploding helicopter. And that's why we're here. 

Exploding helicopter action

The chopper goes boom during Two-Face's attempt to steal an absurdly oversized bank safe. Using a Sikorsky helicopter, he yanks the vault through the bank's wall and attempts to fly off with it. 

 

Fortunately, Batman turns up to ruin the fun. He unhooks the safe, then climbs aboard the helicopter. Using his cap (which apparently doubles as a blackout curtain), he blinds the pilot, causing the chopper to plough into the Statue of Liberty - despite the film not actually taking place in New York.  

Verdict 

A pretty decent explosion with a satisfyingly crunchy trail of wreckage. Then again, you'd expect at least something to blow up in a movie that cost $100 million. 

Relevance to plot 

Negligible. The whole sequence is really just an excuse to demonstrate Two-Face's chaotic approach to crime. Is dragging bank safe through a city via helicopter the work of an evil mastermind... or a showboating idiot? 

Artistic merit 

Schumacher knows his action onions and the scene is handled competently. Look closely, though, and the helicopter looks suspiciously model-like.  

Exploding helicopter innovation 

First helicopter to crash into the (fake) Statue of Liberty. 

Positives 

There's a pleasingly artful moment where the spinning rotor blades hack into Lady Liberty's head, and the debris cascades down her robes like fiery confetti. 

Negatives 

It's never explained how Two-Face survives a 500-foot fall, an exploding helicopter, and a general lack of superpowers - unless you count "can flip a coin" and "acts like a discount version of the Joker". 

Interesting fact 

When preparing for the role of The Riddler, Jim Carrey reportedly planned to shave a question mark into his hair. He later reconsidered as he was due to appear in court to finalise his divorce and presumably didn't want to look like a man who'd lost a bet.  

Exit Wounds

Steven Seagal plays a regulation issue maverick cop who’s assigned to an unruly precinct after one act of insubordination too far. 

The opening 10 minutes document Whispering Steve’s fall from grace which involves foiling an attempted assassination of the Vice President. 

After speaking at a public event, the Veep’s convoy is attacked. Naturally, the Secret Service response is inept providing Whispering Steve with the excuse to step in and save the day. 

After an alloy crunching car chase and bullet zinging shoot out, the villains whistle up a helicopter -complete with machine gunner – to help with the hit. 

Grabbing hold of a machine gun, the aikido arm-waver takes careful aim at the helicopter and deploys some precision firing to take out the chopper's fuel tank. The explosion rips through the fuselage and the chopper fully combusts. 

Intriguingly, prior to its incineration, the helicopter has what appeared to be an Eighties acid house smiley painted on the side. Presumably Seagal – who rather fancies himself as a blues guitarist – took great pleasure in destroying this visible reminder of how glo-stick wielding teens killed blues-based guitar music. 

Verdict

A rather uninspiring helicopter explosion. Aside from Old Totem face’s one-man war on acid house little imagination been brought to the scene. 

Relevance to plot

Any group capable of organising a high-level plot to assassinate the US Vice President would easily have the resources to muster a helicopter as part of their plan. However, the rave culture livery seems a rather odd choice when we learn that a red neck militia were behind the hit. 

Exploding helicopter innovation

First known destruction of an acid house style helicopter. OK, I'm really struggling here. Pretty much none. 

Interesting fact 

Excluding Machete, in which he has a cameo, this was Seagal’s last theatrically released film before he entered the world of DTV. 

Review by: Jafo

Ultraviolet

The Resident Evil franchise may have made Milla Jovovich the queen of mid-budget science-fiction films, but even she can’t save this truly abysmal futuristic vampire flick.

Normally, we’d begin with a brief plot synopsis. Unfortunately, the confused array of sequences which collectively comprise Ultraviolet (2006) defy coherent summary. At least the story, whatever it is, provides Ms Jovovich with plenty of opportunities to wear tight-fitting clothing and expose her perfectly toned mid-riff, so it’s not all bad. 

Let’s fast-forward to our primary interest in the film: the exploding helicopter. During one of the substandard, Matrix-inspired action sequences, Jovovich jumps on a motorcycle to escape a pursuing helicopter. 

Riding directly up the side of a skyscraper – the laws of physics have no function in this film – she evades a heavy bombardment of machinegun fire. As the helicopter’s gunner runs out of ammunition, Jovovich halts her flight before turning round and racing towards the chopper as the gunner tries desperately to reload.

Milla roars off the top of the building through the open sides of the helicopter. As she passes through the chopper she shoots the pilot and gunner dead, before crashing through into another building. Behind her, the helicopter explodes for an indeterminate reason.  

Artistic merit 

The undoubted highlight of this dumpster fire of a film. It’s spectacular, innovative and very cool. Even if the CGI is rather shoddy.

Exploding helicopter innovation

A similar scene can be seen in the low budget Filipino action Final Score (1986). In that film, the hero drops a grenade into the helicopter’s cockpit as he rides through the fuselage.  

Interesting fact 

Director Kurt Wimmer disowned the film after it was re-edited by the studio who cut out 30 minutes of footage.  

Review by: Jafo

Still want more? Then check out the Exploding Helicopter podcast on Ultraviolet. Listen via iTunes, Podomatic, Stitcher, and Acast.

Superman II

General Zod, Ursa and Non escape from their cling film prison in space and come to Earth. They wash up in a small town where they’re confronted by the US army.

With the nation’s media watching their every move they engage in a demonstration of their awesome powers. Having seen off flame throwers, rocket launchers and assorted army vehicles, a helicopter is called up and fires missiles at the Kryptonian trio.

The dreamily evil Ursa [Sarah Douglas] is invited by Zod to “Blow the helicopter a kiss”. This she does sending the chopper spiralling out of control and into a wooden building where it promptly explodes.

Verdict

Perhaps one needs to make allowances for era and the sophistication of the special effects, but this is a disappointing explosion.

Rather than crash into the building, the chopper appears more to dip behind it, whereupon the building explodes in a rather perfunctory manner.

Number of helicopters

1

Relevance to plot

Fine. There’s clearly a solid army presence so the appearance of a helicopter is entirely reasonable. If anything you have to wonder why there’s only one.

Artistic merit

Weak. As the sequel to a successful film there’s a somewhat threadbare feel to a lot of the film. Take for example the bin liners that Zod and the others wear throughout the film.

Exploding helicopter innovation

Possibly the first destruction of a helicopter by superhuman power.

Positives

However, poor the chopper fireball is, the scene does allow Sarah Douglas to demonstrate her deadly allure. Sidling through the film as a dominatrix diva the deadly kiss she blows the helicopter encapsulates her intoxicating evil allure.

Negatives

Sarah Douglas aside the sequence is rather dull, utterly lacking in dramatic tension.