Air America is the latest Carolco movie to get the Lionsgate Steelbook treatment. It wasn’t one of their blockbusters and it’s an odd entry for its comedic take on legitimate Vietnam War issues, with ambitious practical flying stunts. Mel Gibson and Robert Downey, Jr. have good chemistry, if not a tight plotline to work with, so it’s nice to have it in the collection.
It looks as good as the Carolco blockbusters like T2 and Total Recall. The night sky in Thailand where they filmed for Laos is especially deep, with some nighttime jungle and temples complementing the shadowy scenes. Contrast that with the bright daylight city and jungle.
Surround sound captures distant artillery and explosions, and persistent rain among the sound effects:
2004 DVD bonus features still seem defensive about the reviews from 1990. The story of Gibson being an extra on his day off gets told more than once.