There is virtually nothing about this movie that makes sense. We have an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle, Eddie, with a cockpit complete with pilot's seat. This is so daft that they take time out to give a feeble excuse about "test flights", but the first time I saw it I knew it was there so the hero can fly it later on in the movie. And he does. Despite the very title of the movie being "stealth", not one of the aircraft on display acts anything like a stealth aircraft. They consistently attack targets from point blank distance, exposing themselves to anti-aircraft fire from everything down to AK-47s. Nobody ever has trouble finding or attacking them. Although set in "the near future", the Navy is still using F-18s and such - whilst simultaneously putting into use both a new generation of manned super-planes, AND the unmanned aeroplane that is going to render these obsolete before they enter service. We have an aircraft being refused permission to refuel, so it shoots the end off of the drogue line and then plugs into the tattered end of the hose it just shot up to get fuel! I could go on. And on.
BUT. While it is undoubtedly a very silly movie, it is saved from the pits of hell by being quite good mindless fun. Don't go in expecting Top Gun - Top Gun is a far deeper, more emotional movie than this one. Not that Top Gun was a deep, emotional movie. It's just a lot deeper and more emotional than Stealth.
There's one moment in this movie when I thought it was actually going to make a real, genuine point. On a mission one of the hero pilots disobeys orders to carry out an attack in a dangerous fashion so that he can minimise civilian casualties. Our robot plane observes this, and when it goes haywire it cites the earlier mission; he disobeyed orders, so why shouldn't it? You actually get the impression that the movie is going to condemn the hero for disobeying orders and acting on his own, that it's going to show that his individualism has negative consequences!
Of course, that would present the audience with an opportunity to actually THINK about something, and that's the very last thing a movie like Stealth expects you to do. In fact let's be honest here, a movie like Stealth doesn't expect the average viewer to be ABLE to think. So this idea is pretty much dropped flat. (Incidentally, after his disobedience the hero comes back to a "well, you got the mission accomplished so that's okay" attitude. Yeah, military organisations are well known for their forgiving attitude to stuff like that.)
But if you are the type of person who can completely disconnect your brain and go "huh, that looks cool!" a lot, then Stealth is a moderately pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.
BUT. While it is undoubtedly a very silly movie, it is saved from the pits of hell by being quite good mindless fun. Don't go in expecting Top Gun - Top Gun is a far deeper, more emotional movie than this one. Not that Top Gun was a deep, emotional movie. It's just a lot deeper and more emotional than Stealth.
There's one moment in this movie when I thought it was actually going to make a real, genuine point. On a mission one of the hero pilots disobeys orders to carry out an attack in a dangerous fashion so that he can minimise civilian casualties. Our robot plane observes this, and when it goes haywire it cites the earlier mission; he disobeyed orders, so why shouldn't it? You actually get the impression that the movie is going to condemn the hero for disobeying orders and acting on his own, that it's going to show that his individualism has negative consequences!
Of course, that would present the audience with an opportunity to actually THINK about something, and that's the very last thing a movie like Stealth expects you to do. In fact let's be honest here, a movie like Stealth doesn't expect the average viewer to be ABLE to think. So this idea is pretty much dropped flat. (Incidentally, after his disobedience the hero comes back to a "well, you got the mission accomplished so that's okay" attitude. Yeah, military organisations are well known for their forgiving attitude to stuff like that.)
But if you are the type of person who can completely disconnect your brain and go "huh, that looks cool!" a lot, then Stealth is a moderately pleasant way to spend a couple of hours.