The American Way

Above America in a re-equipped bomber that serves as an anarchic pirate TV station, a motley crew of renegade Viet vets await amnesty from the authorities; but their captain (Hopper) cherishes his outlaw status, and jumps at the chance to wage a sabotage-and-smear campaign against a right-wing, female, war-mongering Presidential candidate. The lame suspense centres around whether S&M TV can expose her before the Pentagon blasts their hi-tech home out of the skies. There are a few endearingly naive swipes at Establishment hypocrisy, but the caricatures are too broad to constitute biting satire, political or otherwise. The celebration of rebellious rock mores is dated and embarrassing; the haywire narrative reflects Maurice Phillips' pop-promo background. Only the dependable Hopper, giving with the crazed visionary hippy once again, offers real wit or conviction, and even he is indulged. Little more than a well-intentioned oddity.