I think this is an enjoyable and happy family film.
A Superfortress, flown by Elliott Gould, (As Noah Dugan..hence the title of the film) crashes on a supposedly uninhabited island after batteries in a radio cause the compass to read wrongly and make the plane go off course.
Along with Gould are a missionary, played by Genevieve Bujold, two children played by Ricky Schroder and Tammy Lauren plus a lot of animals.
The island they crash on has two Japanese soldiers left there after WW2 who don't know the war has ended. Eventually they work together to turn the crashed plane into a boat which they use to try to get back to civilisation.
The performances are very good. Gould produces a great performance which is so much better than in Escape to Athena made just before this in which he hammed it up badly. Here he is sensitive and believable as the gruff but caring Dugan. Bujold is also good as the missionary. She is very good in the way she gets the two Japanese soldiers to work with them to convert the plane into a boat. Both the kids are good too. Especially Schroder who was very good at making people feel sadness with his heartfelt crying especially when one of the animals was going to be shot when it was injured.
This isn't a film with any real surprises and has the expected happy ending as they get rescued and Gould and Bujold get married but it is a pleasant, cheery family film which I thought was very enjoyable.
A Superfortress, flown by Elliott Gould, (As Noah Dugan..hence the title of the film) crashes on a supposedly uninhabited island after batteries in a radio cause the compass to read wrongly and make the plane go off course.
Along with Gould are a missionary, played by Genevieve Bujold, two children played by Ricky Schroder and Tammy Lauren plus a lot of animals.
The island they crash on has two Japanese soldiers left there after WW2 who don't know the war has ended. Eventually they work together to turn the crashed plane into a boat which they use to try to get back to civilisation.
The performances are very good. Gould produces a great performance which is so much better than in Escape to Athena made just before this in which he hammed it up badly. Here he is sensitive and believable as the gruff but caring Dugan. Bujold is also good as the missionary. She is very good in the way she gets the two Japanese soldiers to work with them to convert the plane into a boat. Both the kids are good too. Especially Schroder who was very good at making people feel sadness with his heartfelt crying especially when one of the animals was going to be shot when it was injured.
This isn't a film with any real surprises and has the expected happy ending as they get rescued and Gould and Bujold get married but it is a pleasant, cheery family film which I thought was very enjoyable.