The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper

1981 "Who says you can't take it with you?"
5.5| 1h40m| PG| en
Details

A speculation on the fate of the famous hijacker who parachuted with his ransom and disappeared in the mountains. Has Cooper succeeded in following a meticulous plan to disappear into anonymity despite the best efforts of a dogged cop?

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Reviews

Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.
Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
fishguy-20977 I liked this movie. It was fun to see Duvall, Williams, and Gleason on the screen together. I've been fascinated with Dan Cooper ever since my father bought me a "Greatest Mysteries" book when I was about 8. That book got me going on Oak Island, too. Anyway, this is obviously not a factual account of anything. For one, none of the money cooper stole has ever made it back into circulation. The serial numbers were all noted, and the money was never used. So, if you go into the movie with the understanding that it's fiction and not based on actual events, I think you'll enjoy yourself. I really liked seeing Gleason, too. He's not in many movies, and it was fun to see him in something besides "The Breakfast Club" and "Trading Places."
burton611 It's really hard to take this movie seriously, especially to anyone who is fascinated by the D.B. Cooper story. I think my biggest problem with the movie is that it just starts with Cooper jumping out of the plane. There is no stage of the actual highjacking and little realism of the jump itself (it happened at night time during a storm). During the actual highjacking, the bomb was not left behind by the highjacker and there was never a stewardess locked in a bathroom. The movie seems to be a parody of the events with a cheesy-hillbilly soundtrack. You almost expect a Jerry Reed/Cledus cameo or even Cheech & Chong at some point. My problem is they had the opportunity to do so much more with it and failed miserably. In recent years, the alleged highjacker was supposedly identified (see Brad Meltzer's decoded). I, for one, love the D.B. Cooper story and hope that someone will serve the story justice, but may be somewhat undeserving seeing as how the "Dan Cooper" who made the infamous jump literally flew from justice himself.
dougdoepke Plays like a backpacker's version of Midnight Run (1988), with Duvall in the de Niro role and Williams in Grodin's. Except this one substitutes mindless action for character development and rust bucket jalopies for clever dialog. The result is more tiresome than funny, despite the attractive cast. In fact, Williams plays DB Cooper's part like it's all a big joke that only he thinks is funny—I agree with the reviewer who finds him way too cutesy. In fact, that could apply to the entire movie.Worse-- any well-meaning viewer hoping for insight into the heist itself will be sorely disappointed. We see nothing of the crime except for the dramatic dive from the airliner. I suspect that's because threats to blow up the plane would have "serious-ed up" the movie. Then Williams' Cooper would no longer be humorous at all. The one worthy aspect links Cooper to army ranger training, seemingly apt preparation for such a daring wilderness crime.The movie does have two scenic attractions. There's the great snow-capped panorama of Jackson Hole that keeps the eye entertained whatever the nonsense on the ground. Second is Kathryn Harrold's Hannah. In skintight jeans she presents another kind of natural grandeur that may give backpacking a whole new look. Despite the visuals, however, the topic deserves better than the third-rate Keystone Cops treatment it gets here.
nlmcm Many who were adults in 1981 and slightly prior, recall the name D. B. Cooper, who hijacked a Boeing - 727, laden with passengers demanding a ransom, and will release them but keep the crew and plane, to be ordered to fly over the Rockies of his choosing.Crew was ordered to stay in the front of the aircraft whilst D. B. Cooper was preparing for the jump, many investigators believed he was a former highly trained army specialist, ex-paratrooper and studied his preference of aircraft well.He used the tail stairs to jump out of the plane, at night, and was never seen again. However, months later some people found some of the money near a small river or creek, and some believed he may have died of his injuries. Others claimed some money The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper is a story of what might have happened, at least one scenario was generated in this full chase scene by the Insurance Bounty hunter (Duvuall) and lots of bantering for some folks would simply put you on the floor.The chase however goes both ways. Duvuall manages to locate the loot, for himself! Williams tries to find him through the use of a bi-plane and the chase begins again.And it ends wildly, and certainly enjoyable for many. And remember too that D. B. Cooper back then was regarded as a folk hero.It certainly should be considered a candidate for update or new release with different actors. Increase the action and the comedy, could be a hit.In closing, Boeing and McDonald Douglas DC-9's, retooled all their aircraft of this configuration (rear stairs from the tail area) so that it could not be opened while in flight.

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