Popcorn & Coffee: Airwolf: Season One

Not Rated; 589 minutes; $9.98; Amazon, Mill Creek Ent.

Prepare for a nostalgic blast this month as Mill Creek Entertainment with be releasing several 80s television titles to DVD, including the recently released Airwolf: Season One, featuring all 11 episodes, including the original pilot movie. There are no special features or bonus extras on the two-disc set.

Created by Donald P. Bellisario (NCIS), Airwolf premiered on CBS in 1984 as a mid-season replacement, kicking off with a 97-minute movie that would later be re-edited and released as a a feature film overseas.

The pilot movie centered on a top-secret high-tech battle helicopter being stolen from the government agency known as the "Firm." The Firm sends in Archangel (played by Alex Cord) to recruit Army veteran Stringfellow Hawke (played by Jan-Michael Vincent) to lead a mission to recover Airwolf. Hawke agrees if only his friend Dominic (played by Erenest Borgnine) helps him. Plus, Hawke wants the government's help in finding his brother who is MIA.

After successfully recovering Airwolf, Hawke refuses to return it to the government, hiding the helicopter where nobody would ever find it. The rest of the series follows a week-to-week formula with "The Firm" assigning missions to Hawke and Dominic.

Final Thoughts: There are many short-lived television series from the 1980s that don't get the attention that they deserve, and Airwolf happens to be one of them. Yes, the series has aged quite a bit and it has a campy feeling to it, but for an action-adventure, it's pretty fun to watch. Jan-Michael Vincent does an excellent job playing the tough one-dimensional Hawke, and the late Ernest Borgnine does a great job as well playing the comical sidekic Dominic.

The 97-minute pilot plays out like a feature film with plenty of action to keep you entertained. The other 10-episodes have fast-paced plots (sometimes silly ones) that all lead to the Airwolf blowing up another helicopter, plane or whatever else the villains' are using that week.

The picture quality and the sound on all the episodes are good.

Overall, the Airwolf: Season One is a great DVD set to have for any action-fan, especially those that remember the 80s.

Airwolf: The Complete Series is also available on to purchase on DVD & Blu-ray. Look for my review for it on here soon.

*Disclaimer - I received complimentary copy in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own.