''Storm Catcher'' is a 1999 American

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

starring

Dolph Lundgren Hans Lundgren (, ; born 3 November 1957), better known as Dolph Lundgren, is a Swedish actor, filmmaker and martial artist. His breakthrough came in 1985, when he starred in ''Rocky IV'' as the imposing Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Since then, Lu ...

and directed by Tony Hickox, who also co-stars in the film. New Zealand model and actress

Kylie Bax Kylie Bax (born 5 January 1975) is a New Zealandbased model and actress. She has appeared on international magazine covers, including ''Vogue'' and '' Marie Claire''. During her twenties, Bax had supporting roles in action and comedy films. Per ...

debuts as Jessica Holloway. The film tells the story of a renegade general who plans to bomb

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

with a new stealth fighter. Although intended for a larger audience, ''Storm Catcher'', after a short theatrical run, was released

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy was p ...

Plot

Flanked by buddy Sparks Johnson on the ground, and co-pilot Lucas in the air, Major Jack Holloway flies America's top secret "Phoenix" stealth-capable fighter jet. While Holloway's mentor, General William Jacobs, keeps FBI agents Lock and Load from snooping into his pet project, Holloway and Sparks enjoy some R&R with Holloway's wife Jessica and daughter Nicole. It turns out Lucas is an operative for the "Serpent Killers", an intra-military right-wing group, and temporarily assuming Holloway's identity, he steals the Phoenix. Holloway is accused of the murders of the guards that protect the aircraft, Branded a pariah, Holloway not only gets court martialed but he is also nearly obliterated when his prison transport is ambushed and blown up. Determined to clear his name, Holloway escapes. After he touches base with his family, extremist soldiers shoot Jessica and later kidnap Nicole. No sooner does Sparks convince Lock and Load of Holloway's innocence than Lucas guns them down and kidnaps Sparks. However, Jacobs tells Holloway that if he ever wants to see Nicole alive again, Holloway must bomb the White House.

Cast

as Major Jack Holloway *

Mystro Clark Mystro Clark (born December 29, 1966, in Dayton, Ohio) is an American entertainer who was the second permanent American host of the syndicated version of the series '' Soul Train'' from 1997 until 1999. He went on to become a film and televisio ...

as Captain "Sparks" Johnson * John Pennell as Captain Lucas *

Robert Miano Robert Miano (born September 25, 1942) is an American actor. Early life Robert Miano was born in New York City and raised in the Southeast Bronx neighborhood. He is of Italian descent. At the age of fifteen Robert Miano was discovered by a tale ...

as General William Jacobs *

Yvonne Zima Yvonne Zima (born January 16, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Daisy Carter on ''The Young and the Restless''. Early life Zima was born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, the daughter of Dennis and Marie. Her surname means " ...

as Nicole Holloway *

as Jessica Holloway * Jody Jones as Sergeant McGarry * Robert Glen Keith as Sergeant Stanley * Tony Hickox as FBI Agent Load *

Kimberley Davies Kimberley Davies (born 20 February 1973) is an Australian actress most famous for playing Annalise Hartman on the Australian soap opera '' Neighbours'' from 1993 to 1996. She is sometimes credited as "Kimberly Davies". Life and career Davies w ...

as FBI Agent Lock * Rudy Mettia as Commando * Burt Goodman as Old Guy * Richard Bjork as Bubba Pickles * Andreea Radutoiu as Havens * Phil Culotta as Commando #1 * Mark Delasandro as Commando #2

Production

Filming

''Storm Catcher'' is set and filmed primarily in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

with B-roll footage in

, taking place in 18 days from October 19 to November 6, 1998. The Phoenix aircraft used for filming, relying mostly on stock shots, was the

Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk is a retired American single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack aircraft developed by Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works division and operated by the United States Air Force (USAF). It was the first operational air ...

stealth fighter aircraft. The

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force selected McDonnell Douglas's ...

pictured on the film's movie poster (designed for pre-sales and financing before being produced or having a finished script) was never seen in the film. The other main aerial adversary in the film was the

Grumman F-14 Tomcat The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the ...

Release

Home media

''Storm Catcher'' premiered on HBO before landing on VHS and DVD. It was released on January 4, 2000 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. Although not critically reviewed in major media outlets, the film did garner some attention from other film reviewers. David Parkinson of ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' rated ''Storm Catcher'', 1/5 stars and wrote, "Faced with a minuscule budget, a few feet of stock aerial footage and a script with dialogue that amounts to an aural assault, director Anthony Hickox has done well to produce a film that's only as bad as this one."

Reception

Critical response

Robert Pardi of ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "As action fodder goes, this Lundgren vehicle benefits from solid wild blue yonder photography and enthusiastically executed assault sequences. As the bombs fall on familiar terrain and the fists smash into standard-issue bad guys, however, the landscape fills with deja-vu."Pardi, Robert
"Review: 'Storm Catcher'."
''

''. Retrieved: January 3, 2016.

References

External links

* * * {{Anthony Hickox 1999 films 1999 direct-to-video films 1999 action films American action films American aviation films Films about aviation accidents or incidents Films about terrorism in the United States Films set in Los Angeles Films set in Washington, D.C. Films directed by Anthony Hickox Franchise Pictures films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films