Retrospective: Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr (1981)
Jerry Saravia
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Two stars (C-)
For an old-fashioned and eccentric adventure movie, "Race to the
Yankee Zephyr" may excite some thrill-seekers but it is an
underwhelming and trivial film. It bears the clout for a reasonable
action picture with a fine cast and director, and it shortchanges
everything that could make it work.
Set in New Zealand, drunk deer hunter Gilbert Carson (Donald
Pleasance) inadvertently finds an old World War II DC-3 plane (known
as the Yankee Zephyr) rise from the surface of a nearby lake.
Helicopter pilot Barney (Ken Wahl - harboring no accent at all) is
along for the ride in this precious discovery, although both are
unaware that 50 million in cargo is inside the plane. Lesley Ann
Warren is Gilbert's daughter, who doesn't have a trace of a New
Zealand accent either. Some villains, headed by George Peppard in a
delicious performance as a ruthless businessman, are very interested
in that grand fortune. How do they find out that the Yankee Zephyr has
been discovered in New Zealand? A simple phone call from a local
merchant is all that is needed.
"Race to the Yankee Zephyr" has the distinction of having beautiful
scenic shots of New Zealand (love the little cabin in the woods that
Wahl and Warren frolic in) but little else to distinguish it from any
made-for-TV action picture or series ("Tales of the Gold Monkey" is
more fun than this picture). Wahl looks disinterested and Lesley Ann
Warren looks like she wandered in for the chance to visit New Zealand.
Only Donald Pleasance (most of his dialogue is unintelligible) and
George Peppard give it a lift above the norm. A boat chase offers mild
excitement but somehow director David Hemmings doesn't bring any level
of excitement or wonder to anything else in the film. Stick with
Indiana Jones or Harry Steele over this stale and indifferent
adventure tale.
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