Wonderful character development!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

In the least, a few of the main characters, especially Louis Gossett Jr., who plays Colonel Sinclair. The movie, I think, is the worst of the movies in the Iron Eagle saga but it is not completely bad.....Now, Colonel Sinclair, who thinks he is retired from active duty from the United States Air Force, is called upon to do a top-secret mission. Col. Sinclair almost retorts at the idea to get back to classic dogfights in the air but slowly accepts the mission. And like the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers, this mission involves rivalry..but on an international scale. A joint mission. A combined squadron of several American fighter pilots and Soviet Union fighter pilots, with the help of the Soviet premier, is told that a renegade Middle Eastern country, which is like Bilyad (fictionally made in the first Iron Eagle), is making things even worse for world peace that both of these countries are trying to make.The fighter pilots who are called to this mission are warned that this country had already built a nuclear weapon facility in a remote desert near the Caviar Gorge. The facility's personnel had made this facility like an impenetrable fortress with 50-millimeter automatic anti-aircraft cannons and a surface-to-air missile canopy with a nearby building compound that houses the guidance system for the surface-to-air missiles.The facility's personnel is determined to launch its intercontinental ballistic missiles from this facility and target missiles at both the USSR and the USA if they perceive even the slightest of military threats.I like the part when Col. Sinclair figures out (with the help of the Soviet officer in charge of the Soviet fighter pilots) how to take out the anti-aircraft defenses around the facility, and how the fighters would have to fire Maverick missiles right into the ventilation shafts (Sinclair calls them "ducts"), which are protected by cannons, that lead directly to the facility to ensure its explosive destruction of it.My favorite quotes in the movie was "What is point zebra?...Enemy air space...the point of no return!"

This time Louis Gossett Jr returns to whip new American and Russian recruits in line to prepare them for a mission against middle eastern terrorists who have gotten a nuclear launching site, of course the mission is meant to fail but in the heat of it all heroism prevails over the differences of the soldiers in question. Iron Eagle II was as ridiculous as it's predecessor however the edge of the first one and the overall amusing teenage vengeance angle is in favor dropped in favor of your basic military mission that for the most part is watchable if not too interesting. Iron Eagle II is fun in short spurts it is just that there is just too much character development and Gossett while good is not there nearly enough to bail out the movie's lame drama. Still it is at least better than the next two entries.* * out of 4-(Fair)

Let me start off by saying that there isn't anything to be found within Iron Eagle II that you haven't saw before. You may or may not find some fun here, but for me, Lou Gossett Jr. was the sole reason to watch and even he feels like he's only appearing for a quick paycheck at times. Being blunt, I chalk up IEII as another shining example of poor cash-in sequels. The first Iron Eagle wasn't a blockbuster, but it was mildly well received and this sequel feels like a money grab. A real disservice to the original.Anyhow, the second of the sequels finds Gossett putting together a bunch of virtually unknown Canadian actors. Some who play Americans and some who play Russians. Who when they splice in the old cold war 'we can't get along together because of nationalities' cliché story element, you have this movie in a nutshell. A movie that I find myself surprised to say I've sat through twice on late night.

They should never have attempted a sequel to a not-so-good movie, but 3 of them?!?!? The series falls into the "what planet does the producer live on" category, like Jaws (after Jaws 2) and Police Academy (after the 1st).