a stogie chew george peppard head a team that weld together an armored vehicle out of spare part and take satisfaction when a plan come together . jan michael vincent man an awol missile fire government vehicle copiloted by a cranky white haired guy . capsule description of airwolf and the a team . no and you would be good off watch an episode of either of those show and but unfortunately i be describe damnation alley and the wildly unfaithful movie adaptation of the novel by brilliant sci fi author roger zelazny . now and i be sure few zelazny fan would disagree that alley be one of the least of his work and but this film take zelazny somewhat decayed fruit and manages to squeeze onto the floor whatever juice it have in it and leave only the decay . all that remain of the book be the basic setting and the cross post apocalyptic country road trip plot device ( though with the book suspenseful motivation for the trip replace by a vague let see what over there ) and the run the storm or dig in . scene and and a main character name tanner . well and i guess you can call him the main character . just a tanner and denton take equal turn drive the truck ( no and i will not call it a landmaster zelazny never would have give it such a dorky appellation ) and not even need to tussle over the usual single steer wheel and vincent and peppard seem to be give completely equitable screen time in which to shine and an opportunity they each squander in equal measure . notice i do not say hell tanner . no and this be not the novel violent last of the hell angels anti hero and but instead a pretty mild military boy who and well and kind of cocky i guess and and and uh and like to ride a dirt bike . ( cue faux expectant look ) . but at least tanner be inspire by the book . the rest of the character be and well and uninspired and and purely the invention of the screenwriter . and a for the setting and it close enough to be recognizable and but be not the world that zelazny be explore in the book . different post apocalypse story have choose to stake their respective post at different point along the timeline and from 28 day later to the far flung dystopia of planet of the ape and the time machine . in the novel and zelazny look at the world a generation after the holocaust and an interesting point to examine and where government have establish control again in the remain population center and and the recognizably ordinary life people can lead in these pocket of safety be in sharp contrast to the nightmare world that lay down the road apiece . instead of keep this setting and though and the author of this film decide to go with a world maybe a year or two after the bomb and which present a much less interesting vantage than any of the time point note above . but even life at this point along the eternal road could have be interest to examine and have the movie take the time to do so . unfortunately it do not and so i must respectfully disagree with those commenters who say that this be one thing the movie do well . what we get instead be mostly some people rid around the country and encounter dangerous situation that could be successfully transplant to any time period . i likewise must disagree with those that say that the movie do a good job portray the experience of the military officer who witness the end of the world at the beginning of the film . while i realize that military personnel be train to remain calm and productive under pressure and these folk witness the huge barrage of nuclear warhead shower down upon america do not appear to be under pressure at all . people be mill casually around or sit and do their usual paperwork while the world end . pretty much the only expression of angst or concern we get be when jan michael put his head in his hand at the end of the sequence and but his portrayal could serve equally well for some other movie 50th billing character man with headache . other random thing i must criticize represent george peppard accent isn not particularly badly do and i guess and but it sure be annoy . when the one reasonably likable character make an exit and the other character seem not to care very much and and seem not to display any sign afterwards that they remember such a character have ever be around . a others have also allude to and one of the most anticlimactic ending ever . but the film be not wholly devoid of charm . the sky effect be indeed pretty neat look and and i be sorry i do not get to see them on the big screen and though the near complete failure to try to maintain registration between move ( or even stationary . ) ground and sky element be very jarring and fake look . speaking of the sky and the film also do a commendable job of recreate the bizarre and scary and and vengeful weather depict in the book . the score be certainly not among jerry goldsmith best work and but it good than the material it underscore and and it have some kewl analog synth squawk you do not get to hear in his other work . the truck be also pretty cool and though the stretchy material connect the two half look comically flimsy in the harsh environments the truck rid through . not surprised to hear that the one element that do not survive on the show vehicle today . but i have to say that if you insist on watch a movie where the main character venture out from one of the remain safe pocket of humanity in a dangerous post apocalyptic world in their heavily armor and missile fire truck and and occasionally drive dirt bike out of the back of it and you would do much good to watch george romero land of the dead instead . ( if the landmaster or other element of damnation alley provide any inspiration to land of the dead and it by far the best thing this bastard child of zelazny have give to the world . ) .