Firepower

Firepower

Year: 1979

Runtime: 104 mins

Language: English

Director: Michael Winner

ActionAdventure

The objective is to locate the world’s wealthiest individual, bring him back alive, and collect a $1 million reward. To achieve this, the FBI contracts a seasoned mercenary to hunt down the reclusive, powerful criminal, while a determined woman pursues him for her own personal vendetta.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Firepower yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Firepower (1979)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Firepower (1979). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Late 1970s

Set in the late 1970s, the story evokes the era's gritty crime thrillers and public fear of corporate malfeasance. The period features fashion, cars, and gadgets characteristic of 70s capers. Institutions and power brokers are depicted as either complicit or overwhelmed by dangerous interests.

Location

New York City, Antigua

New York City serves as the bustling urban backdrop where Adele confronts a powerful suspect. Antigua provides the remote island hideout where the conspiracy deepens and the chase intensifies. The film contrasts a crowded metropolis with a secluded tropical stronghold, highlighting wealth, secrecy, and high-stakes capture attempts.

🗽 City backdrop 🏝 Island hideout 🕵️ Crime thriller setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:48

Main Characters – Firepower (1979)

Meet the key characters of Firepower (1979), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Adele Tasca (Sophia Loren)

Adele is a sophisticated and determined figure who blends charm with a calculating mind. She uses her influence to challenge Stegner and aligns with Jerry to expose the crimes, all while seeking personal revenge and potential new conquests. Her motives are a mix of justice, ambition, and survival in a dangerous power play.

🎯 Protagonist 💃 Seductive 🗡️ Calculating

Jerry Fannon / Eddie (James Coburn)

Jerry is a former mafia hitman hired to infiltrate Stegner’s network. He is ruthless, resourceful, and fearless in executing dangerous plans. His actions drive the chase on the island and test loyalties as the plot twists unfold.

🗡️ Mercenary 🕶️ Shadowy 💥 Action-driven

Karl Stegner (George Touliatos)

Stegner is the reclusive, powerful billionaire behind a vast network. He hides his face and wealth, orchestrating a far-reaching scheme with ruthless efficiency. His mastery of intrigue makes him the central antagonist whose influence permeates every layer of the story.

🧭 Mastermind 🏴‍☠️ Hidden 💰 Wealth

Dr. Charles Félix (Anthony Franciosa)

Dr. Félix is the enigmatic physician whose identity masks his true allegiance. He serves as Stegner’s front and instrumental in the scheme, revealing the blend of science, deception, and luxury that surrounds the conspiracy.

🧪 Scientist 🕵️ Secret identity 🎭 Deception

Leo Gelhorn (George Grizzard)

Gelhorn is Stegner’s right-hand man and enforcer. He enacts orders with a cold, strategic precision and is directly involved in the island’s brutal actions, including violence against enemies and betrayals within the ranks.

💥 Henchman 🗡️ Enforcer 🧠 Calculated

Catlett (Hank Garrett)

Catlett serves as one of Stegner’s trusted operatives. His loyalty to the mastermind and willingness to act decisively place him at the center of the island conflict, where he ultimately meets a violent fate at Gelhorn’s hands.

🕵️‍♂️ Enforcer 🗡️ Loyal 🪓 Cold-blooded

Howard Everett (Victor Mature)

Howard Everett is a billionaire figure who represents the luxury and power that Adele targets for her next conquest. His presence heightens the film’s exploration of wealth as a mechanism for control and danger.

💎 Wealth 🏛️ Power 💼 Target

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:48

Major Themes – Firepower (1979)

Explore the central themes of Firepower (1979), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💼 Corruption

The plot centers on a billionaire’s scheme to cover up a cancer-causing drug, exposing a web of corporate greed and government indifference. The narrative threads involve a secret network, tax dodges, and the manipulation of justice for profit. Dr. Félix’s true allegiance and Stegner’s orchestrated cover story reveal how power corrupts multiple layers of society.

🕵️ Undercover

Espionage and infiltration drive the tension as former secret agents, mercenaries, and deception blur identities. Jerry Fannon navigates a dangerous web to locate Stegner, while Sal Hymanfoot holds the plan together from the shadows. The quest for truth hinges on risky undercover operations and double-crosses.

🎯 Revenge

Adele Tasca channels personal vengeance into the overarching conspiracy, guiding alliances and triggering unpredictable loyalties. Her pursuits push others toward drastic actions, including confrontations with Stegner’s circle. The pursuit of revenge intertwines with the larger fight for justice and accountability.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:48

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

High-Stakes Manhunt Movies like Firepower

Ruthless hunters chase elusive targets through a world of deception.If you liked the tense chase and dangerous mission in Firepower, explore more movies with similar manhunt plots. These films feature skilled operatives hunting formidable targets, filled with suspenseful action, globe-trotting intrigue, and high-risk objectives that keep the tension high from start to finish.

tensesuspensefuldangerousaction-packedcalculatingparanoidhigh-stakesthrilling

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a linear but perilous chase, where the protagonist must use skill and cunning to track down a target who is often protected by wealth, power, or a web of deception. The journey is fraught with obstacles, betrayals, and violent confrontations, driving the plot forward at a breakneck pace.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are united by their core premise of a dangerous pursuit. They share a tense, suspenseful atmosphere, fast pacing driven by action, and a focus on the mechanics of the hunt rather than deep emotional exploration, creating a consistently thrilling experience.

Gritty 70s Action Conspiracy Films like Firepower

World-weary operatives navigate morally gray missions for profit or revenge.Fans of Firepower will enjoy this selection of similar gritty 1970s thrillers. These movies share a tense, cynical tone, complex plots involving corporate crime and deception, and feature world-weary protagonists on morally ambiguous missions that often end with a mixed sense of justice.

cynicalgrittytenseconspiracyrevenge-drivenbetrayaldeceptionparanoid

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a jaded professional taking on a dubious job that pulls them into a web of conspiracy. The journey reveals layers of deception, often involving powerful corporate or criminal entities, and concludes with a resolution that questions the very idea of clean victory, leaving characters in a morally ambiguous space.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their distinct era-specific tone—cynical, tense, and grounded. They share a moderate narrative complexity with plots involving deception, a medium emotional weight focused on personal vendettas, and a mixed ending feel that reflects the gritty realism of the period.

Unlock the Full Story of Firepower

Don't stop at just watching — explore Firepower in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Firepower is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Firepower Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Firepower, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Firepower Summary

Firepower Timeline

Track the full timeline of Firepower with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Firepower Timeline

Firepower Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Firepower that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Firepower Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Firepower

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Firepower: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Firepower

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