Capsule Review: Plane (2023)
The “dump month” is a common Hollywood term synonymous with new movie releases in January that are bound to fail due to poor/flimsy qualities, low-to-zero expectations and whatnot. But earlier this month, the otherwise Child’s Play-like rip-off M3GAN actually fares decently, thanks to the scene-stealing titular killer doll and Gerard Johnstone’s deliberately-paced psychological thriller-style storytelling approach.
Well, the trend continues with Plane, a generically-titled action thriller starring Gerard Butler that I’m predicting it’s going to be nothing more than a mediocre movie. It’s formulaic, alright since it follows closely to the 1990s time-capsule era of plane-related action movies used to attract big names like Wesley Snipes, Kurt Russell and Harrison Ford. But Jean-François Richet of Assault on Precinct 13 remake fame alongside screenwriters Charles Cumming and J.P. Davis manage to sustain my interest with a decent mix of economical storytelling and some well-staged action sequences.
The story begins with Brodie Torrance (Butler), a widowed airline pilot who captained the Trailblazer Flight 119 from Singapore to Tokyo on New Year’s Eve. We learn that he can’t wait to reunite with his daughter, Daniela (Haleigh Hekking) in Hawaii. But things go awry when he and his co-pilot, Dele (Yoson An) has to deal with a severe storm while on a mid-air flight, where the plane ends up getting hit by lightning. With no electricity, they have no choice but to navigate the plane manually as Brodie made the decision to crash-landing it on the remote island in the Phillippines.
Despite some casualties during the mid-air turbulence earlier on, the passengers are safe and Brodie ensures them that he tries his best to get help. And while they may have escaped death, they soon discover the island happens to be guarded by a group of anti-government militias. Led by Junmar (Evan Dane Taylor), the militias made money by abducting the foreigners who end up on the island and demanded ransom.
Long story short, Brodie and Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), one of the passengers who turns out to be a prisoner being extradited for a homicide charge, team up to see if they can find a place to make an emergency call. Meanwhile, the militias find out about the plane crash-landed on their island, which prompted them to head over there and hold Dele as well as the surviving stewardesses (among them played by Daniella Pineda as Bonnie) and the passengers for ransom.
Richet goes straight to the point by only providing us with the bare essentials of what we need to know about some of the characters in this movie. For instance, he doesn’t bore us with subplots regarding the long-distance father-and-daughter relationship between Brodie and Daniela. Louis has a past that led to his capture and extradition but I’m glad the movie doesn’t stretch further with a flashback scene. Richet also deserved praise for some of its thrilling set pieces such as the aforementioned mid-air turbulence that the CGI isn’t as flimsy as I thought it would be, despite its non-blockbuster US$50 million budget. There’s a notable one-on-one fight shot in a single take worth mentioning as well.
Both Butler and Cotler display enough tough-guy charm in their respective roles without overdoing the way they deal with dangerous situations. Not to mention Butler manages to pull off a convincing turn as an airline pilot beyond his usual onscreen heroic persona.
Plane does suffer some uninspired and routine-style action sequences during the second act of the movie as if Richet is running out of ideas (or is it the budget problem?). Still, it’s an overall adequate sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride type of entertainment.
