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Plane
(Lionsgate Films)
By Lucas Allen
Although the title is generic, the new thriller “Plane” delivers on the promise of its trailer. An action-packed story in the same vein as the movies of the 1980s and 90s, where ordinary people are trapped in dangerous situations and only one lone brave hero can save them all. While all of those older action heroes no longer grace the silver screen, there’s still a solid few keeping the magic going after all these years. It’s directed by Jean-Francois Richet, who made his Hollywood debut in 2005 remaking John Carpenter’s “Assault on Precinct 13.”
On New Year’s Eve, airline pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) is on a routine flight from Singapore to Hawaii before hoping to reunite with his college-age daughter. But before the plane could take off, he’s given a last-minute addition to the passenger list in Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), who’s being extradited out of the country on a homicide charge. Just as the flight was going smoothly, a lightning storm causes the plane to lose power before Brodie and co-pilot Dele (Yoson An) made an emergency landing on a southeastern island. Now, they and the worried flight attendants have to help some unruly passengers, along with the silent prisoner, to survive in the unknown.
But what they don’t realize is that the island is home to a separatist militia group led by the psychotic Junmar (Evan Dane Taylor) willing to kill any outsider on their territory. Surprisingly, Brodie finds an unexpected ally in Louis, who said he used to be part of a militia group himself before he got arrested. When the passengers are suddenly kidnapped, the two men must work together to save the others and find a way off the island.
The movie starts off quietly enough when we’re introduced to each of the characters boarding the plane while giving some fine characterizations to set up the story. The action gets going once the plane makes its emergency landing and becomes an intense ride. Watching these characters go through their situation, they seem to be dealing with it as realistically as possible between being scared and angry. While not in the same league as “Speed,” this movie does have that old-school, pre-9/11 feel missing in most action movies nowadays.
However, intercut with the rest of the film, there are scenes involving the airline board headed by Scarsdale (Tony Goldwyn) trying to locate their lost plane. These scenes are often too distracting for the main plot, and the writing is too stock for anyone to care. The movie could’ve trimmed those moments considerably or recut around them to keep the story going smoothly.
Like any old-school action film, the fight scenes are brutal, bullets are flying everywhere, and the villains are your typical foreign adversaries. For all its typical elements, this movie is still as entertaining as it gets.
Though he’s still a tough guy, Butler expresses emotion and vulnerability to his performance as well as his action skills. When he takes a punch or shed a tear, you’d believe every scene he’s in. Colter also gives an interesting performance as a man with a past who’s out for himself before others. Together, these two heroes help elevate the material without missing a beat.
On its own, “Plane” is a decent enough thriller that’s good for at least a matinee screening. And, for anyone looking for simple action-packed entertainment, this movie is your ticket for some thrills and excitement.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for violence and language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3 Stars (Out of Four)
