So where's the crime in delivering a good movie..."It's not that hard Hollywood."
Plane is now boarding at a cinema near you. Grabbing your own boarding pass has never been more of a no-brainer.
Plane was a birthday watch for me and I picked a winner. Thank you Gerrard Butler and Co. I had a wonderful time. How did you know the deepest molecules of my DNA were formed to love well-made action movies? And yours hits all the right spots. There will be no re-gifting, customer returns or thrift shop donations from me--this one's a keeper.
The great thing about a movie as a gift, is that I can share it with you all, my dear Substack readers. This one really is a no-brainer when it comes to having a great time.
Seeing Plane in a theater is also a no-brainer. The action is tight and the thrills are expertly paced. The film packs a literal punch—or make that a sledge hammer strike curtesy of Mr. Colter. It's the very definition of a popcorn movie. The part of your brain you’ll most need is your nervous system: to alert you to jump out of your seat at the film’s impactful violence. There is a one-take man-on-man fight that is harrowing for its realism. And several visceral action scenes, including the bare-knuckling ending that will leave you on the proverbial edge of your seat. So its definitely a no-brainer that this will be the most fun you'll have mid-January in theaters.
There is a one take man-on-man fight that is harrowing for its realism. And several visceral action scenes, including the bare-knuckling ending that will leave you at the edge of your seat.
In Plane, Gerrard Butler is a demoted pilot on a final run to see his daughter. He is forced to land a sparsely seated jet liner, carrying a convicted murder suspect played by Mike Colter, through one hell of storm. He successful lands the plane in a lawless region of an island in the Philippines where crew and passengers come under attack from the warlord gang members and their ruthless leader, a very convincing Evan Dane Taylor.
The action and violence in the film is as refreshingly grounded as its titular star, the actual plane, and is a throwback to classic genre fare.
The action and violence in the film is as refreshingly grounded as its titular star, the actual plane, and is a throwback to classic genre fare. The approach to violence is not its not glorified, but visceral and tense. This is the element I most appreciated about Plane; that it adheres to the realism of its premise.
Plane keeps the action believable, tight and visceral. Too many current day action-ers overdo it on several fronts with CGI and over-cooked sequences that push things into cartoon levels of implausibility. Thankfully, Plane, like its main prop, stays grounded in reality, making its tension all the more palpable.
The film is elevated by a solid cast and a tightly plotted script by Charles Cumming and J.P. Davis, produced by Butler and veteran super-producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (Transformers, The Meg).
Gerrard Butler demonstrates just how good he is at leading a film. Playing the demoted pilot and workaholic father he presenting a steely resolve in the face of insurmountable odds. Butler is known for a solid string of action fare that hasn’t consistently stayed fresh. However, here he demonstrates what a good actor he is and how capable he is of leading a film, carrying the heavy burden of action, grit and emotional access. All of which, adds up an unwavering on-screen presence.
Mike Colter also shares with his leading man his own captivating screen presence. Best known for Netflix’s Luke Cage, he is underused here but poised for much, much more after this turn as a stoic ex-military fighter with a bad rap. Hollywood’s current aversion to positive masculinity, evidenced by the firing of the perfect Superman for the job, Henry Cavill, to fans’ and movie-goers’ outrage, is perhaps why we are seeing so little of an actor like Mike Colter, who clearly is capable of handling a lot more than he’s given here.
Tony Goldwyn, with acting credits dating back to 1990’s Ghost, provides a razor’s edge presence that injects added fuel into the film as the take no-prisoners, rogue task force leader back at head office. He eviscerates the PR spinners who care more about the headlines and their brand culpability than saving their passenger’s lives. Rings true, doesn’t it?
While Daniella Pineda as flight attendant Bonnie, brings strong support to Butler's beleaguered pilot. A coterie of passengers and crew who become hostages, likewise do a serviceable job with their well scripted stock characters. The gang members led by the mercenary Evan Day Taylor are exceptionally well cast and provide a veritable threat.
It’s reported the budget is in pegged at $50MM, and frankly it feel like it’s all on the screen. The handheld cinematography assures you are always close to and inside of the action. The bulk of the action set pieces and sequences are all shot on location and most refreshingly done practically. This greatly adds to the palpable sense of events unfolding before your eyes.
The final action set piece is gut wrenching and exceptionally crafted with a high degree of believability. I was definitely on the edge of my seat.
With so much to navigate through an already challenging start to the year, having a simple no-brainer action-er done right, that is well plotted and doesn't drop the ball, goes further than you'd think in restoring a modicum of sanity in this seemingly, ever increasing upside down world. Plane is a feel good action-er that leaves you satisfied at the start of the year. In my view that’s a win-win. “It’s not that hard Hollywood.”
But you don't have to take my word for it. Check out my friend Sydney🚀’s incredible YouTube review here:
I stretched my egregious Plane word count above to 9!
But Sydney🚀’s still got me beat there 🥇