A simple flight turned into a rescue mission
No snakes, hijackers, or mysteries? The film “Plane” takes a different approach to the usual airborne movies we’ve grown used to.
The film stars Gerard Butler, who plays Brodie Torrance a single father and pilot who has to fly a route from Singapore to Tokyo on a rainy New Year’s Eve night.
While boarding the flight, Torrance not only has to transport 14 passengers but fugitive Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter) who is being extradited to the U.S. for a murder committed 15 years prior. After a nasty storm causes the flight to lose power and turbulence, Torrance is forced to crash-land on an island in the Philippines.
Most passengers survive the flight, and while Torrance and Gaspare try to find contact with the airport, the passengers get apprehended by a militia group seeking ransom.
While crisis control tries to figure out what to do about the missing plane and passengers, will Torrance and Gaspare find a way to save the other passengers? Or will Gaspare abandon everyone when he is needed the most?
Although “Plane” did stray away from the usual flight movie plots we are used to, it did lack a lot of substance. One aspect it did lack was character development, as you don’t really get to know the characters at all to begin with other than that they have families back home.
The film also seemed a bit rushed as they show passengers boarding one second and in the next there’s lightning strikes and they are crash-landing on an island. While the rescue attempts were pretty gruesome and action-packed, they also could have been more stretched out as it was genuinely quick.
Unfortunately, it seems that nowadays many films have taken the route to fill most scenes with more violence and gore than anything else. “Plane” going down that path doesn’t seem too far off considering there’s a militia involved, but there isn’t any meaningful interaction between them and the passengers.
While Butler is known for his action-packed rescue movies such as the Fallen series, his costars Colter and Remi Adeleke shined in this film. Colter and Adeleke’s characters were the most interesting and strategic ones throughout the film with their willingness to take charge.
If you’re looking for a bit of a thrill, slight anxiety and the usual rescue movie, then this just may be your movie.
