Fuera de control

Since I like thrillers very much this is not the first one I have ever seen about airport security (EXECUTIVE DECISION is one that quickly comes to mind). However I was a bit reticent when I had to watch BLACKOUT EFFECT because of its low score and few divergent reviews. But when I saw it, as it progressed it became better.

John Dantley (Eric Stoltz) is a NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) officer that is sent to O'Hare Airport for investigating about a collision between a Boeing 757-200 from Los Angeles to Washington DC and a Boeing 727-200F where 185 people were killed. It won't be easy because air traffic controller Henry Drake insists that his radar had a malfunction when the planes were cleared for landing, but Dantley will do everything for making the truth come out: Drake was an already high-strung individual that didn't got along well with almost nobody and the radar system was already showing some signs of malfunction but instead of taking action started a cover up after the collision.

The acting by Stoltz was very good and this shouldn't come as a surprise. But what I liked most about this made for TV is that the twists and turns were pretty much like those in theater released thrillers, and I really couldn't wait to see when the truth would have come out!

Overall, a nice made for TV thriller that fans of the genre will no doubtly love and it's available on Youtube if you want to give it a try.

I watched this one night when it appeared on TV and really enjoyed it. The storyline involves a air traffic controllers screen blanking out for three seconds causing two planes to crash. The authorities try to use the controller as their scapegoat and are prepared to let him take the rap. The crash investigator on the case notices some evidence is not what appears at first glance and decides to dig deeper uncovering some surprising results. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer interested and the storyline raises it above par for a TV movie. The acting is very good and characters like team friends in the air traffic control room dominate a lot of the film. Ending up more like a whodunit/mystery than suspense but the finale is worth waiting for and you will be rooting for poor Henry, the air traffic controller.

I have seen this movie several times, and think that it is one of the better TV movies out there. No, it's not the best, but it has a good story line that flows quite well. Some things, as stated in a previous review, may not be totally accurate, but pretty much anyone smart enough to notice those technical mistakes should know that made for TV movies don't have a large enough budget to get every little detail correct. I have to say that this is a movie worth watching.

Problems with air traffic control lead to a collision, and many deaths. Who or what is responsible? How to prevent it from happening again? Those are the questions this movie is centered around, and it does so fairly well. Especially the first half of the movie is decent, but unfortunately the ending lets it down. The story looses steam and takes a somewhat weird turn a bit after the midpoint.

The dialog is fairly well written, and characters are ok, even though the protagonist is rather flat, and the acting is quite natural. I appreciate that they didn't turn every potential conflict into a lengthy emotional scene, nor do the actors stare wistfully into the distance. The scenery is typical for a TV movie: only a handful of locations, and a somewhat lackluster decor, but the essential locations are well developed. The people who built the control room set can be quite pleased with their job. The score also does its job.

If you don't go in with high hopes, you can enjoy it.

Going into Blackout Effect (Otherwise known as 747) I expected yet another plane related disaster flick. You know the ones, where there is something wrong with a plane and it's down to the crew and those on the ground to guide them home.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that it's not, it's a perfectly watchable little thriller.

It tells the story of an air traffic controller who appears to make a mistake and causes two planes to collide. But the more investigation is done into the matter the more it appears there is more to the story.

Starring Eric "I was almost Marty McFly" Stoltz and underrated Charles Martin Smith this thriller managed to get my attention from the get go. Truth be told it does get a tad far fetched by the end but never goes too far.

Well written and tense this is well worth anyones time despite not being groundbreaking.

The Good:

Great idea

Decent performances

The Bad:

Hit and miss in places

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Air traffic controller jobs look insanely stressful