Flight Risk

Flight Risk is Mel Gibson's latest film (a thriller/action piece) and stars Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace. It made my list of most anticipated for the year, and much like my experience with Wolf Man, I enjoyed this film for what it was. Simple plot, decent acting and action, and not anything that wears out its welcome. While there are some nitpicks I had about various moments that didn't feel quite so solid, the film as a whole was enjoyable enough that I wasn't pissed or disappointed. As I've mentioned before, I consider that a win these days. Video review is on my YouTube channel.

Mel Gibson must think his target audience for flight risk is five years old. Now I like movies where you just turn your brain off and enjoy the ridiculousness but this was just sad. So many stupid incorrect and just absurd aviation moments. The fact that the agent lady had Wahlberg's character restrained twice and he got away twice. I mean she had all the handcuffs and zip ties she could ever want and still couldn't tie him securely. I liked Topher's character I think he was entertaining. Mark Wahlbergs bald cap makeup job was so poorly done I couldn't even pay attention to the movie when he was on screen. This movie could have been a solid entertaining flick but its like it was made by a 5 year old and nobody corrected their errors. I mean why not spend a few bucks and hire an aviation consultant so at least you won't look so dumb Mel?? If they would have corrected all the absurd aviation things it would have been much better. So I ask the most important question...Was I entertained? No, I was too busy screaming at the screen.

I like the actors so I really thought this would be a good film, but it just wasn't!

It became obvious very quickly that all was not what it seemed and then the generic lines started. It's almost as if you can see the actors waiting for each other to say their lines which is so strange when they are all seasoned pros.

There was some incredibly frustrating action scenes and some parts that were just annoying. Like in a horror movie when then run upstairs, I spent most of the time wondering why they didn't just kill the bad person.

I'm not sure if this was a lockdown film but let's face it most of those were rubbish and if this wasnt then the only reason it's a bad film must be because of the director and script.

Flight Risk is the very definition of the term "Straight to DVD movie" from which I know it is a redundant statement in the modern era, but you get the point. The film is a low-budget thriller with a decent premise to kill an evening, and with Mel Gibson directing at the helm, I thought it might be worth checking out. Unfortunately, the film doesn't pay off as anything remarkable. Mark Wahlberg is introduced as a wise-cracking, charismatic pilot who holds the screen well initially, but the character fails to blossom throughout the film to anything interesting. My main confusion is the tone, the movie consistently juggles between a sort of intense thriller and an intentional comedy. However, I didn't find the jokes or light humor funny and considering the situation they are all placed in, it just perplexed me. I feel that if the film focused on being a straight up thriller, it could have been a pretty decent little flick. Not to mention a final shot that I found a rather bizarre choice to end on. Overall, Flight Risk contains strong performances, and is nicely directed, but narratively speaking it could have been a lot better.

With the boss of the "Moretti" crime family about to go on trial, his accountant "Winston" (Topher Grace) thought it better to skedaddle to the Alaskan wilderness. Unluckily for him, determined deputy marshal "Madolyn" (Michelle Dockery) tracks him down and engages the pilot of a single-prop aircraft to fly him back to New York to turn state's evidence. The pilot (Mark Wahlberg) is one of those annoyingly chirpy guys and off they set. It's gonna be a bumpy ride, but after she notices a few scars on this man, it proves to be a great deal bumpier as their tiny little cockpit becomes the scene for quite a power struggle. It's that claustrophobic environment and quite an engaging effort from Wahlberg that deliver here as this airborne game of cat and mouse hots up. Sure, it does repeat itself once too often and the story is really all quite predictably weak, but the scenario does work well enough and with Grace's wise-cracking and a competent performance from Dockery it's actually not a bad watch for ninety minutes.