Turbulences 3

A dumb direct to video movie about a shock rock concert on a plane taken over by satanists who want to bring about the end of the world and open the gate to hell.

Its really a good film thats completely mindless, but a lot of fun. Hey the actors, Joe Mantegna, Rutger Hauer and others got paid and we get to smile knowingly. I think the key to enjoying the film is just giving yourself over to it and accepting it as the mindless, "I can't believe people are actually dumb enough to make a movie like this" sort of way. It is dumb but if you go with it you may have a good time. To be certain this film probably should not have been released in 2001, but it appearance was purely a coincidence.

I was kind of mystified by the fact that they made two sequels to "Turbulence", a movie that didn't do well with both critics and the box office. Finally seeing it several months ago, I could understand why. But I decided to see this second "sequel" (it has nothing to do with the events of the first movie... and probably the second movie as well) since I had the opportunity to see it for free.

Well, this Canadian movie is one of the few that has something distinctly Canadian in it (the plane is flying to the city Toronto). And the production values aren't as cheap as with many Canadian films, though some of the interiors of the plane look kind of cheesy. (Plus, the stock footage used is VERY obvious, since it came from a much more expensive film.) Also, I found that the choice for the hero chosen to fight the villains on the plane kind of a surprise. Usually this particular kind of character in hostage situations like this remains helpless until the very end.

That's about all that's positive I can say about this movie. While I didn't find the movie terrible, I did find it pretty dull. There are pretty much no surprises in this movie. If you've seen one hostage movie, you have seen this one. Plus, the movie took a surprisingly long time to unfold - 3/4 of the movie goes by before the good guys finally start fighting back.

Note to Rutger Hauer fans - it's pretty obvious that all of his scenes were filmed in one day.

I suppose the main question is why Rutger Hauer's even in this film, playing a role that could have been played by literally anyone and only interacting with about two other cast members throughout the entire running time. But never mind.

Yes. Turbulence 3, then. Here's the story: a Goth rocker holds a live Internet-broadcast concert on a plane, but gets himself knocked out and replaced by a conveniently identical Satanic terrorist who wants to crash the plane into Kansas, leaving him to struggle free, fight his way through the other terrorists, clear his name and save everyone on board. Yes, the hero of this film is a skinny death rocker in full Goth make-up, whose only allies are a hacker and Gabrielle Anwar as the world's least convincing FBI agent several hundred miles away.

Sound good? Go ahead, watch it - it's appalling, and tries to serve up all the very worst Hollywood cliches as if they were ingredients in a full gourmet meal. Where's Ray Liotta when you need him?

This movie is a truckload of great ideas bogged down in a morass of hokey execution. Production values are ok, the film quality is _great_, but the dialogue is stilted and camera work mundane. There is also very little plot. It also seems to be a showcase of actors who's careers have been or could have been. Rutger Hauer, Gabrielle Anwar, Joe Mantegna, Craig Sheffer, the little baldish tv director who used to play hitmen (including on the episode "Bushido" of Miami Vice).

PROS:

Concept: a Marilyn Manson type gothic (-ish) rocker has organized a concert in the sky, complete with mock executions and The Hitcher is your co-pilot. (But wait, a gang of _real_ satanists want to hijack the plane and crash it into an unknown town in Kansas... )

Monika Schnarre, who must be one of the most beautiful women on earth. I'd never heard of her, and she's already 30? Maybe it's just the razor sharp cheek bones, strong chin, the red hair and the fact that she's covered head to toe in black leather...

Gabrielle Anwar, who is hot although not quite up to her more youthful standard of Body Snatchers (1993 - what happened to _her_ career?).

Rutger Hauer seems to be having a good time reliving his Hitcher days.

CONS:

Hokey

Poor dialogue

No plot to really speak of

The actors start losing the spirit halfway through this unlikely mess, specially Gabrielle Anwar and Joe Mantegna.

Church of the Stull?

The movie has a distinctively Canadian feel to it.

I have to admit that I only caught the last half of this movie on cable, but I liked what I saw. John Mann is a capable stand-in (at least visually) for the Alice Cooper-wannabe set, plus (with the aid of stand-ins, no doubt) he gets to kick the bejeezus out of his "evil twin" terrorist enemy and save the day. Say what you will about the "evil influence" of rock 'n' roll music-- this time the rock star is a good guy, and John Mann does the role proud.