Vol à haut risque

I left the theaters about 25-30 mins ago and wrote this review

The movie isn't as bad as many critics say. I think Wahlberg does a fine job, as smooth and natural on-screen as he always is; and I like the lead actress who plays Agent Harris. The movie essentially takes place in one location (the plane), which might sound dull; but the pacing is well-done. I got reminded of movies like Panic Room and Phone Booth. In between the dueling with Wahlberg's character, the lead actress talks via satellite phone / radio with the US Marshall's office as well as a pilot who guides her: those parts are actually entertaining too. The radio-pilot (named Hasaan) has some charming lines, and the plot thread with the US Marshal's office adds another layer of suspense

That said -- it's still a very flawed movie. The premise requires large suspension of belief, and the plot follows a safe and predictable route that we've seen hundreds of times. All of the twists in this movie are poor; we can see those twists coming from a mile away. And while I like Walhberg and Dockery in their roles, I think that Topher Grace (the informant character) is not good. He displays some very poor acting at times. His character also inserts far too many comedic lines and moments, which broke up the tone. The movie involves two people trapped in a decrepit plane, surrounded by the desolate and harsh Alaskan mountains, with no pilot to steer the plane; yet somehow, the film atmospherically fails to convey the sense of dread and horror that you'd expect

And lastly - Wahlberg sports a balding hairstyle to make his character look creepier, I guess. But I thought this detail was poorly done. As soon as his character's toupee falls off, we actually can see that Wahlberg has a perfect hairline; he merely shaved the top of his head. The filmakers should have used some cosmetics to cover his hairline and make his look more realistic

5.5/10.

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.

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.

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.

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.