Flight Risk

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.

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.

I'm glad I didn't see this at the movies... paid $6 on Prime and even still I feel a little cheated. This film had the potential of being a great move, but it just didn't meet par with suspense, dialogue, or entertainment. These are good actors, seasoned and good at their craft but I think the writers were lacking. They left them hanging and struggling to take what was written and make the movie believable.

Something is no longer good in Hollywood, the talent has fallen to an all-time low. I've noticed the "F" word is now mainstay with writers indicating they have little expertise in narrative.

I won't watch it again... maybe on a rainy day with no where to go and its the only thing available, then maybe.

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.

How can you rate this movie a 10/10? It's not even close to being Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers List, A Beautiful Life, Shawnshank Redemption, Gladiator, etc. Those movies aren't even rated 10/10. The acting and storyline was mediocre at best. After seeing this in theatres I thought it was a waste of money and should've just been released to Netflix directly. Don't get me wrong I'm a fan of Mel Gibson, Topher Grace, and Mark Wahlberg. Felt like it was a low budget movie. There were areas that were entertaining. However, I felt like this movie was lacking depth. Do yourself a favor and wait to watch this movie whenever it comes out on your favorite streaming service.