Plane
Plane is in theaters at the time of writing. Rated R. Common Sense says 15.
STORY: C
It’s a pretty solid setup for an action movie: a plane crashes on a Pacific island controlled by violent militias and separatists. When the passengers are kidnapped, Captain Brody Torrance (300’s Gerard Butler) and a prisoner with a mysterious past (Luke Cage’s Mike Colter) must team up in order to save them.
The story feels like an 80s throwback. It’s got no time for complicated subplots or in-depth backstory, which can often be a good thing for a popcorn flick. It’s also full of stereotypical characters saying stereotypical things. Plus, a bunch of racist villain caricatures. Those are not good things for any film. It wants to be breath-taking, but the story briskly becomes bare-bones and banal.
PEOPLE: C-
If there’s one thing the late 90s band Chumbawamba is famous for, it’s for their cringe-catchy song “Tubthumping” (look it up). You better believe when folks buy a concert ticket, they expect to hear that song. If there’s one thing Gerard Butler is famous for, it’s for being in Gerard Butler movies. He’s a talented actor who has more than enough ability to play all sorts of roles. But like Chumbawamba, he knows what people expect when they see his name on the movie poster. He’s amazing at it. He delivers.
My biggest disappointment is Louis Gaspere (the character, not Mike Colter the actor). His resume sounds like an all-time fascinating character: Mysterious convict. Foreign Legion soldier of fortune. A victim of a misunderstanding, who now gets a shot at redemption. Mike Colter does all he can with the role, but the way the film uses him gives off the same vibe as your friend who bought a tricked-out Lambo but only drives it when he needs to go to Kroger.
FILM NERD STUFF: B
There’s some really good stuff here. Even before the thrilling crash, the opening sequence is rather strong. The boarding scene is wonderful exposition. We know exactly what each passenger is like as we watch them interact with the crew. The crash lets Torrance show off his bravery, toughness, and quick wits. It’s no wonder the passengers pin their hopes on him when things go south on the island.
The first fight sequence is shot amazingly well. It’s tough to develop true tension when we all know Butler won’t be killed off with an hour left to go. But the camera rolls and rumbles right across the floor with them, and the close angle creates a chaotic combination of confusion and dread. It allows a brawl that lacks tension to sizzle with kinetic energy. It’s an excellent scene.
MAYHEM, LIKE GERARD (Elective Class): D
At one point, Torrance looks out the cockpit window and screams, “If they hit the gas tanks we’re a goner!” The moment grabbed my attention because he nearly looks straight at the camera. I realized he’d been doing that a lot. It reminded me of someone, and after a few minutes I realized who: the “Mayhem, Like Me” guy from the Allstate commercials. The guy who stares directly into the camera and tells you how much danger you’re in and the terrible details of every bad thing that’s about to happen to you.
Theoretically, Captain Brody is supposed to be sharing information with the other characters. But in reality, he’s sharing it with us, the audience. This movie’s biggest moments boil over with a billion bellowed lines of exposition. The story and its visuals don’t do a good enough job of explaining everything that’s going on, so the filmmakers make the characters tell us the information directly. It’s lazy storytelling.
FINAL COMMENTS:
If you’re in the mood for a semi-decent action movie that requires zero thinking, then I definitely recommend picking up a Plane ticket, preferably on the big screen.