By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
As someone who is actually afraid of flying and finds it more a necessary evil, the last thing I needed to see was a movie about an airplane crash-landing due to inclement weather especially since I'm set to fly this weekend amid a brutal storm. However, I just couldn't resist Gerard Butler ("Greenland") teaming with Mike Colter ("I'm Charlie Walker" and TV's "Evil") in the dramatic, new movie
"Plane."
Directed by
Jean-Francois Richet, ("The Emperor of Paris"), "Plane,” is a real, white-knuckle ride from start to finish.
In the film, Butler plays Brodie Torrance, a commercial pilot. Although the airline's top brass hasn’t forgiven him for getting into a physical altercation with a drunk passenger, he is well liked and respected by his colleagues, including his favorite flight attendant Bonnie (Oakland's Daniella Pineda, "Jurassic World: Dominion").
Although Brodie's wife recently died, he still has an easygoing and pleasing personality. The apple of his eye now is his daughter Daniela (Haleigh Hekking, TV's "Action Royale"). He's looking forward to spending more time with her now that she's on break from college.
First, Brodie must prepare for a New Year's Eve flight from Singapore to Tokyo. He's made that hop many times.
Before departure he gets a bit of a surprise. A passenger named Louis Gaspare (The phenomenal Mike Colter, "I'm Charlie Walker" and TV's "Evil") is being extradited to the United States for murder. The menacing looking Louis is handcuffed and escorted on the plane by FBI Agent, Officer Knight, (Otis Winston, "Greenland"). Brodie isn't comfortable with the arrangement, but there isn’t much he can do.
A more pressing issue is the flight plan he gets from a company exec. Brodie notice that he will have to fly through a major thunderstorm. He doesn't believe it's safe, but the corporate honcho tells him he should be able to fly above it.
No sooner than Brodie and his youthful co-pilot Dele (a terrific Yosan An, "Mulan") are airborne, the weather turns really frightful, and the passengers are in for a bumpy and turbulent ride. Then it gets worse. Lightning strikes the aircraft, knocking the power out and forcing the plane to land. Initially, there's no place in sight to put it down. Brodie manages to find a spot on a remote island in the Philippines.
Everybody survives the horrifying ordeal except a flight attendant and Officer Knight. Now, who is going to keep an eye on Louis?
The action cranks up when the passengers realize they are on an island with a violent militia, run by a savage named Junmar (an excellent Evan Dane Taylor, "West Side Story"). Getting everyone off the island alive will take some strategic maneuvering by Brodie.
Fortunately, he gets a major assist from a whip smart, former Special Forces officer (A fantastic Tony Goldwyn, "King Richard"), a Rambo style mercenary (Remi Adeleke, “Underground" and TV's "Invasion), the airline owner (Paul Ben-Victor, "Emancipation" and TV's, "The Mob Boss") and surprisingly, even Louis, the murderer.
There is nothing complicated about "Plane." It's a pure old school actioner that gets in and gets the job done in 107 exciting minutes.
Gerard Butler and Mike Colter really make "Plane" soar. The supporting cast which includes Joey Slotnick (TV's "New Amsterdam"), Jessica Nam ("Shazam! Fury of the Gods"), and Lilly Krug ("Shattered") are good too. They bring a humorous and realistic vibe to the action.
On the movie front, January is starting out with a bang. Last week was "M3GAN," the killer doll movie and now "Plane" which is just plain awesome.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at my new times of 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Check Out This Trailer For
"PLANE"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
