'Mindless fun': Gerard Butler brings 'Plane' in for a smooth landing
Gerard Butler’s airline disaster flick “Plane” is not about the industry’s recent woes with widespread delays and flight cancellations. Nope, this “Plane” actually gets off the ground … and soars.
True, it’s a no-frills flight, kept aloft by its strong ’90s action-movie vibe in which an average guy is suddenly thrust into a life-and-death conundrum. Grab the big bucket of popcorn and fasten your seat belts for some mindless fun.
Set on a course by scripters Charles Cumming and J.P. Davis, director Jean-François Richet (“Mesrine: Killer Instinct”) faithfully follows a checklist of standard actioner tropes that include awesome set pieces, explosions, gun fights and just enough character development to make you care.
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Butler tops the manifest as Brodie Torrance, a pilot for Trailblazer Airlines, whose 6½-hour New Year’s Eve flight from Singapore to Tokyo has 18 passengers aboard. Despite a storm over the South China Sea, the captain is ordered to “push through the weather” to save on fuel costs.
Faster than you can say “brace for impact,” lightning strikes, frying the communication system and knocking out the control panel. Don’t worry, there’s no peril too big for Torrance as he crash-lands the jet on a remote island near the Philippines. One passenger calls it the “worst plane ride in the history of plane rides.” That’s an understatement.
Cue the gang of ruthless rebels, led by Junbar (Evan Dane Taylor), who take the survivors hostage, including Torrance’s young co-pilot (Yoson An) and a brave flight attendant (Daniella Pineda). Given he’s a Royal Air Force pilot infamous for placing a chokehold on a belligerent passenger, Torrance has no qualms about incorporating muscle, might and mind to save the day.
“My passengers, my responsibility,” he gruffs.
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Occupying one of the tilt-back seats is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer being extradited to the U.S. He’s all quiet menace and brute force, but knows his way around a machine gun. The two team up to save the other passengars and get Torrance back to his daughter (Haleigh Hekking) in Hawaii. But might there be more going on with Gaspare than Torrance first thought? And why won’t the Filipino army lend a hand?
Back at Trailblazer’s headquarters, a corporate type (Paul Ben-Victor) clashes with the company’s crisis manager (Tony Goldwyn) over how to solve the stalemate. Eventually, a freelance tactical team, led by a dude named Shellback (Remi Adeleke, a former Navy SEAL), is dispatched on a search-and-rescue mission.
Thus, the stage is set for a nail-biting, over-the-top climax that sends plausibility packing. But hey, we’ve come this far. That it works at all is due to Butler. Much like Liam Neeson, Butler (“London Has Fallen,” “Law Abiding Citizen”) is pretty good at grounding mindless action movies via a combination of physical strength, everyman appeal and just enough “aw-shucks” swagger. If you don’t take "Plane” too seriously, it’s a hoot, with Butler bringing it in for a smooth landing.
‘Plane’
Rating: R for violence and language
Running time: 107 minutes
Cast: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Daniella Pineda, Tony Goldwyn, Paul Ben-Victor, Evan Dane Taylor, Yoson An
Director: Jean-François Richet
Writer: Charles Cumming and J.P. Davis
Where to watch: In theaters
Grade: B
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: 'Mindless fun': Gerard Butler brings 'Plane' in for a smooth landing
