A Review by Phil Calabro
2004, 20th Century Fox, Dir. John Moore - Starring Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibbons, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, Tony Curran, Sticky Fingaz, Jacob Vargas, Hugh Laurie, Scott Michael Campbell, Kevork Malikyan, Jared Padalecki, Paul Ditchfield
Something gives me an odd feeling that a movie like 'Flight of the Phoenix' will be easily ignored at the box office - it's everything the audiences have already seen, or feel they'd get bored of. The trailer depicts a wild plane crash, a couple jokes, and some old-timey rock songs. But once again, we are manipulated by the edginess of the preview that the real product is far from it. In fact, I'm going to be pretty straightforward - I liked 'Flight'. It's a movie that doesn't feel obliged to entertain the audience with some cheap thrills, but keep us enerved the entire time. The director is not interested in sparking little love affairs to make the movie happier, or stupid subplots to divert our attention - our characters need to get out of the desert as soon as possible, and that's about all they care about. 'Flight' is a high-flying suspense flick that will have you sweating bullets to see the outcome.
Based on the book by Elleston Trevor and the original 1965 screenplay, the story tells the tale about American pilot Frank Towns (Quaid) named and his co-pilot AJ (Gibbons) who have landed in Mongolia to transport the last remaining workers at an oil field which is about to shut down. Their plane encounters a gigantic sandstorm which causes the plane to crash in the middle of the desert, in an unknown location. With very little water and food, and no apparent sign from the a salvaging crew, the group seems to lose all hope. But a young bookworm named Elliot (Ribisi) claims to be an airplane designer and says that it is possible to build a new one if they work together. Towns, a bit on the arrogant side, shoots the idea down first, but then learns it's their only hope. They race against the clock to build the plane before a group of angry nomads track them down.
I really enjoy watching Dennis Quaid act, but he really needs to find a new agent. True, he plays this role just fine, but I guess he deserves a bit better. Denny seems to be losing his voice from all the screaming he's done in 'Day After Tomorrow' and this film. He's begun to build these adrenaline roles that he needs something quieter - which is why I'm anticipating 'In Good Company' next week. The best acting job goes to Giovanni Ribisi, who can get away with doing almost nothing in a movie yet still be the best (that's not a shutdown to the rest of the cast, they did just fine). His character of Elliot is sneaky, maniacal...it leads you into questioning his authority on plane building - asking yourself whether he's for real. We later find out his motives and experience, if he has any, of course. But I'll let you find that out for yourself. The chemistry between Towns and Elliot is really unbearable to watch at the end, where you begin to question their insanity as well.
There is a general uneasiness established in the second half of this movie - making it a worthwhile suspense to watch. The filming locations, set in Namibia, Africa, is hauntingly desolate - not only making it easy to film, but keeping the viewer on edge for the survivors' solitude. They have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide - if they step outside, they're bound to be ripped to pieces by the sandstorms. If they stay inside, they'll spark cabin fever. They need to strategize themselves to escape, but relying on the little rations they have. It's provoking to sit back and think about the pain the group is suffering under, which is what the director relies on entirely for 'thrills'. Speaking of thrills, the plane crash at the beginning of the film is possibly one of the most exciting scenes in the year's movies. It'll have you dizzy and tired by the end of all the ruckus - that leaves you with the striking aftermath to compensate. It's a rollercoaster ride that goes nowhere but down.
'Flight of the Phoenix' is a fun ride for thrill fans alike, but not necessarily for the intellectual crowd. Sure, it's a bit cheesy at times and sometimes downright annoying when they try desperately to turn up the humor factor (which isn't all that often, thank goodness). But in the end, you'll tense up like stone and staple yourself to your armrest trying to figure out how it's going to finish off.
