Plane (2023)

Plane (2023)

 

7/10

 

Starring

Gerard Butler

Mike Colter

Yoson An

Tony Goldwyn

 

Directed by Jean-Francois Richet

 

Plane is a nice film, and I enjoyed it. I also liked the direction the movie took, shifting from a one-man Terminator show to having the crew saved by mercenaries. The movie didn’t go all out with impossible scenario after impossible scenario and instead made the mercenaries show up just in time to take more control of the situation and save the man of the moment, Captain Brodie (Gerard Butler).

Plane is an action thriller that, for me, doesn’t waste time giving too much unnecessary depth to the characters. It gives a brief intro and well-laid-out goals to cement the characters, then doesn’t drag the ending.

The movie is direct and easy to follow. It maintains a tempo that I enjoyed and shows more control over the unfolding events than letting the situations fully dictate the movie. Surviving a plane crash landing is one thing, but surviving a crash landing on an island run by militants is another.

The plane crash-lands in Jolo, and the militants immediately get to work rounding up the passengers to ransom them. Before this, we’re introduced to Louis, a former French Foreign Legion soldier who’s being extradited to Canada. Since no one knows why he’s onboard or why he’s handcuffed, they keep their distance. Louis acts like he’s not ready to work with others, but the captain, in his effort to find help and safeguard his crew and passengers, decides to bring him along.

Louis proves to be an asset in the mission to find help. When they manage to get a message out about their location, the airline contacts mercenaries to help, since the Philippines military isn’t willing to get involved (how possible this is, is another different story). When the two return to their camp (set up beside the plane), they find that the militants have taken their entire party hostage.

With little hesitation, Brodie decides to rescue his crew and passengers, with Louis along for muscle support. From here, the movie takes a more sensible direction, instead of diving headfirst into the unrealistic idea of two men taking on a group of militants. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mike Colter do something, so that was a welcome sight. It’s odd that they’re planning a sequel, though. I feel like this movie is fine as it is, and if the makers want to make another similar movie, a standalone would be best.