Mel Gibson’s Flight Risk has finally made it to the big screen, and the reception is not good. With many factors at play, Gibson’s latest creation has people wondering what went wrong.
Hitting theatres on January 24th, Flight Risk had a level of momentum behind it. The film had very strong promotional backing, with the focus being on Mark Wahlberg, and trailers released had an air of eeriness surrounding them, making the intriguing enough premise become even more appealing to see in theatres. Upon its release, along with the subsequent days that followed, all interest has tanked.
The film follows Madelyn Harris, (played by Michelle Dockery) whose primary objective is to capture and deliver a possible witness (played by Topher Grace) to the proper authorities. Topher’s character Winston is a former accountant for a crime boss named Moretti. Along during the trip is a certain Pilot (really, the name of the character is never revealed and is simply referred to in the character list as “Pilot”) played by Mark Wahlberg, who is revealed to be in cahoots with Moretti. As the story progresses you find out the agency Madelyn works for has been compromised by Moretti and she has to trace the mole while in the air.
The premise sounds interesting, and the story has its upsides. Winston is in many places a witty, interesting, and entertaining character. On the ground there is also an air traffic control man named Hasan, (played by Monib Abhat) who is arguably the best character of the whole film, and the ending where his face is finally revealed is a bright spot.
On the other hand, the film is abysmal in many aspects. Madelyn’s character can be wooden at times and while the story takes place in the air, the entire plot takes forever to get off the ground, and in some aspects, never does. Moretti is constantly referenced but is never seen within the movie in vocal or physical appearance. If he was not the reason for Winston existing in the film, he may as well not have even existed. As well as a character with no substantial influence in the plot or on screen, the entire extra plot line surrounding Madelyn finding a mole is done completely over the phone. While some moments, including her piecing everything together to find the director of her organization is responsible, may have been entertaining momentarily they are not enough to justify its inclusion in the story.
Attached to the list of unnecessary plot points and characters, there is a sense of dishonest advertising with Mark Wahlberg extensive inclusion in trailers. The trailers would make you believe “Pilot” is the main character, and the film will to a degree revolve around two people fighting for their life with a maniac in the cockpit. This is simply not the case, as Wahlberg’s character spends two thirds of Flight Risk commotose, concussed, or squirming in the background of shots filled with senseless exposition.
The film has been panned by critics as well, with the Critic Consensus on Rotten Tomatoes being quite scathing.
“While there’s a place for high octane dumb fun, Flight Risk dives straight into unpleasant camp without a parachute,” the official review said.
Along with Rotten Tomatoes, Senior Jack Vogler believes the film was a waste of time.
“I don’t think it’s worth going to see it in the theater, maybe wait until it’s on streaming services. I also don’t think I’d watch it there though, honestly,” Vogler said.
In conclusion, Flight Risk isn’t worth spending money on to see in the theater, and it would be a preferable outcome to find another film to watch, or do something more productive with one’s time.
