This is kind of a terrible film. it just is, on so many levels, and none of them have to do with the politics around director Mel Gibson. it’s impossible, truly, to look at this film, and watch Braveheart, and somehow think that Mel Gibson is directing anywhere near the competency level he had. Even The passion Of The Christ and Apocalypto are better made films than this. Flight Risk feels like a film that Renny Harlin might have made to try and revive his career.
This film definitely has audio description, and I’d recommend it for all the odd little clues along the way that are supposed to help you get from point A to point B. But, the film is so basic there truly isn’t much to follow. What seems like a lot more fun is to listen to sighted people talk about how awful Mark Wahlberg’s wig/bald cap looks.
And yes, real actors came for Mel Gibson. Michelle Dockery is the one thing he did right. The saving grace is that this absolutely predictable and pointless thriller stars an actress who never gets her due. Dockery should have better vehicles than this, but I’m just happy she has a true lead role. Topher Grace is basically doing a version of everything he’s done throughout his career. He’s just a little bit sketchier and more anxious (if that’s even possible). But Mark Wahlberg takes the cake. Wahlberg, who has been stuck in a string of mediocre streaming releases for a while now, basically was handed a role by Gibson, and directed to play it like Nicolas Cage would. Make it weird. make it uncomfortable. make moments out of nothing, catch phrases that only work because they make you cringe, and by all accounts embrace the possibility that you will be the worst actor of the year. cage is able to pull it off and look good doing it, most of the time. When Wahlberg just starts doing this dumb accent and casually talking to topher Grace about prison rape, it just feels so gross. He is also easily nerfed for most of the film, while they fly on the plane, and despite being the biggest name, and the villain, is one of the easiest to defeat foes in an action movie.
this movie is so bad, Mel Gibson must know it is. If he can’t discern that he just directed a film impossible to love, on a serious and unironic note, then perhaps the directors chair is no longer for him. Some movies crumble because they were never given the support, but when a movie that takes place almost entirely in one location fails with an Oscar Winning director, it isn’t because of external studio interference. It is just simply a giant mistake and the person responsible is the captain of the ship. Unfortunately, we can take his life, but we can never take his freedom… to direct films like Flight Risk.
Rotten: final Grade: D, Audio description: B+
