Jean-François returns to blockbuster Cinema with Gerard Butler and Mike Colter taking the stage. Jean-François Richet is best known for his work in France, notably the ‘Mesrine,’ a two-part crime epic. Now he’s taking on ‘Plane,’ a high-energy film with plenty of “hurrah” moments built in for the audience. You may question if you want to get on airplanes again but it may restore some faith in the people flying them.
Captain Brodie Torrance is a single father dealing with the distance away from his teenage daughter played by Haleigh Hekking. His scheduled flight from Singapore to Tokyo should just be another routine flight, but one thing after another keeps portending a bad time. The arrival of a criminal is added to the flight for transport as well as a storm surging towards them, but the airline Trailblazer demands they go out.
Once the plane is in the air it becomes apparent that they are going to have to make a crash landing. As the crew finds themselves on a separatist island in the Philippines, it leaves them fending for survival. Between the crew and the Trailblazer Headquarters, the movie moves fast as it makes sure to trim any ounce of fat. Before we know it we are up in the air again!
As a star, you have to have key elements down. Can you ride a horse, drive an automated car, and shoot a gun? Crying on cue is a must as well. Mere prerequisites that Gerard Butler has passed over his filmography. He is known for similar roles like ‘300’ and ‘Olympus Has Fallen,’ which all required training and attention to the visceral side of the script.
In ‘Plane,’ he is not unfamiliar with heroes we have seen before, but the performance put in by Butler convinces you of the efforts people can go to. Butler has shown the limits of the human body before being able to roll with the punches. The apparent age discrepancy is the comedic relief that gives the audience a breather, meaning we are really only getting a rest from the action when Capt. Torrance is taking his own breath. His character is witty enough to be meta at times.
It was refreshing to see an acknowledgment of the physical impact the hero is taking. Often it can seem fake as the hero takes one improbable hit after another. After one hand-to-hand combat fights, the hero is completely spent. His injuries are a reality as he gets put through the wringer while helping his passengers.
Known for his role as Luke Cage on the self-titled show on Netflix, Mike Colter is finally given a chance to show what he is capable of. A labeled character that is only getting judged by the cover on display. Colter’s character hates having his photo and video taken as he does not want to be objectified in that way.
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