We seem to be in throwback mode right now at the movies. Last week’s “M3GAN” was a deep dive into ’80s killer doll movies and this coming Friday sees the release of “Plane,” a throwback action movie recalling the days of Arnold and Stallone. Reviews haven’t been terrible either with a 73% on Rotten Tomatoes and 65 on Metacritic. This is better than any of us expected the reception to be.
The plot is simplicity: A Pilot (Gerard Butler) and convicted murderer (Mike Colter) survive a plane crash, and the other surviving passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels on a war-torn island. Who else but our unlikely duo, despite their differences, to save the day.
This is a testosterone-fueled R-rated action movie that just wants to entertain, it’s also, maybe, the best of all of the Gerard Butler cheapie VOD-ready quickies we’ve seen the past few years. “Plane” is delivered in straightforward fashion, with no self-referential humor to its name. And yet, filmmaker Jean-Francois Richet does take the time to build semi-nuanced dimensions into his characters. You end up somewhat caring about the stakes at hand.
A big part of this film’s success has to do with Richet, he directed the two “Mesrine” films in France, he finds a nice silly gritty mood to his picture. This is also a great example of a movie completely taking advantage of its exotic setting. I do warn you though to go in with modest expectations; this isn’t any kind of thoughtful serious drama, it’s called “Plane” for chrissakes. But sometimes it’s not a terrible idea to buy a big bag of buttered popcorn and just check your brain at the door. That’s why movies like “Plane” exist in the first place.