Flight Risk

If Flight Risk had come out in its spiritual home of the 1990’s there’s a chance it could now be regarded as a cult classic.

A typically of the time, all in one setting, quasi-real time thriller made up of some brilliantly fun but brilliantly batshit moments.

It’s rather an outlier for Mel Gibson but is a big, dumb, silly film that knows exactly what it is.

It’s a classic b-movie cinema experience which will have you laughing at it as much as with it at points but it’s easy to love and easy to enjoy with a big tub of popcorn and a smile on your face.

A predictable story of a US Marshal flying a fugitive about to testify against a mob boss where the pilot is actually a hitman sent by said mob boss to take them out.

A bald, lecherous and singing Mark Wahlberg brilliantly plays the Terminator-like hitman who continues to get up after increasingly escalating knocks. It’s the sort of film where smart people make obviously silly decisions but you go along with it anyway.

The amount of plot holes are akin to the amount of damage the plane sustains but there’s something about this format and style of film, especially when it knows how ridiculous it is, that keeps you from caring about that and caring more for its characters.

Having said that, the limitations of the setting can be felt at points, particularly early on. You’ll be left wondering where things are going to go initially before the pace picks up.

There are stretches where you’ll wonder if drinking a Moretti every time they mention the name Moretti (the crime boss) will make things more enjoyable but it’s worth sticking with.

An old fashioned and easy to sneer at piece of silliness that is inherently lovable and an enjoyable time in front of a big screen.

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