FLIGHT RISK features a superb idea but a weak script

Flight Risk Review 2.0/5 & Review Rating

Director: Mel Gibson

Flight Risk Movie Review Synopsis:
FLIGHT RISK is a survival thriller. Winston (Topher Grace), an accountant to the gangster Moretti, is hiding in a remote part of Alaska after the gangster gets arrested. Madelyn Harris (Michelle Docker), a deputy US Marshal, locates Winston and nabs him. She is given a small plane and a pilot, Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg) to take her and Wiston safely to the city of Anchorage. The plane takes off and soon, Wiston and Madelyn realize that their pilot is actually a hitman sent by Moretti to assassinate the accountant. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Flight Risk Movie Story Review:
Jared Rosenberg’s story is arresting. But Jared Rosenberg’s screenplay is not without its share of blemishes. Jared Rosenberg’s dialogues are okay and some of the one-liners uttered by Mark are quite graphic and shocking.

Mel Gibson’s direction has the old-world feel. In fact, this genre, too, has been attempted after a long time. Some of the scenes are very nail-biting. The first half is much better and the way Winston realizes that the pilot is not who he claims to be is intriguing. The scene where Madelyn tases the hitman is also a great sequence. Since the run time is just 90 minutes, the film moves at a great pace.

On the flipside, the film gets quite silly after a point. The makers want to show the hitman creating havoc after being tied down. But in order to get to that point, the writer inserts a laughable bit of Madelyn’s sunglasses falling on the hitman and he uses it to break free. Moreover, the hit man is literally 5-6 feet away and it’s bewildering how Madelyn and Wiston didn’t realize what he is upto. The villain doesn’t have much to do after a point. Lastly, the buzz is limited and the absence of subtitles makes some dialogues difficult to comprehend.

Flight Risk Movie Review Performances:
Mark Wahlberg is damn good in the first negative role of his career. His body language and evil smile further enhance his performance. Michelle Dockery plays the lead role with panache. Topher Grace raises laughs and later on, gets the serious act right. Maaz Ali is great as the voice of Hasan, though a similar track was seen in the 2021 Hindi film FLIGHT.

Flight Risk movie music and other technical aspects:
Antônio Pinto’s music is well woven into the narrative. Johnny Derango’s cinematography is decent and thankfully, not jerky, as it happens in such films. David Meyer’s production design and Kristen Kopp’s costumes are appropriate. Action is realistic and not gory. Steven Rosenblum’s editing is slick.

Flight Risk Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, FLIGHT RISK rests on a superb idea but is marred by a weak and silly script. At the box office, the limited buzz will impact its box office collections.