Flight Review

Rated R (Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Language, Sexuality/Nudity and an Intense Action Sequence)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 18 Minutes

Cast-

Denzel Washington-Captain William 'Whip' Whitaker

Kelly Reilly-Nicole Maggen

Bruce Greenwood-Charlie Anderson

Don Cheadle-Hugh Lang

John Goodman-Harling Mays

Nadine Velazquez-Katerina Marquez

Tamara Tunie-Margaret Thomason

Brian Geraghty-Ken Evans

Melissa Leo-Ellen Block

Garcelle Beauvais-Deana Whitaker

Justin Martin-Will Whitaker

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Denzel Washington stars as an alcoholic airline pilot in Robert Zemeckis' latest film, "Flight."

Denzel Washington has held many jobs. He's been a Civil War soldier, a hardline human rights activist, an FBI agent, a football coach, a corrupt narcotics detective, a burnt-out bodyguard, a drug lord, an MTA transit dispatcher, a railroad engineer, and finally an airline pilot in director Robert Zemeckis' latest film, "Flight." While he may have had a few critical duds over his 30-plus-year career, there's no disputing the fact that Washington is an outstanding actor who consistently delivers a compelling performance even in his worst films. "Flight" marks Zemeckis' return to live-action filmmaking since 2000's "Cast Away" after spending the past decade focusing solely on motion capture computer animation with films like 2004's "The Polar Express," 2007's "Beowulf," and 2009's "A Christmas Carol," all of which received mixed to lukewarm reviews. He's certainly capable of making a great film ("Back to the Future" anyone?) but "Flight" is a serious misfire from Zemeckis as it features a wholly unsympathetic protagonist, a meandering pace, and a sudden shift in tone in the last ten minutes that completely derails the film despite Washington's excellent performance. 

After a night of booze, sex and drugs, airline pilot Captain William 'Whip' Whitaker (Denzel Washington) wakes up in his Orlando hotel room with flight attendant Katerina Marquez (Nadine Velazquez) with a major hangover. He snorts a line of cocaine to wake up before boarding SouthJet Air Flight 227 to Atlanta, Georgia. Due to a severe rainstorm, the plane experiences heavy turbulence during take-off but Whitaker manages to push through by speeding up while continuing to climb. He switches control over to his co-pilot Ken Evans (Brian Geraghty) and takes a nap after mixing himself a screwdriver (orange juice spiked with vodka). Approaching their destination, a sudden jolt awakens Whitaker as the plane goes into a steep dive. Springing to action, he performs a risky maneuver by rolling the plane upside down, which stabilizes and slows its descent. Whitaker flips it right-side-up again and maintains a glide despite total engine failure. The plane crash-lands into an open field, knocking Whitaker out. Pulled from the wreckage, Whitaker wakes up in a hospital and is greeted by old friend Charlie Anderson (Bruce Greenwood), a representative of the airline's pilots union. Anderson reveals to him that there were only six casualties with ninety-six surviving. Among those lost was Katerina. Although hailed as a hero, Whitaker finds himself the subject of an investigation by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) as questions begin to arise on what really happened on Flight 227. 

"Flight" is being advertised by Paramount Pictures as an 'action-packed mystery thriller' but it is actually a character drama/morality play…and not a very good one. The first thirty minutes of the film are undoubtedly the best as it opens to the gratuitous nude form of Nadine Velazquez walking around a hotel room while Washington's Whip Whitaker argues with his ex-wife (Garcelle Beauvais) on the phone. After a nerve-wracking take-off, there's a short lull before the plane suddenly goes into a steep dive, leading to an intense and even panic-inducing sequence where Whitaker pulls a miraculous 'Sully' Sullenberger, yelling out a series of instructions while keeping his cool. It's a tightly-edited scene, even if Zemeckis' camera largely stays within the confines of the cockpit. The actual crash happens off-screen and is only shown in full as part of a news broadcast. Unfortunately, the film then nosedives into a meandering melodrama as we're treated to repeated scenarios of Whitaker trying to beat his alcohol addiction but always failing at the first sign of stress. A romance also develops between Whitaker and a recovering heroin addict named Nicole (Kelly Reilly) yet it feels shoehorned in and adds little to the story. 

The main character is not especially likable or sympathetic, not because he's a drunk and refuses to get help but because he's a selfish bastard. During a funeral for Katerina, Whitaker has the gall to ask one of the flight attendants he saved to lie for him during the inquiry. At times, the film can get laughably preachy; Whitaker's visit to his co-pilot Ken Evans at the hospital devolves into a farce as his wife Sheila (Bethany Anne Lind) repeatedly says 'Praise Jesus!' as if she were possessed. However, the last fifteen minutes of "Flight" completely jumps the shark as the film becomes a cheesy afterschool special where Whitaker has a sudden epiphany when asked if Katerina was an alcoholic. It begins with a contrived scenario where the hotel room next to his is unlocked, allowing Whitaker to raid the mini-bar. Charlie and Whitaker's lawyer Hugh Lang (Don Cheadle) find the pilot passed out in the bathroom and wakes him from his drunken stupor by giving him cocaine, which Whitaker happily snorts in a scene that is supposed to be funny but is not. During the inquiry by the NTSB, Whitaker sees a photo of Katerina and overwhelmed with emotion, admits that he is an alcoholic. It's a completely unrealistic shift given what we've seen for the past two hours. "Flight" could've been a compelling exploration of one man's attempt to overcome his vices but the heavy-handed direction and the slow pacing just ruins the film, which is disappointing given the level of talent involved. 

Denzel Washington manages to deliver another fine performance despite the mediocrity surrounding him. Convincingly unsympathetic, he fills Whitaker with an inflated ego even as he is consumed by his demons. It's a foregone conclusion that Washington will receive a nomination at next year's Academy Awards, although his chances of winning are slim. The rest of the supporting cast is given very little to do. Kelly Reilly is one-note as Whitaker's love interest while Bruce Greenwood and Don Cheadle are reduced to running around trying to keep the pilot on a tight leash with his alcoholism. John Goodman also pops up as drug dealer Harling Mays, a role that is played for laughs but just comes off as awkward and out of place, as if he just waltzed in from a completely different film. 

"Flight" was released on November 2, 2012 to largely positive reviews with 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it to be 'a thoughtful and provocative character study propelled by a compelling performance from Denzel Washington.' While I share the same sentiment about Washington, I cannot see this film as 'thoughtful' or 'provocative.' More like 'melodramatic' and 'preachy.' Although it debuted to only 1884 theaters, the film managed to pull in $24.9 million over opening weekend, a testament of Washington's audience appeal. I really wanted to like "Flight" but Zemeckis' melodramatic approach reduces the film into an uninspired, pontificating life lesson. This is by far one of the biggest disappointments of 2012.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"Nobody could've landed that plane like I did."