Flight Risk Review: Mediocre Action Thriller Never Takes Off

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Are you in need of a pilot for an upcoming project? It seems that Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson are set to join forces yet again. Previously, they shared the screen in the Daddy’s Home films and the 2022 biographical drama Father Stu. Now, Gibson will take on the role as director for Wahlberg in a new film titled Flight Risk. This action-packed thriller introduces Michelle Dockery as Madelyn Harris, a Deputy U.S. Marshal tasked with transporting a witness named Winston (Topher Grace) to trial. However, when the pilot, portrayed by Wahlberg, is unmasked as an assassin, she must ensure Winston’s safety.

The film, Flight Risk, offers some enjoyable moments, yet ultimately fails to live up to its potential as a typical popcorn movie. Interestingly, director Mel Gibson chose to take on this project, having previously directed more elaborate films like Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Apocalypto, and Hacksaw Ridge, which garnered Oscar nods. This film, however, isn’t likely to receive any awards and doesn’t aim to. Instead, Gibson is going for a straightforward, entertaining approach, transforming writer Jared Rosenberg’s script into a high-octane action thriller set in a single location.

Compared to movies like Non-Stop, Flight Risk shares similarities with the 2020 Joseph Gordon-Levitt thriller 7500 and last year’s underappreciated South Korean film Hijack 1971. However, unlike some other films in this genre, it doesn’t quite live up to its potential. The plot revolves around two characters being trapped on a plane with an assassin, who is the only one capable of flying the plane. They are both untrained pilots and their captor is a ruthless killer determined to eliminate them. Although certain aspects of this movie deliver the suspense you’d anticipate, it unfortunately suffers from inconsistencies in quality.

The initial scene in “Flight Risk” is well-executed. Topher Grace, known for his charming screen presence, delivers Eric Forman-like sarcasm effectively as Winston. From the start, both Winston and Madelyn express frustration towards each other. Not long after, Mark Wahlberg enters the scene, swapping his Boston accent for a deep Southern drawl. As Winston uncovers that this pilot is not who he claims to be, tension builds as he struggles to get Madelyn to see things his way.

As a dedicated viewer, I must admit that the initial twist in this film, where the lead character reveals his secret identity as a hitman, was intriguing. However, my main gripe with this movie lies in its narrative structure. The good guys seem to be consistently prevailing for an excessive amount of time, which somewhat dampens the suspense and tension that should typically accompany such a plot. Despite Mark Wahlberg being the primary focus of promotional materials, his screen time is significantly reduced, often finding him handcuffed and relegated to the sidelines.

For comparison, consider the 1994 movie “Speed”. In this film, the characters are also trapped in a moving vehicle, but the antagonist consistently holds the upper hand, keeping the good guys on edge throughout the story. Conversely, the villain in our current film appears more like a chatterbox, incapable of physically threatening the protagonists. This disparity in adversary strength seems to be a significant factor contributing to the movie’s underperformance.

It’s still enjoyable to see Wahlberg portray a villainous character. Since his 1996 film Fear, he’s mostly been cast as the hero in action roles such as The Family Plan, Uncharted, and Infinite (which I don’t think is as poorly received as some people claim). Here, he delves into the most exaggerated villain role yet, and he pulls it off quite well. His character inflicts pain and death with obvious enjoyment, much like Wahlberg seems to be relishing this part. However, the character lacks complexity due to being overly one-dimensional, but Wahlberg certainly gives it his all in this performance.

Speaking of Speed, the film’s success lies in its non-stop action with characters constantly overcoming challenges, ranging from traffic jams to schoolchildren to a stroller loaded with cans. On the other hand, Flight Risk often excels when it follows this pattern, but there are instances where the tension dwindles and the peril dissipates. Unfortunately, Madelyn’s learning curve for flying a plane is too steep in the script, making her proficiency seem unrealistic, and the screenplay fails to capitalize on her initial struggle.

Occasionally, Flight Risk appears to be a cunning film pretending to be intelligent, yet it occasionally slips up and reveals its true nature as a straightforward action movie. There are certain script decisions that leave one scratching their head, such as the hitman drawing a knife on our protagonists early in the story, only for Madelyn and Winston to conveniently forget about it and let it slip from the hitman’s grasp. This oversight had me shouting at the screen for them to locate and secure the weapon. Additionally, there’s an extremely forced plot device where Madelyn must wear a specific piece of clothing unnecessarily, only to later overlook its disappearance. This plot point serves to escalate the tension in the second half of the film, but Madelyn’s obliviousness to her surroundings felt more like poor performance than a clever plot twist.

In essence, Flight Risk struggles to gain altitude. While it introduces a secondary plot unfolding on the ground, the audience is primarily confined within the plane, limiting our engagement with these events and characters. The movie’s potential is hampered by excessive humor that falls flat, unsuccessful attempts at audience-pleasing moments, and Wahlberg being largely immobilized throughout the film, often repeating a repetitive threat like, “I’ll make you suffer, and I’ll enjoy it!” This could be rephrased as: Flight Risk doesn’t reach its full potential. It presents an intriguing subplot happening on the ground, but instead of showing these events, we only hear about them, keeping us trapped in the claustrophobic confines of the plane. The humor is ineffective, the crowd-pleasing moments miss the mark, and Wahlberg’s character is mostly incapacitated, frequently uttering a repetitive threat.

SCORE: 5/10

According to the review guidelines on ComingSoon, a rating of 5 signifies “Average” or “Mediocre.” In this case, the film’s strengths and weaknesses balance out, resulting in an overall neutral evaluation.

Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Flight Risk review.

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2025-01-24 02:10