Flight

[MacGuffin]

Release date: Nov. 2, 2012

Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Leo

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Premise: An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunctions reveals something troubling.

[Pubrick]

i have no idea how Zemeckis keeps getting money to make films after running a studio into the ground and ruining an entire PLANET but i'm glad someone gave him a lifeline back to the real world, this looks interesting.

might also be the first good non-spike Denzel in 17 years.

[polkablues]

The only Denzel I like nowadays is Tony Scott Denzel, because that dude don't give a SHIT.

[RegularKarate]

Super glad that Zemeckis is back to live action.  No matter how bad of a movie he makes, he always does something to impress me in each movie (not including the creepy cartoons he's been making).

Zemeckis always insists on showing the entire movie in the trailer.  Why?

[Pwaybloe]

might also be the first good non-spike Denzel in 17 years.

I think you might be right.  It looks original, but, yeah, why the hell show the entire movie in the trailer?

Oh, and Scorsese is crying right now that someone else is using Gimme Shelter. 

[72teeth]

he's Rolling in his Shelter.

[DocSportello]

Spoilers



Everyone I've talked to loved this movie, and I get it. It was a great Denzel performance and he will undoubtedly be nominated for it come awards season. I enjoyed watching him in such a self-destructive role and I wanted the character to stop drinking and clean his shit up. The crash sequence was genuinely intense and just long enough to make me feel like I was actually going down with the passengers and crew. But damn if this movie just wasn't enough.

First off, I didn't give a shit about the junkie chick and found no reason for her being there other than for Denzel to have someone to talk to. I mean, it's not like he had any shortage of people wanting him to clean his act up. I guess maybe it was the fact that she was getting clean too? But even still, I just didn't find her to carry any real substance.

Then there's John Goodman's ridiculous drug-messiah character, carrying with him a classic rock soundtrack wherever he goes.

Oh, and Scorsese is crying right now that someone else is using Gimme Shelter

Sheesh. All of movies should retire both Gimme Shelter and Sympathy for the Devil from their repertoire already. It's like everyone thinks their movie will be cool and hip-to-the-scene if they play one of these two Stones songs. When I heard the bongos from Sympathy start I rolled my eyes. And that's not all the movie pulled from Marty. That wonky push-in of the camera while Denzel snorts his first line of coke? C'mon Zemeckis, Goodfellas and Boogie Nights called, they want their moves back. I knoooow everyone steals from everyone else but in this case these things just came off as desperate.

And James Badge Dale showing up as the cancer patient was transparent and flat. That scene should have been about Whip and the girl. Instead it ended up feeling unnecessary. Another reason she made no difference at all.

Great performance, refreshing to see it out of the man. But not the powerhouse of a movie everyone led me to expect.

[samsong]

the plane going down (oh, i mean, spoilers!!!) is easily one of the most gripping scenes ever.  it's nuts.  after that--which accounts for over two hours of the running time--it turns into an afterschool special.  denzel's beat the horse dead playing up his dark side.  he's gonna have to start acting in another language to change things up.