Movie Review: Plane!

Plane is a 2023 action thriller movie starring Gerard Butler, Tony Goldwyn, Mike Colter, and Paul Ben-Victor. The story starts innocuously enough with commercial Trailblazer Airlines Flight 119 flying from Singapore to Honolulu via Tokyo. Of course, the weather is bad and of course the greedy bosses at the airlines insist the pilot (Butler) fly above the storm to make their destination in time. The plane suffers damage during the storm over the South China Sea, but pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) ably assisted by his co-pilot Samuel Dele (Yoson An) makes an incredible landing on a seemingly uninhabited island with the loss of only two lives; an air hostess and the RCMP officer who is escorting fugitive Louis Gaspare (Colter) back to face justice. Of course, this is no ordinary island. It is home to a villainous gang that kidnaps foreigners, holds them to ransom to make their origin countries pay, and if not, they are executed. Could it get any worse? Yes! Prepare to perch on the edge of your seat and shovel that popcorn down in handfuls. This is not your usual air crash disaster movie.

I love disaster movies, especially airplane disasters, and I am a big Gerard Butler fan. After all, he has saved the American president thrice from terrorists (Olympus/London/Angel Has Fallen), has steered a nuclear submarine safely through heavily mined Russian waters (Hunter Killer) and saved the world from ecological disaster (Geostorm). When the end of the world comes, I want him on my team. Butler plays Torrance as not quite the anti-hero, but an ordinary man doing everything noble because, as the captain, he is responsible for the lives in his care. He is fighting for the survival of everyone on the plane, including himself. He does this without being schmaltzy or corny. Tony Goldwyn is excellent, as always, as Scarsdale, a former Special Forces officer who swoops in to run point at the airline’s headquarters. Louis Gaspare and Torrance team up to push the rescue mission while waiting for possible help to arrive. It’s a good team and you’ll be rooting for Gaspare to either escape or be vindicated. Surprise factor on that point!

This is an exceptionally good action movie with no soppiness and no long staring into the distance moments. The actual crash and dramatic events come thick and fast and although some elements are a bit far-fetched (the co-pilot manages to revive the electronics), well… who is going to point this it as not being credible. Not me. I’m no pilot. This is a happy ending with everyone, characters and viewers, being scared witless. The one sobering element is that much of the background story is true. Rebels and separatists do kidnap people for ransom; many are executed, and the Philippine government is probably too scared to send in troops without massive international backup. Pretty young women like a few of the characters on the plane would most likely be sold off to the highest bidder, never to be seen again. The suspense is incredible and isn’t that what an action thriller movie aims to achieve? Watch it. You won’t be disappointed. Don’t forget the popcorn. You’re going to need it.

TV Series review: Vigil

Vigil is a murder mystery/police procedural taking place on a British nuclear submarine. One of the officers dies under suspicious circumstances after a dramatic incident occurs at sea – a fishing vessel is dragged down to the depths of the ocean by another submarine. Chief Petty Officer Burke reports unusual sonar readings at the time, but the other officers and the captain disagree. When he is found dead in his cabin, DCI Amy Silva of the Scottish police is airlifted to the HMS Vigil’s secret location. Meanwhile, on land, a parallel investigation ensues concerning Burke’s background and associates. However, acts of sabotage continue on the Vigil … and it becomes clear that Burke was definitely murdered. International espionage and conspiracy are soon apparent, and one asks the question is Russia at the heart of this drama?

Like the curate’s egg, the series is good in some parts, but the mostly bad or annoying parts spoiled it for me. The opening scenes leading to the horrifying deaths of the fishermen and the incredible footage of the fishing trawler being dragged inexorably under are absolutely fantastic. I thought, this is the series for me. It was a great start which sadly dwindled to limping along, no matter the presence of acting stalwarts like Paterson Joseph, Adam James, Shaun Evans, Gary Lewis, and Stephen Dillane. The problem was not casting Suranne Jones as DCI Silva, but in directing her so that she came across as so badly crippled by PTSD that she should not have been allowed to drive, let alone head up a murder investigation in a cramped environment like a submarine. Her character went from annoying to agitated to hysterical. Her rendition of a police officer/detective was pathetic. No police officer would try to interrogate men during a nuclear sub drill, or is it just me? She also never wrote down a single statement from witnesses, despite having a notebook.

There were so many things wrong with the basics of the submarine setting that one wonders if they even got in an expert to help with details such as the layout, the protocols, the uniforms, the drills. I think the scriptwriters just winged it. Another very annoying angle which I found distracting and unnecessary--unless a woke agenda is part of the production--is Suranne’s sudden change from being a heterosexual female in a relationship with a man and sharing a daughter with him, to suddenly being in a lesbian relationship with a pushy, much younger police officer (Rose Leslie) who seems determined to get her gal. Couple this inconceivably sudden change of heart (while she is ostensibly mourning the loss of the beloved fiancé) with many jarring and completely inappropriate and repetitive flashbacks to both the accident in which she lost the fiancé and then shmaltzy romantic scenes with her lesbian lover. I got the feeling the audience was being played and I found an interesting article in which this writer, Mary Misasi, explains the phenomenon of queer-baiting. Read it; very enlightening.

I sat through Vigil because of the actors I do like, and I could see quite a gripping story beneath all the implausible stuff. Alas, there is a lot of unlikely bunkum related to Russia, the US, and the UK which anyone with a shred of knowledge of politics will spot. But, in all fairness, the mystery and espionage behind the murder do hang together coherently and if you can discount the ridiculous, you will enjoy the suspense. 3/5

 

TV Series review: Prodigal Son

I wasn't sure if I would like Prodigal Son, given that initially I did not find Tom Payne an appealing character in his portrayal of the nervy Malcolm Whitley, an empath (?) who now helps the police solve ‘interesting’ murders. But slowly as the plot unfolded, I was hooked. Tom Payne’s character shows via flashbacks what happened to turn him into this insomniac wreck, and it is truly chilling. The themes are dark and grim and there is murder and mayhem. Plus, a truly dysfunctional family such as you have never seen before.

 The talented Bellamy Young is absolutely gorgeous as the beautiful, (supposedly) spoiled socialite wife of now-incarcerated The Surgeon, a psychopathic serial killer, loving husband, and devoted father to two beautiful children who feel he has ruined their lives. Old sins cast long shadows... Martin Sheen is a complete scene stealer and just grabs each screen moment to win you over and make you think that, apart from having killed all those people, he is actually a really nice guy. Bellamy Young is amazing in what she can achieve while tottering around on killer (oops!) heels and when she and Sheen share a scene - well, sparks fly. They have a habit of taking of completely.

 There's a solid backing cast headed up by the ever-dependable Lou Diamond Phillips. But the series is not just about the serial killer and his victims. There are darker and deeper themes afoot. A riveting series. Season One ended on such a shocking cliff-hanger that I literally fell off the sofa. No spoilers here but I had no idea how things would be resolved until I started Season Two, which is just as promising. Pass the popcorn, please! 5/5

 

TV Series: Emergence Season One

Emergence is a cross between Stranger Things and Westworld but without the creepy horror factor. It is sci fi suspense at its best and gives food for thought regarding AI in the future. Allison Tolman plays a local police chief with such appeal that viewers will just love her. She is normal, a bit overweight, clever, ethical and always does the right thing. When she saves a young child from a plane wreck (the adorable Alexa Swinton), her life changes and so does everything else. 

Owain Yeoman shows up as a reporter trying to help her solve the mysteries that are beginning to pile up. Handsome with leading man looks, I am surprised he isn't getting top billing in a big screen movie. Veteran actor Clancy Brown plays Jo's dad, and the remaining cast members are just great - I would not change a single one of them. Each episode ends on a cliffhanger and I confess to more than a few 'just one more' sessions. Don't miss it. So nice to see realistic people in an excellent series. 5/5