PLANE

UK/US, 2023, 107 minutes, Colour.

Gerard Butler, Mike Couter, Tony Goldwyn, Yosan An, Evan Dane Taylor, Paul Ben-Victor, Daniella Pineda.

Directed by Jean François Richet.

An extremely plain title! And Plane is what the film is all about.

Here, Gerard Butler is reclaiming his Scottish identity and accent. Audiences may have forgotten that he was The Phantom of the Opera on screen in 2004. However, his career, especially in the United States, has been in action films, something of a strong saviour figure in all kinds of desperate situations especially with films with “… has fallen ”In the title.

This film is lower key, especially in the first half. Gerard Butler plays a pilot based in Singapore, his wife dead for three years, his daughter studying in California, New Year’s Eve, his making contact to meet his daughter, a six hour flight to Tokyo, only 14 passengers. The weather forecast is somewhat dire but the authority figure decides that they will be able to ride through it.

They don’t. So, audiences can identify fairly quickly with the setup. However, there is one factor not told to the passengers, the sudden transporting of a criminal killer with an American agent, handcuffed, sitting at the back of the plane. (And audiences who have seen Wesley Snipes in Passenger 57 will be anticipating all kinds of mayhem on the flight – but this does not eventuate, far from it!)

The storm is severe, Butler and his pleasant co-pilot, Dele (New Zealand Chinese actor Yosan An) take the plane up to 40,000 feet, a strip are struck by lightning, lose power and connections, time their fuel supply and their searching for a possible landing spot – remote island in the Philippines, using a country road, safe landing, the casualties not due to violence but the crash.

The second part of the film has all the action violence. And not entirely implausible. They find they have landed on an island, abandoned by the Filipino government and military as too difficult, a home of rebels who take hostages and demand money.

Hence, a reasonable situation for an action film, the pilot trying to save the passengers, the threats of the terrorists, and a new role and interpretation of the criminal passenger.

In the meantime, the headquarters of the air company, the fixer coming in, press releases and conferences to cover all situations, the pilot using his wits and getting a message through via his daughter, an American squad landing, confrontations – and, of course, quite an exciting climax.

Perhaps we have seen all these ingredients before, not perhaps! But, the various situations, characters and issues are well put together for an enjoyable action show pastime.

1. The very plain title? The action living up to its name?
2. Drawing on inventions for plane disasters, storms, crash landings, survival – then the transition to terrorists, hostages, American intervention, the final drama of the takeoff and escape? Enjoyment for popular entertainment?
3. The setting, New Year’s Eve, Gerard Butler and his reputation in films, action, strong, saving situations? More ordinary here? Pilot, Singapore-based, UK experience, asserting his Scottish identity, the death of his wife, his daughter studying and contact with her? Flight, Singapore to Tokyo, only 14 aboard, his charm with the flight attendants, the information about the prisoner under guard? The co-pilot, from Hong Kong, his family, good relationship?
4. The warning about the weather, the decision to go through the storm, the later reprimand of the authority for that decision? The takeoff, the range of passengers, the 3 girls and the photo, the cantankerous passenger and his criticisms, the prisoner, his guard, the handcuffs?
5. The effect of the storm, the lightning strike, the pilot handling the situation, contact with flight control, the loss of contact, the turbulence, the guard trying to reach his phone and his death, the death of the flight attendant? Visual effects for audiences to share this experience? The pilots, using their wits, timing, getting through the storm, estimating where they work, the Philippines, making towards land, landing on the island, the road, the effect of landing, surviving, getting things out of the plane, the shelter, interactions?
6. Brodie Torrence, the decision to fight help, taking the prisoner, the conversation, his background, the accusation, his disappearance, the foreign Legion, his military skills? Finding the terrorists headquarters, Brodie and his fixing the phone, the headquarters and the condemnation of crank calls, phoning his daughter, her getting the message through? The terrorist, the fight, the prisoner and his intervention, the escape, the vehicle, back to the plane?
7. The information about terrorists in the Philippines, the lawlessness of the island, the discovery of the camera, the passports, the taking of hostages, demands, executions? The leader, his control, the violence, the locals, the range of thugs? Going to the plane, the attack, the girl running and her death, her friend and his being killed? Rounded up, into the bus, taken away?
8. Brodie, leaving the message on the pilot’s seat? Going back, the attack on the terrorist, Brodie deciding to hang himself over, getting the passengers out, back into the bus, the drive back to the plane? Brodie, the interrogation, the meetings?
9. The headquarters, the personnel, skills in negotiating, getting help, the technological information, press releases, keeping face, the phone calls, Brodie’s message getting through? The sending of the squad? The Filipino government reluctant to help?
10. The squad, the landing, the confrontation with the terrorists? Brodie, getting back to the plane, the prisoner, discovering the money, taking it, disappearing? But his continued help with the shooting?
11. The final situation, the squad keeping the terrorists at bay, Brodie and his injuries, fixing the break, the passengers inside, his getting into the plane, the squad on the plane, continued firing? The rocket, Brodie steering the plane at the vehicle and the gunmen? At headquarters, the reluctance to let the plane fly, the final encouragement? The drama of the takeoff, the co-pilot and his contribution during the situation? Finding the island, the landing?
12. Action entertainment ingredients, entertainingly put together?