Everything (not really)

Directed by Jean-François Richet – Starring Gerard Butler and Mike Colter

After making an emergency landing on a war-torn island, a commercial airline pilot must protect his passengers while trying to find a way home.

This was… really good.

On paper, Plane sounds completely ridiculous. A commercial airliner gets struck by lightning, crash lands on a lawless island, and the survivors find themselves caught in the middle of a violent conflict. It’s exactly the kind of premise that could have easily become loud, dumb nonsense.

Instead, it’s just a really well-made action movie.

What surprised me most is how competent everyone feels. The heroes aren’t superheroes. Butler’s Brodie Torrance is a pilot first and an action hero second, and the movie never loses sight of that. When he’s forced into situations outside his expertise, you can feel the weight of it. He makes mistakes, gets hurt, and has to rely on the people around him.

Mike Colter is equally good. His character brings a very different skill set to the story, and the movie lets both men contribute in ways that feel earned rather than convenient.

Even the supporting characters are allowed moments of competence. The passengers aren’t just bodies waiting to be rescued, and the people trying to help from outside the island actually feel like professionals doing their jobs.

That attention to detail keeps the movie grounded, even when the premise pushes the limits of believability.

The action is tense, well staged, and never feels repetitive. Once the movie gets moving, it rarely lets up. By the final act I realized I’d slowly leaned forward in my chair, completely invested in whether these people were going to make it out alive.

And yes, Gerard Butler getting to use a Scottish accent instead of burying it under an American one is a nice bonus.

It’s not trying to reinvent the action genre. It’s simply trying to be an exciting, well-crafted thriller.

Mission accomplished.

It might be one of the best original action movies I’ve seen in years.

Verdict: Engaging