Actors: Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, John Goodman, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood
Directors: Robert Zemeckis
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Run Time: 138 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars
“Flight” is Robert Zemeckis’ first live-action film since “Cast Away” and “What Lies Beneath”, both released in 2000. Let me tell you as much as I loved his motion-capture films, this is a fantastic return for him. It is a great original story and very performance driven, kudos to my man Denzel. I have had the wonderful privilege of meeting and interviewing Denzel Washington a few years back. He shines in this role and was rightfully given an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The opening plane crash scene will leave you biting your nails and then it turns its this fantastic character piece that has you enthralled until the end. All around great acting, directing and script. Recommended.
Official Synopsis: Academy Award® winner Denzel Washington stars in this “riveting and powerful nail-biting thriller” from Robert Zemeckis, the Academy Award®winning director of Forrest Gump and Cast Away. Airline pilot Whip Whitaker (Washington) miraculously lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe. But even as he’s being hailed for his heroic efforts, questions arise as to who or what was really at fault. Action-packed, engrossing and powerful, Washington’s performance is being hailed as “a triumph” and one that “will be talked about for years.
Paramount is known for delivering fine Blu-ray releases and that is definitely the case here. “Flight” comes as a Blu-ray + DVD + UV Digital Copy combo pack. The 1080p transfer on this release is very well represented and comes with a solid DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track, which works well with the film’s dramatic tone and Alan Silvestri’s score. The special features are good but not amazing. I would have loved to see an commentary from Zemeckis at least. There are three behind-the-scenes featurettes including “Origins of Flight”, which looks into the story behind the film. “The Making of Flight” is a generic behind-scenes look with cast/crew. “Anatomy of a Plane Crash” is my favorite part of the film but runs a little short. Lastly there is a highlight of a Q&A session for the film.
