- FLIGHT RISK
- Starring: Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Dockery
- Directed by: Mel Gibson
- Rating: R
- Running Time: 1 hr 31 mins
- Lionsgate
Our score: 0.5 out o 5
The singular risk about watching “Flight Risk”, is that you may walk out of the theater or switch the channel before it is over. The action, all contained aboard a single engine plane high above the mountains of Alaska, comes across as staged and too choreographed. Its script, which has an interesting concept, is choppy with a minimal amount of suspense. On top of that, the acting is worse than over-the-top, which is surprising considering that Mel Gibson, who has a pretty decent track record, is the film’s director.
The premise of the story takes us to a remote town in Alaska where Winston (Topher Grace, “Heretic”), an always nervous accountant for a crime syndicate in New York City, is hiding to stay alive. His time on the run is short-lived when he is apprehended by Deputy U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery, “The Gentlemen”, “Downton Abbey”), whose shaky career could be redeemed by bagging someone willing to testify against the syndicate.
Before she can haul him back to New York City, Harris must charter a private plane to fly her and Winston to Anchorage. The overly chatty pilot, who calls himself Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), gives himself away as a hitman assigned to kill both Harris and Winston. A fight breaks out between the two, which threatens to kill them all as gunfire and flare guns don’t do well on aircraft.
Dockery is unbelievable as a U.S. Marshal. Her character fails to follow any semblance of law enforcement procedure as Dockery herself gives the impression that she is just going through the motions. Grace adds nothing as plays his character as if he is the grownup version of his role from “That 70s Show”. Last but not least, Wahlberg sneers, glares, and spouts off vaudeville type laughter while trying to play a bad guy. None of it works.
There is a little sense of suspense and mystery generated towards the end as Dockery speaks with her superiors over the radio, and when she tries to land the plane. Otherwise, that’s about all the good there is to say about this wretched waste of time.
“Flight Risk” receives a ½ Star out of five.