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Notes:
Captain Whitaker is a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. Afterwards, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane.
Drama - While the film does feature one extended plane crash sequence (as
seen and emphasized in all the advertising), this is not an
action-driven film but a dark and rough drama about alcoholism and
addiction. Fans of Denzel Washington will be pleased by this huge
dramatic showcase; other known stars such as Don Cheadle, Melissa
Leo, and John Goodman appear in roles supporting and/or very small.
Constant language and drug abuse plus some violence and nudity make
the film too heavy for children.
PROFANITY: Over 30 F-words; 21 S-words; 3 GD's; a number of others. SEX/NUDITY: Non-sexual nudity. VIOLENCE: People are thrown about a plane. DRUGS/ALCOHOL: Nonstop alcohol; some tobacco, cocaine, heroine. ACTION: One huge plane crash. COMEDY: Some comic situations, darkly so.
Flight had a story that pulled you in and had you experience the ride of your life on the airplane. It was so realistic, and you felt the terror and pain of the passengers.
Denzel Washington did a wonderful job as the alcoholic pilot. He was so believable and didn't think he had a problem. When he needed a lift (drugs) he called John Goodman who played a very unique character with his hustling in and rushing out after he helped Denzel.
Flight is a movie I would highly recommend.
Roger EbertFull Review Excellent After opening with one of the most terrifying flying scenes I've witnessed, in which an airplane is saved by being flown upside down, Robert Zemeckis' "Flight" segues into a brave and tortured performance by Denzel Washington — one of his very best.
USA TodayFull Review Good The collaboration of Washington, Zemeckis and screenwriter John Gatins elevates Flight into a turbulent blend of nerve-racking thriller and substantive adult drama.
Washington PostFull Review Good Drunks are notoriously tiresome company in real life, but "Flight" is terrifically entertaining, both as a you-are-there action flick and the deeper psychological thriller it becomes.
NY PostFull Review Good But it's all those hokey touches that keep "Flight'' from being a very good movie instead of a very entertaining one.
Note: The rating
above is our interpretation of what the critic would give this movie based on
their review. We are not affiliated with these critic's in any way.
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DETAILED OPINIONS
The positive and negative comments made by moviegoers are very
helpful when selecting a movie that's appropriate for you and your family.
OPINION OVERVIEW The following is the original "What's Worth
Watching" write-up for this movie.
Moviegoer Opinions:
Based on a theater exit polling of 223 moviegoers:
TEENS:Two males loved "Flight." One rated it above average and one rated it average.
TWENTYSOMETHINGS:Just over half the males and females loved "Flight." About another quarter enjoyed it very much. The final quarter rated it "Good/Average," which is a bit low but certainly not bad.
ADULTS:These are great reviews, especially considering that "Flight" has some strong content that will always cause some low reviews, as you see here. Approximately three-quarters enjoyed "Flight" very much. Close to another quarter rated it "Good/Average," which is a bit low.
On a mid-Autumn morning, SouthJet 227 departs Orlando, Florida for what should
be a routine trip. Captain Whip Whitaker is at the helm of the
Jackson-Ridgefield 88 Passenger Jet along with his young clean-cut co-pilot and
first officer Ken Evans, who is Whip's polar opposite in every way. The flight
soon encounters heavier-than-anticipated turbulence as they fly into a massive
storm. Not a problem for Whip who steers the plane into the clearing, albeit in
an unconventional and eyebrow raising way, to
the relief of the flight's 96 passengers and six members of the flight crew.
But that's when things start to go really wrong. Abruptly, the pilots encounter
a series of inexplicable mechanical malfunctions, causing the plane to rock and
dip and shudder like a rollercoaster. As these breakdowns began to multiply,
causing the plane to spiral downward and seemingly out of the pilots' control,
Whip decides that his only recourse to maintain a level altitude is to maneuver
the 50-ton plane into a barrel roll and complete inversion, which will allow it
to glide without its engines until he can right the plane and land it. Within
minutes, unable to make it to the airport, flying the plane just a few hundred
feet off the ground, Whip finds a patch of nearby land adjacent to a church
where he can attempt his landing. At 140 miles per hour, he inverts the aircraft
and brings it down. The impact is shattering, but Whip, in an incredible,
ingenious stroke, calmly manages to land safely enough to save all but six of
the one hundred and two souls on board.
For his miraculous landing, the media hails Whip as a hero. But, there are
lingering questions. The cause of the crash isn't entirely clear to his
superiors and particularly to the NTSB, although Whip is quite sure had he not
been in the cockpit, the plane would have nose-dived and all its passengers
would surely be dead. Nonetheless an investigation ensues.
