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FLIGHTPLAN has a test and does it crash & burn'
Hey folks, Harry here... Personally I dig the trailer for FLIGHTPLAN, it does seem to border on the far fetched end of the paranoia thriller flick, but then... Most paranoia thrillers do. Especially real life paranoia thrillers that surround our every move in life. Anyway - this first review is spoiler free - the second isn't. Here ya go...
Hey Harry,
Writing in with a Flightplan review. Caught it tonight at a sneak peek in Pasadena. Brian Grazer, who produced it was there as were the writers. Some of the f/x work was incomplete and the music was all temp taken from James Newton Howard's M. Night scores. James Horner is doing the original score.
It's a throwback to Hitchcock, no two ways about it. Nods to Lady Vanishes, The Birds, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. We've all seen the trailer, so you know the basic set-up. Very high-concept. Little girl disappears 40,000 feet in the air and no one but her mother thinks she was ever on the plane.
Don't think you have it all figured out. Without spoiling anything, I'll tell you right now this is not another "Forgotten," or "Hide and Seek" trend of twists. It's not supernatural, science-fiction, or psychological. This is an attempt at classic suspense. Writer's write themselves into a hole, no trace of this girl, and then figure out a plausible way to solve the mystery. I appreciated it for that, respected it...even admired it...for getting back to the bare bones. A total throwback.
It has its problems. There is nowhere near enough character development between Jodie, her daughter, and other passengers and staff on the plane. Jodie is grieving the death of her husband. She's sad. Her daughter is a talking cardboard cut-out. We care very little for them. So instead of it being dramatic, it's more melodramatic-- with long lingering shots of Jodie crying or contemplating...she's more the archetype for a single, concerned mother than a real character. The little girl is barely in it.
For a mystery, there wasn't very much investigating. The mystery presents itself early on and then suddenly, about 3/4 of the way through, the solution is flung our way. Most of the film consists of Jodie trying to convince everyone on the plane that her daughter was on board and is worth looking for. I wanted her to take a more pro active stance...I wanted her to accuse more people, snoop, question, investigate. Unfortunately, the people on the plane are mere decorations. They all could have been used as suspects...but we're never suspicious of anyone really. We don't feel her paranoia, because there's not a whole lot to get us paranoid-- we're not given any material to work with, any possibilities to debate. I wanted everyone to be a potential suspect. It would have been scarier.
Peter Sarsgard and Sean Bean are the stand-out performers here. They do good work as the Air Marshall and the Captain, respectively. A newcomer, Kate Behan is also very, very good. She's also stunningly beautiful...it's hard to pay attention to anything else when she's on screen.
The solved mystery makes sense but isn't too shocking or exciting either. The final scenes do provide for some good cat and mouse suspense.
Two side notes...both gripes:
The first time we see Jodie Foster on screen, she looks a lot like Michael Jackson. And secondly, the state-of-the-art, three cabin, 450 seater, plane is completely wasted. If you're going to go out of your way to set the movie in such a sensational setting, make use of it! Write set pieces that move from room to room! Most of the action takes place in one particular cabin...it might as well have been on a regular, commercial airliner...in fact, that may have amped up the tension and paranoia, adding a kind of claustrophobic feel.
To wrap up, they still have plenty of time to tweak this thing...and I'm sure they will. It's passable entertainment, sometimes suspenseful, sometimes lame...but never ridiculous or hard to watch. The directing, somewhat loose and sparse, should have been faster paced and more taut.
The End.
Ok - this next guy seems to spend a good deal of time beating up on the special fx. To a film months from release at a test screening, so if you read this next review... Eliminate all his frustration over Bad Special Fx - and realize that his inability to divorce the temporary nature of this Work In Progress wound up coloring his larger opinion of the film, but that there's still most likely some very valid complaints going on here... And a warning - while he doesn't reveal who or what the culprit is in the film - he does give away some twists and resolutions - this being a thriller - if the trailer has you hooked, I wouldn't recommend reading the review.
Just got back from the ?Flight Plan? Audience Response Interview
screenings at the Paseo Theater in Pasadena, CA. Producer Brian
Grazer of Imagine and the rest of the Imagine brass were there in
force. The audience was told that this was the first screening of
the picture. They seemed particularly interested in opinions on the
film from the under 18 crowd, pulling kids from the back of the
line to the front. We were told the Special EFX are not perfected
but they would be technically ?perfect? when the film was released.
OMFG the exterior 3D plane effects looked like something on a par
with Jason and the Argonauts! I don?t know who they pulled in for
that mess but it looks like they gave them a budget of about 5
bucks. Every exterior EFX shot, and yes I mean all, were
unbelievably bad ? it was visually disturbing and humorous at the
same time. It was so hard to get past. The flying sequences and the
EFX compositing was just mind numbingly awful.
Let?s assume they rework the EFXs . . . the beginning of the film
from a story perspective is a jumbled mess. They spend a fair
amount of time cutting back and forth, playing with your head to
make you think what?s ?up? is ?down? and what?s real is not etc. In
the end you just go ?what was that all about?? Then they go on and
on with the foreshadowing, so over the top that the only thing
missing here could be circles and flashing arrows.
Everything is conveniently planned and Jodi Foster does a fair
acting job but Holy Christ did she get old! I swear to God I
wouldn?t recognize her if I didn?t know she was playing this part.
The makeup department was working overtime particularly around the
eyes. Time caught up with this lovely but what can you do? She can
still act, and I guess that?s what they?re paying her for. Anyway,
I can see the studio absolutely thrilled that this film takes place
as a search for a lost kid on a plane. Sounds great from their
perspective but so implausible! You could put the film on a cruise
ship and it wouldn?t have changed a thing. And what?s up with Jodi
Foster and confined spaces anyway? First, ?Panic Room,? then
?Flight Plan? . . . whats next ?Elevator? or maybe ?Phone Booth??
They spend a great deal of time trying to convince the audience
that they?re as crazy as the studio executive that green lit this
project. But then, after all the chasing and looking for this kid
the real plot emerges. You could just see the writers standing at
the board putting up the plot points. Three quarters of the movie
was stuck somewhere between the setup and actually getting to the
real plot of the film. It was just one ?crazy lady? search bit to
the next. Ughh, the old ?a mother?s love knows no bounds!?
Then later in the film, they start to play on anti Arab sentiment
which was a real cheap shot. They set up the Arabs in the film to
be the bad guys from the beginning. They turn out not be, but its
hardly redeeming. Side note: (What was up with James Horner
strategically throwing in the Arab overtone music? Oh come on. So
Cheesy no matter how you mask it. It used to be that Nazis were the
only ?safe? villain; thank god the ?Arabs? came along!
Unfortunately, I don?t think we?re far enough away from Iraq and
the events of 9-11 to stir up this type of sentiment but I guess
they think this will sell. Finally we get to deal with a superbly
acted part by Peter Sarsgaard but only to get dragged down by Jodi
Foster ?magically? figuring the whole plot out. How? I haven?t a FC
but ?magically? she determines the bad guys from the good guys and
wraps this ?where?s the kid?? drama in a neat little bow, by
blowing up the ?bad guy? in the worst composited EFX shot I have
ever seen on film. I think the audience gasp was derived from
actually seeing a shot this bad in a theater. The real zinger is
her character instantly and I mean instantly goes from bad guy to
hero, unexplainably the moment she rejoins the waiting passengers
in the hanger. People sitting next to me are like WTF was that? And
the juxtaposition of her character?s look had all the finesse of a
cartoon anvil on the head. Foster looked like she was waiting to
have dinner with the Queen not like she had just blown up a plane!
Incredibly they couldn?t decide on whether to use really overblown
shots which looked ?heavenly? or fully saturated shots which made
her look more real. So they used them both! It was visual chop
suey.
In the end, a waste of 90 minutes unless you?ve never seen the
inside of a plane. I have no clue what the Imagine crowd was
backslapping about but this one needs some serious work. As soon as
the film was over, Grazer jumped up and ran out of the theater,
maybe to throw himself in front of a passing train? This guy can do
some quality work, what happened here? Did he lose his touch? The
film is serviceable and can be cleaned up, but not really saved. If
I was the studio, sorry but I?d do a minimum P&A campaign and cut
my losses. I?m a Disney stockholder and I hate to see good money
thrown after bad. Better luck next time.
Dr. Snap
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+ Expand All
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I'm third....
people suck... -
Jun 23, 2005 7:19:40 AM CDT
"I'm a Disney stockholder and I hate to see good money throw
by moviemaniac-7
Who the fuck is a Disney stockholder nowadays? Whuahahhahahahaha! Still, I'd like to see this one for the mere fact that Jodie is in it.
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I refuse to see this until someone tells me about the poison snakes the terrorists release into the cabin. Not one mention? These reviewers have lost it.
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?Convert? ?your? ?Microsoft? ?Quotes? ?to? ?Regular? ?Quotes? ?Douchebag?
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I checked this screening out too. Likely sarcasm on your part, but no snakes.
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Spoil away.
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That one is gonna be with Sam L Jackson and was called...er..'Snake on a Plane' but has now been re-titled. Sounds fun though dunnitt??
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If you really want the movie spoiled, just do a search on this site for an earlier review. It revealed the pretty stupid resolution.
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..which wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that that really was an awfully silly movie. Sad to hear that Foster isn't looking as good in this one. Still, this being a test screening, I pray it's merely a color-timing issue.
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Consider yourself warned...
Turns out it's Sarsgaard (the air marshall) and one of the stewardesses who are the highjackers and have kidnapped the girl to make Foster looks crazy and paint her as the highjacker. -
We were sitting in row 8, not 9. There she is.
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Jun 23, 2005 11:13:50 AM CDT
Films like this are funny... *SPOILERS, according to Ultimo*
by dr_dreadlocks
Because, despite going for realism, they always fall into contrived traps. Like say Sarsgard and the stewardess are in on it, and they kidnapped the kid to make it seem as though Foster is highjacking the plane. Now... who the hell would come to the conclusion that a mother would rip the plane apart if her daughter went missing, and was then told she was dead. I'd imagine that Foster's actions were the contrived bit, because if it didn't play out right I suppose Sarsgard would be left with his dick in his hand. I just hate how complicated the plans are most of the time, but they work out perfectly. Until, of course, the hero figures it out and spends the last, tidy, 25 pages figuring it out. Until Sarsgard will inevitably blabber the entire plan to make everything precisely clear, before being shot out of the back of the cargo hold. "Get off of the plane I designed, bitch. Also, I saw Kinsey, you ain't packing shit!" *Kicks Sarsgard, and he digitally flies away while screaming and retaining no dignity*... Thanks, I'll keep my 10 bucks.
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Damn Airplane food!
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Because it's always the seemingly nice guy who's evil in movies like this. But I like BigTuna's theory the best!
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Jun 23, 2005 1:37:26 PM CDT
Jodie and daughter in peril scenario is getting real old - i thi
by spacesheik
sean bean though might make it bearable
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Does anyone but me remember "The Avenger," the pulp novel character from the '40s? His origin involves more or less forcing the operators of a charter plane to sell his family tickets because they've missed the regular flight. He goes to the restroom and returns to find his wife and daugther are gone. When he asks about them, he's told he boarded alone, forced his way onto the plane insisting he needed to get to Toronto (or wherever). He has to be restrained, gets knocked on the head, suffers a nervous breakdown and emerges as The Avenger, leader of Justice, Inc.! Sixty years later, and they couldn't think of anything better?
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Jun 23, 2005 2:40:55 PM CDT
RED EYE vs FLIGHTPLAN vs SNAKES ON THE PLANE ---- who shall prev
by spacesheik
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Jun 23, 2005 11:11:58 PM CDT
Sorry but Flightplan still looks like The Forgotten on a plane t
by mr. profit
A movie that has serious lapses in logic, but you stop being a snob because you want to just be entertained. Flightplan looks boring and stupid.
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I don't understand why Grazer hired this German guy Schwentke to direct. He has a weird track record. I saw a German movie he did, a comedy about a guy who's got cancer. It was boring like hell.
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You?re an idiot.
P.S. It's VFX.
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?Tough to take this reveiw seriously?
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?I mean since 9-11 every bad guy in every movie is an Arab terrorist? I mean why is that! I'm being serious??? What a douche bag.If your going to try and make a political statement in your review you could atleast use correct punctuation,cause the whole question mark bit is more lame than anything else in your review. The real question here is why does Harry and the guys post reviews this bad? You already had one really good review of the movie,why give us a headache trying to read this guys shit.The movie wasn't completed,of course the f/x sucked.I've been to test screenings where some effects were drawn out on a story board,it's only a test screening dumb ass.If your going to complain give the free ticket to somebody else next time.
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