Mel Gibson’s newest film Flight Risk is a far cry from some of the actor/director’s greatest hits. While polarizing, there are some truly great films in Gibson’s directorial filmography. From the epic Braveheart to the heartfelt true story of Hacksaw Ridge, Gibson has proven he’s competent in front of and behind the camera. It’s so strange then that he’s chosen now to make a small contained story that looks nothing like his previous films.

Flight Risk stars Mark Wahlberg as a hitman posing as a pilot attempting to take out a high-profile witness. The premise is interesting enough but immediately the audience realizes there is very little that can happen in this movie. There are only three actors and the majority of the film’s runtime takes place in a small Cessna airplane. Gibson may have a knack for telling epic period piece films, but unfortunately, he couldn’t land this modern-day airport novel.

Three-Man Show

In addition to Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace are the only other actors of note in this film. Topher Grace plays Winston, the wussy mob accountant turned rat. And Dockery plays the no-nonsense Marshall with a sordid past. It’s all painfully standard thriller fodder and every character feels like they were cut and pasted from a CBS crime drama.

The only exception is Wahlberg as the hitman who switches from slightly unsettling to cartoon levels of villainy quicker than a descending plane. Despite his outlandish psychotic character, he does seem to be the only one having fun in this film. Wahlberg is absolutely chewing the scenery every chance he gets and the film suffers every time he’s detained or knocked unconscious. Without Wahlberg’s nutso performance, we’re just left with two annoying characters talking to poorly ADR’d voices.

Too Short A Runway

Flight Risk starts with a pretty solid premise and the script honestly reads pretty well. It’s easy to see how this would work as a cheap paperback novel or even a scripted podcast. But the visuals and performances on screen sadly can’t bring this solid idea to life.

The film is only 91 minutes long but it quickly runs out of runway. It takes about five minutes before the three leads make it to the plane and they stay there for the rest of the film. By the time the first act ends, there really isn’t much left for the actors to do. Wahlberg’s character has already been revealed and there is only so much action that can be packed into this small plane. The film then reverts to a sort of Phonebooth-type movie where we learn most of our exposition through phone calls between the marshall and her team on the ground. It’s a solid idea but the execution is poor and littered with technical problems.

Technical Difficulties

Voice acting is a tough discipline and Flight Risk totally botches the execution. All of the phone calls made between Dockery and her team on the ground sound like they were filmed for different movies. None of the voice actors match the tempo of the one visible character and it sounds as if they are reading lines in a booth with no direction. The result is these long conversations that feel both unearned and uninteresting.

There are a few visual effects throughout the film and those for the most part do work. The end of the third act specifically ends with a pretty harrowing plane landing. But that stunt comes too little late. It’s the only visually interesting part of the film and it’s over just as soon as it begins. Instead, the movie relies on this crime boss and US Marshall narrative, focusing on characters we never see. It’s an odd choice and one that doesn’t lend itself well to a 90-minute action movie.

Hiding The Action

Flight Risk feels like a made-for-TV movie. And not in a good way. Some films like September 5 can pull off this dialogue-heavy narrative and still feel exciting. In September 5, we see almost none of the action but the film stays interesting because of the actors relaying the action to us. Flight Risk is nearly the opposite. We see all of the action but none of it is exciting because two-thirds of the actors don’t know what movie they are in.

All three of these leads are talented actors, but their direction for this film feels so out of place. Topher Grace basically just plays the most annoying guy in the world. And Michelle Dockery is a boring replica of any CBS crime show. You could tell me she was any character from NCIS, CSI, Law & Order, or Criminal Minds and I would believe you.

Dad Movie

All hope isn’t lost for Flight Risk as there are some memorable moments in the film. Apart from feeling like a made-for-TV movie it also falls right into the dad category of films. It has Mark Wahlberg, planes, and an attractive but not distractingly so female lead. All the hallmarks of a perfect dad movie.

Wahlberg’s nutty performance, accent, and creepy vibe are clearly the things that got this movie sold. Without him the movie doesn’t have any saving grace and even Marky Mark isn’t enough to keep this plane in the air. Flight Risk should have been grounded before takeoff.