Plane is a 2023 action-thriller film directed by Jean-François Richet, written by Charles Cumming and J. P. Davis. The film was announced in 2016, acquired by Lionsgate Films in 2019, sold to Solstice Studios in 2020, and re-acquired by Lionsgate in 2021. It was shot in Puerto Rico.

Pilot Brodie Torrance saves passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island -- only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When dangerous rebels take most of the passengers hostage, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI.

The main cast includes Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Daniella Pineda, and Tony Goldwyn.

Plane made its debut in theaters on January 13th, courtesy of Lionsgate.

THE GOOD

I love me some Gerard Butler, end of story. The guy is great, and has been in some of my favorite action thrillers in the last decade or so, including the highly underrated Law Abiding Citizen (2009) which is a favorite of mine, Den of Thieves (our full review here), and most recently the stylish crime thriller Copshop (our full review here). The guy is just one of those actors who has an amazing on-screen presence. Getting back on track, this Plane movie came out of nowhere and I honestly expected it to be a straight to VOD movie but it actually made its way to theaters. Add in Luke Cage himself Mike Colter starring alongside Butler and I was sold. I made my way to the theater genuinely excited even though I had relatively moderate expectations. Was it worth my time? Keep reading to find out!

Well folks, Gerard Butler has done it again! Plane was a ton of fun to experience, and just a good old fashioned action thriller with the always welcome shoot-em-up element making sure it appeals to viewers who can appreciate the throwback 90’s action movie feel. The story is simple enough but still feels grounded in reality which helped to keep me engaged, the character development is fantastic making sure you care about the characters, and I thought it was just entertaining throughout.

I really enjoyed the story for Plane, and as I mentioned it seemed surprisingly realistic instead of over-the-top as you might assume especially considering the premise. From the beginning as we meet Gerard Butler’s character Brodie Torrance, an awesome name by the way, it all felt true to life in terms of my experience flying commercial airlines. I also liked how great the character development was in terms of how each character was introduced with their own unique element of intrigue that progressed throughout the film. Plane also added a strong emotional element to the story that paid dividends by the end, giving viewers a few different characters to root for. I felt like each character had a place in the story, and I also thought the primary antagonists were fantastic and almost had that Captain Phillips ruthlessness to them. The best part though was the private military contractors who show up to provide help, they were so damn badass. It had that 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (our review here) feel to it, and man these dudes meant business. They contributed to so many of those satisfying scenes that make action thrillers so appealing. It damn near had me on my feet shouting “U.S.A!! U.S.A!!”.

The cast was without a doubt a big draw for Plane, and as I mentioned early Gerard Butler was awesome as per usual. Instead of being some ex-military badass, Butler played a pilot who finds himself drawing crap duty due to a situation where he let his temper get the best of him. By all accounts he is a family man who takes his job very seriously, and it was also believable when he was forced to pick up a rifle and fight bad guys because well, he is Gerard Butler after all. Next up is of course Mike Colter, who I thought was great as well. Colter has the most intriguing character who is pretty mysterious, but he becomes a fan favorite pretty quickly. Colter has the military background so he is able to serve as an important albeit unsuspecting piece of the puzzle when it comes to the rescue mission at hand. Colter had genuine chemistry with Butler as well which was huge. As far as the supporting cast, I have to give shoutouts to Daniella Pineda, Yoson An who I really liked as the co-pilot, Tony Goldwyn in a small but impactful role, Paul Ben-Victor, Evan Dane Taylor, Remi Adeleki, and Joey Slotnick.

THE BAD

I honestly have very little to complain about when it comes to Plane in terms of what it offers as a cinematic experience, but it’s not exactly going to win any awards, and that’s okay. This is a real simple example of an easy to appreciate action film that isn’t trying to bite off more than it can chew. It also balances the action nicely allowing for plenty of character development ensuring the film has an impact on its viewers. The hardcore action fans may complain about pacing because it does take a bit before the real fun begins, but as I said I liked the balance. Plane does what it sets out to do, and for me that is more than enough.

THE VERDICT

An action-packed thriller with a satisfying story that somehow feels realistic considering the fairly outlandish premise, Plane is a fun movie that offers up a little something for everyone. The film kept me engaged from start to finish, and is yet another Gerard Butler gem with a ton of replay value. After seeing the chemistry he had with Mike Colter, I hope to see them together on another project in the new future. Sometimes all we need is a few characters that are easy to root for, some bad guys that are easy to hate, and some good old fashioned shoot-em-up action to get the blood flowing. Bottom line, Plane is easy to reccomend and well worth a trip to the theater.