Plane (2023)-Butler is back at his best! 

Directed by: Jean-François Richet

Starring: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Daniella Pineda, Paul Ben-Victor, Remi Adeleke, Joey Slotnick, Evan Dane Taylor, Claro de los Reyes, and Tony Goldwyn

Synopsis: In the white-knuckle action movie PLANE, pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his 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 most of the passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI. In order to rescue the passengers, Torrance will need Gaspare’s help, and will learn there’s more to Gaspare than meets the eye.

Gerard Butler soars back to our screens in the pulse-pounding action thriller. 

Before he can spend some time with his daughter, pilot Brodie Torrance (Butler) has one last flight to make. It’s New Year’s Eve, there are very few people working and the very few passengers on the plane all just want to get home. Gaspare (Colter), a convict who is being transported, boards the plane unexpectedly, and Torrance assumes this will be the hardest part of the night. 

Buckle up and brace yourself, things are about to get worse. 

During a storm, the plane is struck by lightning, forcing Torrance to send out the call to ‘brace for impact’ and he then lands the plane safely (as safe as he can) on an island. This lawless island is run by militia groups, and the government, police, and army stay away from it. 

Time for a team-up

As the passengers are held hostage, Torrance must trust Gaspare to save them. As a team, the two men embark on a mission to bring the passengers home. 

The Action

There are some great action scenes in the movie, and they’re very well filmed and choreographed. Butler doesn’t play Mike Banning (Has Fallen Series), there is no special ops training or weapons mastery, he is just a pilot with some Scottish flair! 

In the first action scene, Butler’s character Torrance fights an unknown goon. The fight is beautifully shot, tight, claustrophobic, and really depicts the struggle Torrance experiences as he enters survival mode. Audiences will be on the edge of their seats and their adrenaline will be pumping. 

A wave of heavily armed insurgents is fended off by Torrance and Gaspare along with some new allies in the final act. This will have action junkies overloaded with testosterone. 

There is a sense of realism in the gun battles, the tactics used, how the guns are fired, reloaded, and how the new allies move in formation – all of this is engaging and feels realistic. The .50 cal moment will amaze action fans!

The lead guys

Regardless of his role, Butler brings a powerful screen presence and always gives an excellent performance. This is regardless of whether it is a corrupt cop, a secret agent, a killing machine, a loving husband or a doting dad pilot. There is no difference in ‘Plane.’ Butler plays a character you can easily imagine Tom Hanks or Harrison Ford playing. The struggle of an ordinary man against impossible odds.

The performance of Colter as Gaspare is outstanding. His role as Luke Cage in the hit Netflix series of the same name and Jessica Jones and The Defenders will instantly be recognizable to viewers. Gaspare, Colter’s character, is the type of character Butler would play in these sorts of films. Colter takes on the main action duty and racks up a number of body counts. Whenever shit hits the fan, Gaspare will lock and load and serve up some mean justice. He reminded me of Rambo. A scene with a sledge hammer will become an instant favorite. 

The Villains

It’s villainous duty time for Evan Dale Taylor. In this role, he portrays Junmar, the leader of the militia. As ruthless as Junmar is, he wouldn’t hesitate to chop off anyone’s head to prove a point. He has a menacing presence on screen, which automatically makes the audience hope he meets a gruesome end. This highlights Evan’s excellent performance in bringing this character to life! 

Hajan is every bit as evil and dangerous as Junmar, the second in command of the militia. The cold-calculating killer Hajan is brought to life by Claro. 

Verdict

A riveting action thriller, Plane will keep your adrenaline pumping and have you on the edge of your seat. Gerard Butler is back at his best and Mike Colter delivers a solid action flick with his badassery skills! 

Plane is a rip-roaring start to 2023!