“Plane” is Not a Good Movie to Watch Right Before a Long-Distance Flight (Review)

I really didn’t know what to think of Plane when I first stumbled upon the trailer. It didn’t look much like a blockbuster, and its dreaded mid-January release date didn’t bode well for its overall quality. But at the same time, it seemed to harken back to the thrill-seeking action movies of the 80s and 90s, which learned to embrace the camp once their producers realized what their audiences were looking for. One-word titles were a bizarre mainstay on this odd sub-genre, so it’s fun to see a resurgence of that trend — so I hoped Plane might end up being a “greatest hits” showcase of everything great about those off-beat action classics.

The casting of seasoned action star Gerard Butler as a grizzled, well-intentioned commercial airline pilot with the capacity for badassery is definitely a step in the right direction. He plays Brodie Torrance, who makes an emergency landing in the Philippines after his plane sustains critical damage from a storm. The island he’s landed on is controlled by a dangerous armed militia who end up taking the passengers hostage, leaving Captain Torrance and convicted murderer Louis Gaspare (Luke Cage’s Mike Colter), who was being extradited on the doomed flight, to rescue them while also figuring out a way off the island.

My Top Ten Movies of 2022

After a similar article in mid-August, I expected much of my Top 10 to stay the same for the remainder of 2022. I should have predicted and expected the utter power of awards season, though, as many have been swept out of the list in favor of more recently-released films. Some of the top contenders have endured, though, proving that sometimes, the first is the best; but I have a feeling that that is not something that will be true for every year from now on. 2022 was unique, and unlike any moviegoing year in my recent memory, and I can only hope its vast caliber can be replicated at some point in the future. 2023 has some big shoes to fill.

“Snowpiercer” is Running Out of Gas (Season 3 Review)

Note: This review was originally published on SiftPop in April 2022.

I’m beginning to think that Snowpiercer worked much better as a movie.

Granted, I adore the first two seasons, but Season Three is the first time I’m getting the feeling that the series is overstaying its welcome. Perhaps it’s the fact that one of its best characters (Melanie Cavill, played by Labyrinth’s Jennifer Connelly) was essentially abandoned in the previous season, but it seems like the effort of producing this series has only decreased, and with a fourth season on the way, I sincerely hope they are able to pick up the pace again.

Image courtesy of TNT

With events that directly follow Season Two, Andre Layton (Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs) is in charge of Snowpiercer, the hyper-speed train carrying the only survivors of a massive freeze that pulverized the planet Earth. Layton’s benevolent control is still under threat from the ruthless Joseph Wilford (Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean), who made quite a splash with a bloody introduction last season. The definitive “battle for Snowpiercer” happens earlier on in the season than you might think, with the remaining episodes mostly covering the fallout.