‘Flight Risk’ Deserves a Second Chance

We expect a lot from Mel Gibson when he steps behind the camera.

Blame “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Apocalypto” and “The Passion of the Christ.” Heck, the auteur’s debut, 1993’s “The Man Without a Face” deserves applause, too.

So when “Flight Risk” hit theaters earlier this year critics were less than overwhelmed. The project, on the surface, is beneath Gibson’s talents. It’s a genre romp that wraps in 90 minutes and features subplots best served in a B-movie setting.

Methinks they missed the point.

“Flight Risk,” on VOD platforms and arriving on 4K UHD (+ Blu-ray™ + Digital) Combo Pack SteelBook®, Blu-ray™ and DVD on April 1, is a palate cleanser for Gibson … and us.

He’s gearing up to shoot “The Passion of the Christ” sequel next, so this must have been an artistic warmup for that audacious task. Audiences, in turn, get a perfect Saturday night title. “Flight Risk” grabs you by the scruff of the neck and hangs on until the end credits start.

Gibson didn’t tax himself with the project, but it also benefited from his populist DNA. He knows how to stage the pulpy elements, and he’s aided by a small but mighty cast.

Michelle Dockery stars as Madolyn, a troubled FBI agent tasked with shepherding a star witness to trial. She located sad-sack Winston (Topher Grace) in a rundown Alaska motel. Now, the two must fly to Anchorage and, later, Seattle to make sure he can squeal on his boss.

Easy peasy, right?

It doesn’t help that the plane’s pilot, Daryl (Mark Wahlberg) is too chatty for his own good. He also has something to hide, turning this seemingly benign flight into a fight for survival.

OK, the trailer gives away Daryl’s intentions, but it’s still fun to see Good Guy Wahlberg play against type.

More, please.

Did critics give “Flight Risk” a harder time due to Gibson’s off-screen woes? Or, did they expect a prestige picture from him and found the film’s grindhouse veneer off-putting? It’s impossible to say, but “Flight Risk” is too much fun to deny in any scenario.

(This teaser video should have let everyone know what to expect…)

It’s a battle of wits in the sky, as Madolyn uses all of her resources to keep Winston alive and Daryl at bay. The film unwisely introduces a larger element to the story, a potential leak within the FBI that led to Madolyn’s plight. 

That’s never given the depth it deserves. Why not jettison the angle and stick with the basics? Three people. One gun. A plane that may or may not have someone to land it.

That’s more than enough, assuming you can swallow a few gaps in logic.

Grace could do his role in his sleep, but he injects Winston with a humanity we don’t see coming. Meanwhile, Dockery’s character couldn’t be less of a Mary Sue. She’s a brave, resourceful heroine who still strikes us as  vulnerable.

Give her an action franchise, stat.

RELATED: ANOTHER TAKE ON ‘FLIGHT RISK’

The script won’t win any awards, but it’s efficient and rarely makes us wince. That’s more than some thrillers can boast. Have you seen Anthony Mackie’s “Elevation?” Yikes.

The sole Blu-ray extra, “Risk Management: Making ‘Flight Risk,'” offers an eight-minute glimpse at the production. Screenwriter Jared Rosenberg shares how the pandemic influenced the film’s themes, while we learn the thriller took just 22 days to shoot.

The featurette may be brief, but it captures how many of the shots came to be. The plane cabin looks as small as advertised on set, forcing an intimacy on both cast and crew. Plus, we see how green screens and multiple cameras pulled off the finished product.

Or, as the Oscar-winning director explained, “You gotta go in there and MacGyver the whole thing.”