Flight of the Phoenix

Review by Clint Morris

Middle-aged comeback king Dennis Quaid returns to the top of a daybill with the lead role in FOX's remake of a '60s adventure classic.

In Flight of the Phoenix, Quaid plays a pilot who picks up an oil company crew in the middle of the desert, with the intent on zipping them straight home.

Unfortunately, a killer sandstorm hits, and the flight makes direct contact with the squall - hurtling it towards the deserts surface. Now, with only minimal food and water supply, the crew of the doomed flight have to band together and dream up a way out of there. Enter, the plane designer.

It may take off near the end, but Hollywood's latest exercise in recycling pretty much stays firmly grounded for most of its mins.

Phoenix, though still an entertaining enough tale, seems a little fusty in today's times - especially with the sum of superior comparable shows that have preceded it (for instance, TV castaway hit 'Lost'), but at the same time, they're only being loyal to the 1965 original it's a Xerox of then, aren't they?

Not surprisingly, it's actually hard to tell what era this film's set in. It looks like it could be set in the fifties or sixties - the opening few tunes also help make that assumption - but then, suddenly, last year's 'Outkast' hit plays through a tape-player and you're not so sure.

There are some ingredients to Phoenix that make it still an okay offering. Quaid is his always gruff, dependable self (anyone else think he might be taking up all the roles Harrison Ford refuses?) but when he's acting besides the likes of Giovanni Ribisi, who, after Loves Brother, gives another gallingly over-the-top performance, it doesn't really seem to matter how good one constituent of the entire jumble is - it's stained.

Still, the movie's better for having Quaid in it. In addition, there are also some great effects at the film's beginning and end.

You have seen this before - a dozen or so times - and done a lot, lot better. The script, characters and editing of this one needed a good oil and grease before taking out of the hanger and sadly it was the mechanic's day off.

3 out of 5

Flight of the Phoenix
Australian release: Thursday the 21st of July, 2005
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, Tyrese Gibson, Tony Curran, Kirk Jones.
Directors: John Moore.
Website: Click here.

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