★★★1/2 The good thing about formulas, when they serve to make a movie with the sole purpose of moving the viewer without pause, is that this familiar terrain allows us to relax (regarding the film’s pretense) and we tense up with adventure. This is not one of those films that changes history, but rather a noble manifestation of what we call entertainment. There’s a plane carrying a dangerous convict.
The plane is hit by a lightning. falls into a island full of terrorists and very bad people. The Captain of the ship (Butler, by profession “hit and shoot”) and the convict are the only ones who can rescue people, put them on the plane and leave hell while the bad guys decide to mash each hostage. Imagine everything else – you will hit it.
But that is less a defect than an advantage: to see, like someone looking at an abstract painting, the design and let ourselves be carried away by the strain, which is effective. A good exercise in style even if it is not noticeable.
