FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX

After their plane crashes, a group of survivors find themselves stranded in the inhospitable environment of the Gobi desert. With no chance of rescue and little resources it looks like the futures for these survivors will be hot and very short! Their only hope rests on a long-shot. They must build a new plane from the wreckage! The group includes members of an oil exploration team and the pilot Frank Towns (Dennis Quaid) but with constant bickering amongst the small band of survivors they are really fighting against the odds even if they have the capabilities to do it...

This is a remake of the 1960's movie of the same name. It has been updated but the story pretty much follows the original with only a few changes. For example unlike in the original when all the survivors were male there is a lone female, Kelly (Miranda Otto). This lends itself to a little romantic interest although Kelly spends a lot of time breaking up the many squabbles in the camp.

It's difficult for remakes to bring new ideas to a story, especially if the original was a success to begin with. Not to compare the remake with the original is almost impossible. However, one advantage that remakes have is that, if needed, the special effects can be far superior. Starting with the plane crash there are plenty of opportunities to liven things up with some explosive special effects. Dramatic sandstorm and electrical storm also add to the adventure.

One of the things that didn't quite ring true for me was the fact that there was no way they could be rescued. With modern communications and technology surely they would have been located. On the other hand the isolation of the desert and harshness on the environment with the sun beating down was well captured. The movie has an old-fashioned will-they-make-it survivor feel to it.

The characters were credible enough but perhaps don't make a great impact. The most interesting is probably Elliott (Giovanni Ribisi) who was so arrogant and always needed to be in control, much to the annoyance of pilot Frank Towns (Dennis Quaid).

Bottom Line: You always have to question if a remake can improve or add anything new but as an adventure/action movie I enjoyed this movie in a popcorn kind of way! 

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2005.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS:  DENNIS QUAID: Cold Creek Manor,  Far From Heaven,  The Rookie,  The Day After Tomorrow,  In Good Company.  GIOVANNI RIBISI: Gone in 60 Seconds.  TYRESE GIBSON: 2 Fast 2 Furious.

Genre: Action/Adventure

Director: John Moore

Certificate: Flight Of The Phoenix was rated 12A by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie). The film contains moderate violence and language.

Official Movie Website: Flight Of The Phoenix

Flight of the Phoenix
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~ Main Cast ~

Dennis Quaid

Giovanni Ribisi

Tyrese Gibson

Miranda Otto

Hugh Laurie