Andrew S

Overall an ok film I'll never watch again. I'm a pilot; if you are, you'll get a kick out of this one. My favorite part was seeing a Cessna 172 get destroyed in a parking lot. Unfortunately I know the plane wouldn't have disassembled itself so badly, so the CGI kinda killed that BUT I found it hilarious. Just watch it, it's bad. The practical stunt with an actual plane was fun to see, and sad because those aren't cheap. I digress ... I wasn't really a fan of how this film immediately falls on the cliche of a pilot cheating on his wife, WITH A STEWARDESS. I don't know if that's how the books are written but it seems like a terribly cheap plot point. The emotional strings pulled were OK and the cast did their best with what they were given, and for that great job...I just don't think the story is great. To add a cherry on top, not knowing it was a Christian film or that Cage plays a pilot were two blindsides, one being unsavory, the other hilarious, respectively. The cover of our copy crops out his coat's captain bars! Just looks like a dude in distress... Surprise, he's a jaded pilot! Wow....

This film was fun to watch and exciting. The cast was good, especially Columbus Short as Ty. Seeing Fred Ward was an awesome surprise too, I'm a huge Tremors fan (lol). The story is built fairly quick and doesn't take too long to get to the action, in fact I was surprised that the planning for the heist wasn't discussed before it went down...mostly it's watching the protagonist decide which side of the fence to fall toward, and then...here we go! The fun part is watching the heist unravel, and the ethical dilemmas that approach each character. Short does a great job at converting heart and heroism throughout the film, and there are some fun curveballs. Overall the film was a good watch, but felt a little short and I think it's a good candidate to see at least once but I won't need to rewatch. The set was well done but the film doesn't visit too many locations and the car chase scene feels a little mild due to the limited scenery. Perhaps I've been spoiled with Lethal Weapon, Terminator, and Gone in 60 Seconds type chases. In fact, watching the special features for BTS setup was more enjoyable for me personally, as I love to see filming setups. Whoever did the truck vs. cop car impact was a brave stuntman. Good film, give it a watch.

Good movie to watch once, special effects and props left something to be desired until I realized they're part of the humor! I was worried, but the little nuances of trashy film were intentional. This film has good acting, albeit from a cast I was largely unfamiliar with and you have to go in knowing it's a gag. The plot is bonkers and filming a documentary about a planned murder is...just stupid. Take the movie as a joke and it's fun. It's absurd. Go in with that mentality. The humor has a handful of hidden gems that are easy to miss, I appreciate the detail and references thrown in. I probably missed a few. Spoiler: Arnold isn't in the film for at least the first 56 minutes. Is that a detriment to the film? Not really...but I was disappointed because I thought the film FEATURED him. Gotcha! It's a bunch of other people that are trying to kill him but he didn't really have a visible role until way past the halfway point. Disappointed in that, given how he was featured on the cover you might expect him to be the main guy. It's about him, but in the same way reading a biography tells about someone's life...they're a subject and not playing a part (for 3/4 of the film in this case). Overall it was a good one-time watch.

Good film with some interesting talking points and painful truthes. The ending left something to be desired UNTIL I thought about it...and realized why. I suppose it's an apt feeling to have for a film concentrating on the war in Afghanistan and the politics surrounding it: Watching it for the first time in 2024 probably gives it a much more jaded veil given events that took place after the film, and the lives lost since, more than 2400 people. Much changed since 2007 and I feel the film is possibly more poignant in hindsight. The simultaneous storylines were interesting and kept me engaged. Almost gave it a 3 for the ending as I mentioned, but given more thought, I don't think I'm supposed to feel good at the end, and that's the point! 4 stars. I appreciated the political commentary while simultaneously respecting those on the ground and in the air, fighting for us.