Directed by:
John MooreCinematography:
Brendan GalvinComposer:
Marco BeltramiCast:
Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, Tony Curran, Sticky Fingaz, Hugh Laurie, Kevork Malikyan, Jared Padalecki, Jacob Vargas (more)Plots(1)
This gruelling and suspenseful tale of survival is a remake of the thrilling 1965 movie of the same name. It's a high action adventure that unites a diverse collection of people - a group of oil workers - who find themselves in an extraordinary and perilous situation. To escape, they must overcome any differences they have and learn to trust and rely upon each other. The group are the survivors of a spectacular air crash caused by a windstorm that has brought down their cargo plane, leaving them stranded in the Mongolian desert. And that's just the beginning of the adventure. It becomes clear that there is no chance of rescue from their brutal and deadly environment where their dwindling resources - especially water - and other imminent threats force them to attempt what seems an impossible task. They will rebuild a new plane from the wreckage of the old one. (20th Century Fox AU)
(more)Reviews (3)
The scene of a night-time visit to Chinese smugglers, with the musical background in the form of “Champ” by Massive Attack, is excellent, but the rest of the movie has nothing to rouse one’s interest. In films with a dozen characters, the most important thing is the cast and the interactions between the characters. The protagonists of this opus are unfortunately bland, have even less charisma than they have drinking water and the relationship nuances between them correspond to the abilities of the director behind the dumb shoot-’em-up Behind Enemy Lines. Moreover, John Moore wouldn’t hesitate to include a flashy music-video-style sequence even in a drama about the Holocaust. That is why I wonder who the hell put him in charge of this remake of a 1960s dramatic classic. Instead of a believable drama, this guy delivers only ridiculous pathos. Go watch Frank Marshall’s Alive instead.
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A great adventure drama with very good acting performances. Dennis Quaid can still play a tough guy, Giovanni Ribisi a crazy fool, and Hugh Laurie plays as if in preparation for House. The most impressive scene was definitely the nighttime shootout with Chinese smugglers, underscored by Massive Attack.
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The first five minutes, with excellent camera work, are just an introduction, getting to know the main characters, and so on. Then comes the most important part, the collision, which is captivatingly filmed, typical of John Moore's action-style of directing, with quick cuts, dynamic shots, fast and sharply contoured camera moving from side to side. But that's all the film offers. It is technically competent, decent in terms of its premise, but poorly handled in terms of the screenplay and acting.
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