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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
As superfluous remakes go, Flight of the Phoenix could've been better, and could've been worse. It's a passable popcorn adventure, especially for those unfamiliar with the 1965 original, which starred James Stewart, made headlines for the crash-landing death of stunt-pilot Paul Mantz, and now stands as a minor classic of its era. This flashy remake stars Dennis Quaid in Stewart's role, adds a woman to the list of plane-crash survivors, and showcases Giovanni Ribisi, who gives a cleverly eccentric performance as the model-airplane designer who proposes to rebuild a crashed cargo plane into a single-engine escape from certain death in the remote Gobi desert. Both films are essentially identical, but this remake is somehow less believable (due to shortcuts in a haphazardly written screenplay) and much more spectacular, owing to the advantage of impressive special effects. Otherwise it's a routine dose of survivalist entertainment from the director of Behind Enemy Lines, never convincing enough to be genuinely compelling, but certainly never boring. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Hugh Laurie, Miranda Otto. Tensions mount among the survivors of a desert plane crash in the treacherous Sahara desert, as one by one they die off and their rescue attempts fail. 2004/color/113 min/PG-13.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Saw it Saturday at the Bridge theater in Culver City. In one word, my review would be, "awesome." I remember when I was a boy my dad taking me to see the old Robert Aldrich movie "The Flight of the Phoenix" at the tiny Kings Park Theater on Long Island. That as so long ago James Stewart could still play an action hero. I loved the picture then, and I think a lot of boys my age still will connect the movie with similar male-bonding experiences with their dads--maybe they should have released this re-make during Father's Day holiday instead of Christmas. Anyhow, the remake did not disappoint. Dennis Quaid is no Jimmy Stewart, but he's just as good in this as he was in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Funny in this one he's always traipsing up and down over Gobi desert hills in Gunga Din heat sweating his balls off, whereas in TOMORROW he was all icy cold with ice forming over his face. What a year it's been for poor Dennis Quaid. In this film he plays Frank "Shut Em Down" Townes, a crack pilot who makes some unfortuante decisions early in the film and spends the rest of the time living them down and trying to righten things.
Miranda Otto looks completely different than she did in the final two films of the LORD OF THE RINGS tragedy. She plays Kelly, a tough as nails oil driller and physically she looks a lot like Evangeline Lilly who plays "Kate" on ABC's LOST. Everyone around me sitting in the theater was commenting on how much this film resembles LOST. Frank and Kelly are just like Jack and Kate in LOST, there's a quasi-Sayed guy who spouts a lot of mystic Kahil Gibran philosophy, a chubby guy sort of like Hurley, and strange monstrous creatures out there who are using the castaways as target practice. And of course, there is the shadow of the wrecked plane spilling out over the sands. But THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX is not a rip off of LOST, rather, the resemblance is the other way around. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat its lessons, but for today, my tip is, if you like action pictures and don't mind the constant burning sun, see this film and try to figure out what twists and turns are coming next. And also, even if you dislike Giovanni Ribisi in other movies, don't let us casting here prevent you from seeing this film, because he shows another side of himself here and will really win your heart despite playing such a loathsome, racist, lying, manipulative and sociopathic character.
Miranda Otto looks completely different than she did in the final two films of the LORD OF THE RINGS tragedy. She plays Kelly, a tough as nails oil driller and physically she looks a lot like Evangeline Lilly who plays "Kate" on ABC's LOST. Everyone around me sitting in the theater was commenting on how much this film resembles LOST. Frank and Kelly are just like Jack and Kate in LOST, there's a quasi-Sayed guy who spouts a lot of mystic Kahil Gibran philosophy, a chubby guy sort of like Hurley, and strange monstrous creatures out there who are using the castaways as target practice. And of course, there is the shadow of the wrecked plane spilling out over the sands. But THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX is not a rip off of LOST, rather, the resemblance is the other way around. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat its lessons, but for today, my tip is, if you like action pictures and don't mind the constant burning sun, see this film and try to figure out what twists and turns are coming next. And also, even if you dislike Giovanni Ribisi in other movies, don't let us casting here prevent you from seeing this film, because he shows another side of himself here and will really win your heart despite playing such a loathsome, racist, lying, manipulative and sociopathic character.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
I was amazed how people could be the hot sunny desert not get sun blisters, run around with their cloths off (ever seen a naked Bedouin on camel back), drink only a pint a day of water and not get cracked lips. Truely super human. I don't think they even got tan. And how did they strap people to the wing of a plane (with wind shields) and not ruin the air flow that keeps a plane aloft? Amazing.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is the WORST remake of any movie I've seen in my life. The original movie had SUPERIOR actors and paid close attention to ALL details pertaining to what life would really be like if this indeed happened. This remake includes wimps,stupidity and a list of ridiculous ideas and total ignorance of what it would be like trapped in a desert in conditions that are beyond most imaginations. I'm going to burn this DVD in my outdoor firepit first chance I get. You really need to see the original to understand just how bad todays movies are!!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Entertaining but don't look for a deep plot
Not very interesting for the first half of the movie at all. Honestly the characters could have all died and I wouldn't have cared because I hadn't bonded much with them. Read more
Published 1 month ago by anonymous
Awesome Movie
Very entertaining. I have been in love with it since I first saw it. Everything seemed reasonable in the scenario so I don't know why all these people are hating on it.
Published 2 months ago by shotgunman006
lots of sand
After seeing the first and buying it years ago with Jimmy Stewart, I still liked the idea of the new Flight of the Phoenix. Renting it in the old Blockbuster days I enjoyed it. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Peter Mars
Falls Short in Many Ways
Who can review this movie without comparing it to the original classic starring Jimmy Stewart? I certainly can't. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Calamity Jane
Decent Remake
I'm a big James Stewart fan and the original is one of my all time favorite
movies, so I was expecting to be disappointed with this remake.
Not so. Read more
movies, so I was expecting to be disappointed with this remake.
Not so. Read more
Published 4 months ago by beck
ok at best but the blu ray looks good.
This is another argument why classic movies should not be remade. This can't hold a candle in scope or any other factgore to the original movie. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Michael P. Dobey
good stuff
Really enjoyed this movie, and portrayal of the desert, with action and drama all wrapped into one. Music is very well matched to the story line.
Published 8 months ago by butterball
The ideal in-flight movie. NOT!
Usually movie remakes fall flat, but I took a chance and bought the Blu-ray version of Flight of the Phoenix. Glad I did. I was on the edge of my seat throughout. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Craig Hartley
"Please and Thank You"
Since I enjoyed this remake starring Dennis Quaid, it's a given that I'll have to see the original with Jimmy Stewart for comparison, because the story is that good. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Strawgold
Boring!
This movie was waste of money! it was boring. I thought it would be a good movie' but i was very wrong.
Published 13 months ago by Nefertiti
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