Boston’s Mark Wahlberg flounders in this uneven airborne thriller directed by Mel Gibson.
By Sarah G. Vincent/Boston Movie News

“Flight Risk” is Mel Gibson’s sixth and latest film about Air Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery), who is transporting fugitive Winston (Topher Grace) to testify against the mob. When they take a charter plane to leave the Alaskan wilderness to return to Manhattan via Anchorage and then Seattle, their pilot, Daryl Booth (Mark Wahlberg), is not who he seems to be. Who will make it out alive?

Commercial Catholics Gibson, who is making a sequel to “The Passion of the Christ” (2004), and Wahlberg, the face of Hallow, a prayer app, team up for this plane thriller. The timing may be ideal since the theme of January 2025 in the US is that the deplorables get a second chance, just like Marshal Harris, who has been off the job for reasons that will be revealed. In “The Gentlemen” (2020), Dockery proved that she could play a tough dame, and she does her best with a screenplay filled with so many plane tropes that they may have exceeded the weight limit on their tiny aircraft. Light a candle for Dockery as she pretends to be delighted when the guy helping her land the plane from the ground, Hasan (Maaz Ali provides vocals, and Monib Abhat appears on screen—unclear why two different actors needed the role), hits on her. Yes, a man, Jared Rosenberg, wrote “Flight Risk.” Most women would humor Hasan while rolling their eyes at the indignation that they cannot even have an emergency without being asked out. Damn. Let a girl die in peace.

A miscast villain and weak dialogue

If you remember Grace, he is best known for playing Eric Foreman on “That ‘70s Show” and has emerged as the least problematic actor on the television comedy series. The main mystery about Winston is whether he is basically an adult version of the beloved wise-cracking sitcom protagonist who makes bad career choices except with fewer levels or a variant of his character in “Predators” (2010). Rosenberg saddles Grace with a ton of bathroom jokes mostly limited to urinating, and it is a testament to Grace that he will make moviegoers care about whether his character will live long enough to turn state’s witness.

Every bald man in America should beat Wahlberg’s ass for suggesting that his character, a sadistic murderer who works for the mob for funsies, should be bald. It is one of those unnecessary physical character creative choices that convey more about Wahlberg’s views on beauty standards and what a physical signifier for evil is than a way to flesh out his character. He thinks that bald guys look weird and are psychos. Wahlberg is no Charlize Theron and should have kept his thick head of hair. News flash: as long as a bald or balding guy is not trying to hide who he is, they are generally hot, and most sensible, discerning women would prefer Stanley Tucci, Patrick Stewart, Mark Strong, Ed Harris, James Spader, J.K. Simmons, Ben Kingsley, Corey Stoll, Terence Stamp, Mitch Pileggi, etc. over Wahlberg any day, especially when it comes to acting though he would probably beat them in a rap battle…maybe. Between Rosenberg’s heavy-handed dialogue and Wahlberg’s over-the-top and not in a good way performance, his sadistic, wanna-be killer is more annoying than menacing. Booth—get it, President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin’s last name—loves threatening his targets with rape, torture, and death, but he really exists to take infinite “Looney Tunes” hits that would fell an ordinary human being. He pops up whenever things get slow but is barely a person. A better actor and writer would make a memorable villain that would stick to your ribs. The recent “Kraven the Hunter” was not a good movie, but Christopher Abbott killed it as The Foreigner. If Abbott had been put in this role, it would have been elevated, but Wahlberg is not a strong enough actor to make it work beyond the trailer. To be fair, in part, Booth is supposed to be bad at disguising himself, so Wahlberg is trying to play a character who is a bad actor, but only good actors can convey those layers, such as Natalie Portman’s performance in “May December.” If Grace had felt up to wearing two hats, even he would have made a more credible killer.

Running on fumes

“Flight Risk” runs out of fuel in the first third. While Booth monitors them for signs of suspicion, Marshall Harris and Winston are at odds, and they must find common ground and trust each other to survive. Marshal Harris seems a bit dumb when she calls Booth’s bluff while she still needs him to fly the plane. Winston has the more challenging role since he is physically restrained, not about that life, and not credible as a mob accountant. How does he attract her attention without Booth noticing? Once the jig is up, the narrative’s engine runs on fumes to fill another hour. Anything that happens afterward seems extraordinarily foolish for Booth to stay in the game. What happened to the knife? Why did Marshall Harris suddenly bust out some sunglasses? It is awkward but forgivable in better hands.

In the end, Winston and Marshal Harris find redemption in their collaboration to stay alive and land that plane. “Flight Risk” gives them time to share their backstories and become emotional. The pilotless plane puts them on equal footing since they both fear crashing. It also shifts the dynamic of their relationship from captor/fugitive to protector/victim, which forges an unlikely odd couple relationship, which is the movie’s strongest aspect. Winston’s story is a little stronger because there is the question of whether he would pair up with Booth to shake off his shackles or only think of himself. The enemy of my enemy is way worse in this circumstance, so a friend is not an option. It might have been a stronger story if the option had not been jettisoned so early in the movie.

“Flight Risk” also sports a B-level story off-screen about who is the mole who gave up their location. Leah Remini’s voice is instantly recognizable as Marshall Harris’ friend and supervisor, Van Sant. Paul Ben-Victor plays Director Coleridge. This story detracts from the action and feels gimmicky, as if it belongs on a beloved NBC crime drama series. It reminds viewers that the location is limited and renders it into radio play territory, which is the opposite of what was probably intended. Eventually, the film devolves into a story about the logistics of flying a plane in treacherous territory without being a pilot.

Lackluster direction

How does Gibson do with his direction? A screener of “Flight Risk” can only be played on television, so not having a big screen with a group of people makes it hard to tell. Some CGI scenes looked laughable, especially with the animals, because the technology has been available since “Dreamcatcher” (2003). The mountains seemed majestic, albeit a smidge uniform; however, it looked solid. Unsurprisingly, Gibson is strongest with action sequences. Still, it is a far cry from his usual quality of making grand epics, and it feels like he is on autopilot—not outstanding and not awful, just serviceable. He does a good job of making a small space not seem dull, and in the wrong hands, it would have felt like a play with the limited number of characters and the restricted cabin space.

While it is cute that the runtime is the same length as the flight, the story is still too thin to remain fully engrossing for 91 minutes. The Disposable Pilot trope was never supposed to exist in a feature. Dockery and Grace make it bearable, but Wahlberg is the weakest, one-note link who makes serial killers boring, which is remarkable in its own way. Still, Wahlberg’s name has the potential to be a box office draw that his die-hard fans won’t mind or notice the lack of quality in his performance. Cillian “Red Eye” Murphy would have dog-walked Wahlberg, but “Flight Risk” does not want to be that kind of movie; otherwise, it would not hit theaters in January. If you go to the theaters, only pay matinee prices!

‘Flight Risk’

Rating: R for violence and language.

Cast: Michelle Dockery, Mark Wahlberg, Topher Grace

Director: Mel Gibson

Writer: Jared Rosenberg

Running time: 91 minutes

Where to watch: In theaters

Grade: C