Mark Wahlberg shaved part of his hair to play the bad guy in “Flight Risk” but the bald spot is hardly the first thing you notice – it’s his incessant gum- (and scenery) chewing that stands out.
He’s supposed to be a pilot hired to transport a U.S. marshal and her prisoner to a safe spot where the informant will be able to testify against a mob boss. Wahlberg’s Daryl Booth, however, is so "Hillbilly Elegy" you wonder if he isn’t set up to punk the marshal (Michelle Dockery).
Michelle Dockery, left, and Mark Wahlberg appear in a scene from "Flight Risk."
Soon enough, we learn he’s not another pilot-for-hire and this isn’t a trip to Seattle.
Once the identities are established, we get a glimpse of that bald spot and watch as the three scramble around the plane to see who’s in charge.
Directed by Mel Gibson, “Flight Risk” bears all the cliches of the past and points out so many clues to the case it’s a miracle someone didn’t stop this when Dockery didn’t ask to see Darryl’s flight plan.
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There are lots of gaffes in the process – including a weak way of restraining the bad guy while the other two figure out how to land the plane.
Gibson doesn’t lavish the film with great special effects or credible makeup tricks. He lets this play out like a cable TV movie and adds in a “who do you trust?” scenario with the folks back on the ground.
It’s all silly stuff that doesn’t really get the blood pressure going.
Wahlberg gooses so much of his performance you wonder if he isn’t pitching himself to be the screen’s next Jack Nicholson. (Those flaring nostrils could put him in contention for a six-part limited series of “Chinatown.”)
Dockery plays it cool, but Topher Grace – as the informant – is the most believable of the bunch. He offers up plenty of background while handcuffed and becomes a key player when a knife we repeatedly see under the pilot’s seat is put into play. While Gibson extends the resolution to a breaking point, he makes up for it with a stinger that shows what happens to everyone on the plane – including Darryl.
A sequel isn’t likely – particularly since this points to corrupt people in positions of power – but it does show how cutting corners, hiring recognizable actors and recycling an old plot can land a big weekend opening in theaters.
Gibson does action well – given enough space. Confining him to a crop duster is a sure shot to disaster. “Flight Risk” doesn’t fall in that category, necessarily, but it doesn’t exactly make you want to dispense with safety rules no matter who’s in charge.
For far too long, the film and the story are on autopilot.
