The Bottom Line
An overreaching hybrid of genres that fails to elicit any thrills.
Pros
- Good setup
- Fast pace
Cons
- Tries to do too much
- Not enough of a horror angle
- Mediocre acting
Description
- Starring Mark Hamill, Alan Ford, Gemma Atkinson, Julian Glover, Craig Conway, Sebastian Street, Peter Barrett
- Directed by Dominic Burns
- Rated NR
- DVD Release Date: October 16, 2012
Guide Review - 'Airborne' DVD Review
Able to take off just before a major storm sets in, Atlantic Flight 686 from the UK to New York escapes from the frying pan but ends up in the fire when people on board -- most notably the pilots -- begin dropping like flies. It seems a mystery killer is on board but even more dangerous is a mysterious crate that unleashes an ancient evil looking for a perfect host. On the ground, retiring air traffic controller Malcolm is trying to make sense of it all on his last night on the job, but when he loses radio contact and the plane vanishes from the radar, the passengers must fend for themselves to make it safely to their destination.
An enclosed airline setting always makes for an intriguing setup for a film, but Airborne doesn't take full advantage of the natural appeal of its confines and instead tries to cram in as many disparate genres as possible. The result is a jumbled mix of murder mystery, hijack thriller, heist actioner and supernatural horror that never really nails any of the varied styles. Although it's fast-paced and action-packed, its unimaginative set pieces and flat, uncompelling characters make for a tedious viewing experience. Not helping matters is the fact that the supernatural horror aspect shows up only in the last 20 minutes or so, far too late to make Airborne take off.
The DVD
No special features
Movie: C-
DVD: F
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the distributor. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
