Flight Preview

Flight is the story of commuter airline pilot Whip Whitfield (Denzel Washington).  He's good at his job, and a fateful trip from Orlando to Atlanta would prove just how good he is.  Shortly after takeoff, he maneuvers the plane through some extremely rough turbulence.  They think they're in the clear, but an apparent plane malfunction sends them into a nosedive.  Whip has no choice but to flip the plane and crash land in the closest field he can find.  He wakes in the hospital and finds that though 8 people on the plane have perished, he is solely responsible for saving the lives of everyone else with a move that no other pilot could duplicate.  However, after a routine blood test for this situation, it seems there was alcohol in his system and an investigation is underway to determine the actual cause of the crash.  Flight is the story of Whitfield fighting for his life both personally and professionally.

The preview shows a dramatic, spectacular crash landing in which pilot Whip Whitfield inverts a commuter airplane in order to save the passengers on board.  Whitfield awakes in the hospital and is informed that an investigation into the crash has been initiated and alcohol was found in his blood.  Whitfield's friend Harling Mays (John Goodman) is there to visit him and assure him that he's a hero.  I'm not 100% sure what to expect from this movie.  The tragic plane ride is the majority of the preview, so one would assume that most of the movie would be centered around the flight and what made it crash.  And the clips of that flight look absolutely amazing.  And it's Denzel Washington and John Goodman.  How can you go wrong with those two heavy hitters in the lineup?  I loved them in their last co-starring picture Fallen.  My concern is that the movie is over two hours long.  How much of that can really be watching one flight come crashing down?  How much of that is investigating the crash?  How much of that is about pilot Whitfield?  I'm hoping it's a gripping mystery that keeps me on the edge of my seat.  So I'm predicting a hesitant but hopeful 4 stars for this movie.  Am I right?  We shall see.