A Good Movie Experience, “Plane” and Simple

When my husband and I first started dating 10 years ago, we loved going to the movies together. But as time has passed, we’ve slowly stopped going. Quite simply, there hasn’t been anything good to see in recent years.

Each time we’ve wanted to go to the theater, our options have either been the 500^th installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or some poorly written film packed full of social justice messages and shoehorned diversity.

I’m all for including different characters and backgrounds in movies. BUT MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. Character development shouldn’t stop at ticking a box on the ever-growing list of diversity requirements for film. It’s obvious when it’s poorly done and downright cringeworthy. Just watch any Netflix-created show for an example on how to cram every minority into the forefront for the mere sake of it.

Despite the dry spell of movie options over the last few years, on Valentine’s Day my husband and I decided to see if anything good was playing at the local theater. That’s when we saw a movie called “Plane” had been released.  

The description reads:

“In the white-knuckle action movie PLANE, pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island – only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When most of the passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI. In order to rescue the passengers, Torrance will need Gaspare’s help, and will learn there’s more to Gaspare than meets the eye.”

Me after reading the description. ^^

It didn’t sound like the most original idea ever, but it also didn’t sound bad. We decided to give it a chance. Worst case scenario I’d get to look at Gerard Butler for an hour and 47 minutes.

And you know what? The movie was actually good.

There was no social justice crammed into the plot.

The cast was racially diverse, well-written and made sense in the story.

There weren’t any excessive “tough girl” characters to satisfy the feminist trope. Just an admirable flight attendant who was a strong, caring woman.

And my favorite part? The masculinity of the good guys was portrayed as just that—good. The men protected others above themselves. Brodie is also written as an attentive, loving father, all while simultaneously kicking a$$.

I didn’t roll my eyes once during the movie, and that’s saying something nowadays. It earned a solid 7/10 for me.

So, if you’re looking for a refreshing, non-woke, action-packed film—grab some over-priced popcorn, an extra-large cup of your preferred flavored diabeetus and give “Plane” a shot. You’ll enjoy it, and if you don’t, at least you’ll get to look at Gerard Butler for an hour and 47 minutes.