On January 24, Mel Gibson’s new action film Flight Risk premiered worldwide, and while critics tore it apart, it began a surprisingly triumphant run in theaters.
Disappointing Critics
The movie, labeled 'ridiculous' by reviewers, features lead performances from Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, and Topher Grace, whom critics called 'irritating'. As of this writing, the film holds a mere 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews.
According to Variety, the film lacks originality. Critics described Gibson’s direction as delivering a "crude and uninspired" adventure, with the main intrigue being which of the three leads would turn out to be the most unlikable by the end. Movie Mom criticized Gibson’s direction as careless, while NYC Movie Guru called the film silly and implausible. Movie Web noted that the movie is "terribly uninteresting" and barely qualifies as a disposable B-movie popcorn flick.
A Box Office “Triumph”
Despite the scathing reviews, the action-thriller starring Mark Wahlberg opened at the top of the U.S. box office with $12 million in ticket sales. Surveys revealed that 32% of viewers attended the movie specifically because of Wahlberg’s involvement.
Earnings and Budget
In addition to the $12 million it earned in the U.S., Flight Risk raked in another $4.2 million internationally, bringing its global total to $16.2 million. However, with a production budget of $25 million, the film has a long way to go to break even.
What’s the Movie About?
The plot follows air marshal Madeline Harris, who is transporting a key witness on a small plane. Suspicion mounts when she begins to notice the pilot acting strangely and suspects he may not be who he claims to be.
