Exposing a flaw in human nature? - we more easily pardon those whom we like?

Rating: 4/10 (11 September 2018)

I agree with many of the others giving this film a low score. Denzel, faboulous. But the movie failed to engage my attention in the first hour. It was too long. It went nowhere. I found myself saying of the lead character Whip: " I don't like this guy". I am not sure if I will watch the rest of this.
Another reviewer noted the same thing... the writers gave us no reason to like Whip.
We wanted a reason to like him, but he was a drunk and not very nice.
So what was the reason behind creating this movie of an unlikeable man who flew a plane drunk? A plane which was faulty, and he happened to save most of the people on board, then endure an investigation into his fitness to fly it in the first place.
Was it to point out that as people we are more likely to exonerate those we like and more likely to condemn those we don't like?
After watching the film I found myself thinking: "So what if he saved a lot of people, he still flew the plane drunk and high on drugs - that's despicable." And then I asked myself - what if they had drawn his character differently and made me actually like him as a person in spite of the fact he had an alcohol problem. Did my perspective change? Did I think: "Well the plane was clearly broken, he saved most of those on board flying even having been under the influence - they should be lenient.'
Yeah it kinda did. Hmmm... a not very good movie that still managed to make me self reflect.