Grounded

Rating: 4/10 (21 September 2017)

Denzel Washington plays a thoroughly unlikable airline pilot who flies his passenger-laden aircraft while high on drugs and alcohol resulting in a crash which kills six people on-board.
After his chief executive and the lawyer he hired find out that Denzel was blitzed at the controls of the plane, they both join the Unlikable Club by trying to bury the truth so they can get the pilot off the hook.
Stupid 'only-in-the-movies' stuff includes Denzel flying the airliner inverted (upside down) and the co-pilot opting not to reveal what he knows about the pilot's impaired condition the day of the crash because the co-pilot is a religious fanatic who chooses God over conscience.... SCRIPTWRITER COP-OUT!!!
John Goodman is on hand (again) to over-act as a worthless drug dealer with a comic twist in his performance which fails miserably.
My one most important issue concerning this film is: Why didn't they make it on the level? What's with Denzel having swagger and an irresponsible attitude? Why not portray him as a real character, an airline captain who has a terrible secret? The way they did it, this movie is simply 'comic-book', incredulous, and dumb. It's a real shame.
I strongly recommend, that if you wish to see a realistic film about an alcoholic airline captain, watch 'The Pilot' (1980) starring Cliff Robertson, whom also directed. Now THAT was a realistic movie on this subject.