Even with the reliable Denzel at the cockpit, Flight never takes off.

Rating: 5/10 (22 April 2013)

Somewhere in Flight, there is a good movie waiting to pop out. Unfortunately, we never really got to see it. What could have been a nice display of the unraveling and the unveiling of an assumed hero becomes the typical drama about a broken man---except with an exhilarating turbulence sequence. Although the acting was fine and the directing was spot-on, the editing was convoluted and the movie was a bit lengthier than necessary.
Denzel Washington is one of the most dependable actors arguably in the history of film. So of course, he is the outstanding factor on this film, and kept the movie from becoming too unbearable. He is supported by a great staff that includes the also-reliable John Goodman, Don Chedele, and Kelly Reilly. The movie may have the Lifetime feel, but definitely doesn't have the similar acting. During the darkest moments of the film, the staff delivers and deserves all the accolades it can get.
If anything hampers the acting, it's partially the writing but mostly the editing. What really prevents Flight from becoming something special is that it reveals all its cards before having a chance to bluff. Detail scattered in the first third of the movie could have been hidden to not only subtract some predictability but could have also added some suspense and mystery into the movie. Knowing where Flight was going to go just a dozen minutes in was not a good sign.
In terms of writing, you must always be one step ahead of the audience, must always have a decent trick up your sleeve if the story ever lingers. Flight being over 120 minutes and already treading down a familiar road from the getgo, there was no way the decent directing from the amazing Robert Zemeckis or the great Best Actor nominated performance of Washington could save this from being a bit of a bore. By the time we get to the finish line, the Zs will start developing in your system.
When the most thrilling and most entertaining sequence of the movie occurs within the first half hour and three half hours to go, we have a problem.
Mayday mayday, this movie is going down.