This film is destined never to be an in-flight movie!

Rating: 6/10 (11 November 2012)

It's indisputable to say that "Flight" was deceptive in its marketing (as a previous poster suggested): where the trailers make it out to be a familiar something with a couple of surprises and maybe an original twist to it at the end. No, not really. Like with Zemeckis's "Cast Away," the film was probably about 45 minutes longer than it needed to be. Regardless though, Denzel commanded the whole movie: was in almost every scene, and added dimensionality to what could have been a ho-hum/ been-there-done- that–type of movie. I think if they had more Don Cheadle and flashbacks of Washington's association with the flight attendant as opposed to the heroin-addicted girl (in where their boring relationship seems to be by-the-numbers of a recovering 12-step meets addict-in-denial), it would have been a far better film. Suffice to say, the supporting roles were just as good. Bruce Greenwood wasn't much different than in a lot of other films he's in, but Don Cheadle WAS! He didn't have much screen-time, and I wished he did. John Goodman was, well, good, and reminded me of almost a darker and more weathered version of Zach Garalflickisisisis (sic) from "Due Date" and the "Hangover" movies. Someone also commented how the co-pilot was a "stereotype" as well. I don't agree. I thought it was plausible for him to panic when the plane was going to crash- since in an earlier scene, he hints his inexperience when questioning Denzel's judgment to "turn 30 degrees" in order to get out of the clouds. When Denzel commandeered the crash-landing, his demeanor wasn't panic-ridden in which I also found plausible since he was a veteran military pilot in the Navy (as Bruce Greenwood later stated). He had a lot of flight-time behind him, but because of his mental state with the drugs and alcohol, who's to say (and paraphrasing Washington) how much of it and even when it felt like a "video game" to him?
Although there were predictable elements to it, they weren't badly done. All in all, "Flight" was good, but it could have been better. I think I'd see it again for the crashand the opening scene. But then afterward, I'd know my cue when to run out for more popcorn!