Risk vs.Reward

Rating: 9/10 (18 November 2016)

While many viewers are familiar with the "Miracle on the Hudson", few know about the inquiry conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration which challenged the decision Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger made when he chose to land US Airways 1549 in the Hudson river. These administrators insisted that Capt. Sullenberger could have landed his disabled aircraft safely back at LaGuardia simply because their computer simulations using the same flight data parameters showed it could be done. But at what risk? When a plane crashes in a simulator, the screen freezes but as Capt. Sullenberger realized, a real life plane crash in densely populated New York city would end in a huge ball of fire and the loss of every passenger on board. Tom Hanks' portrayal as "Sully" Sullenberger was unquestionably one of his best performances and Aaron Eckhart was equally up to the task as co-pilot Jeff Skiles. Clint Eastwood did outstanding work as the film's director but also deserves recognition for adding another historical moment into the American film industry archives. I rate this film as a solid 9.