From the trailer for Fight or Flight, the premise seems pretty simple: multiple assassins on a plane, all looking for the same person. While this is part of the plot, there are more surprises and twists for the audience to make this movie one of the year’s best action movies.
Fight or Flight tells the story of a mysterious thief called “Ghost” who has created a program that has put fear in certain people. Once the whereabouts of the Ghost have been found and their itinerary cracked, Katherine Brunt (Katee Sackhoff) knows the right person to hunt them down. Katherine calls Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett), who has been on the run for over two years, for a matter explained later in the film. Lucas has been through some tough times and accepts the deal he is given to bring the Ghost back alive.
While the journey seems straightforward, there will be some bumps along the way that will test Lucas. Once Lucas gets on the flight, things seem off, and this is where the action comes in. Lucas gets in one situation after another and ends up recruiting the flight attendants: Isha (Charithra Chandran), Royce (Danny Ashok), and Garrett (Hughie O’Donnell), to assist him in getting the flight manifesto. The movie’s comedic elements present themself once we see a highly trained assassin working with the flight staff. Whereas Lucas is used to all the violence and blood, the staff’s response to what they see is hilarious.
Once the Ghost is revealed, we learn about their motives and how they pick their targets. While the Ghost may be considered a terrorist to some, they steal from corporations that impose child labor or harm women. The Ghost is a modern-day Robin Hood standing up for the little person. Their latest program, which everyone wants, will help many people, but some do not want it released. This is the quiet message of the movie that will hopefully open more eyes to this issue.
Even with this message and knowing who he is trying to save, Lucas does everything he can to survive the flight and keep the Ghost alive. So much can be said about the action in this movie, but seeing Josh Hartnett take all of the punches and kicks takes this movie to another level. You can tell he is having fun in this movie, and that is all that matters. There are some issues with the script, but that does not take away from the fun ride the film takes you on.
Final Thoughts: Fight or Flight is batshit fantastic and a lot of fun. The action is unbelievable and mind-blowing at times. The trailer misleads the audience, but it is a great twist for the movie. This movie feels like a combination of The Raid and Bullet Train. Josh Hartnett is incredible, and I hope we see more action movies from him.
Kid Friendly: The movie has a lot of violence! Whether it is hand-to-hand combat, using parts of the plane as weapons, or a chainsaw, the violence in this movie is intense! There is some use of alcohol and painkillers that enhance one of the fights for a hilarious result. Fight or Flight is not for kids 16 and under.
Violence: Fight or Flight is a cross between The Raid and Bullet Train in an airplane. The fighting is intense and brutal in some moments. Once the chainsaw comes out, all bets are off.
Exiled American agent Lucas Reyes (Josh Hartnett) is given one last chance to redeem himself – the assignment is to track down and identify a mysterious, international high-value asset known only as The Ghost on a flight from Bangkok to San Francisco. Complicating matters, the plane is filled with assassins from around the world who are assigned to kill them both. The pair must work together in a fight for their lives. At 37,000 feet, the stakes have never been higher.