Flight Risk [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Mel Gibson

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Dockery, Topher Grace

Release Date: April 1, 2025

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 6/10
Disc Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

In this high-stakes suspense thriller, Academy Award® nominee Mark Wahlberg (2006, Best Supporting Actor, The Departed) plays a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is who they seem.

‘Flight Risk’ joins a Marshal newly reinstated in the field after a troublesome past who after tracking down and securing a fugitive in Alaska that could be the key to taking down a notable mobster once turned witness must simply accompany him on a private plane back to civilization along with the pilot. But as the trio sets to the skies and begins their trek amid the breathtaking snowcapped wilderness, things take a drastic turn when it’s revealed that not everyone is who they seem, causing tension and additional danger up in the air that will make the journey anything but simple.

Directed by Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Hacksaw Ridge) from a screenplay written by first time screenwriter Jared Rosenberg, Gibson does a capable job at the helm of ‘Flight Risk’ guiding along the claustrophobic tension but is never quite able to completely overcome the mediocre script. The film’s limited cast includes Mark Wahlberg (Arthur the King), Michelle Dockery (Here) and Topher Grace (Heretic) who each offer solid and fitting performances in their respective roles that help keep the film from completely falling apart, while Wahlberg frequently steals the show.

‘Flight Risk’ is a largely entertaining film with some adequate tension and fun moments, utilizing a concept that could go either way and in many respects ends up working better than you might expect, but some truly silly moments, countless reused clichés and some truly cringe-worthy dialogue tend to pull the film down as it progresses, while the biggest twist was clearly laid out promptly in the trailer. Even so, there’s still plenty of fun to be had within even if some of the lines and various moments and scenarios throughout can occasionally be a bit hard to take seriously.

While ‘Flight Risk’ certainly isn’t perfect, it’s also not completely abysmal either and if you can turn off your brain and simply go along for the ride, it does have its charms and a few clever ways to utilize the limited setting in which nearly all of the film takes place, not to mention doing an impressive job of showcasing the gorgeous scenery and making the external views from within the plane look realistic, even if a few other moments like the opening shot of the motel don’t look quite as marvelous. The film does benefit from the capable guidance of director Mel Gibson who does a solid job and his work behind the camera is further boosted by a limited, yet talented cast led by Wahlberg who may technically have the least to do within, but still manages to repeatedly steal the show, especially once he fully delves into darkness mode.

Overall, ‘Flight Risk’ is a decent and fast-paced thriller that quickly falls into B-movie territory both for good and bad at times, with a great director in Mel Gibson guiding it along and a solid trio of lead stars who do a nice job of keeping things trucking along with little for the viewer to focus on other than their interactions and the beautiful mountain landscapes visible outside. The film may not do much for some folks but ‘Flight Risk’ is recommended whenever it might be convenient for those who enjoy a somewhat goofy, over the top and at times hard to swallow action-thriller largely reminiscent of those we saw more frequently in decades past. Even for those interested in the film already, it probably wouldn’t be a terrible idea to rent it if you haven’t yet seen it before purchasing a copy.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Flight Risk’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with HDR-10, presented in its original 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video presentation looks great as a whole and provides a clean, sharp and richly detailed presentation from start to finish that never suffers from any notable or unexpected issues along the way. Detail is crisp and sharp on everything from character faces and clothing to the interior of the small plane where nearly everything plays out and in the quite stunning scenery frequently on display outside. The HDR contributes some sharper, more realistic colors on clothing and the white snow-topped mountain landscapes, while black levels are clean, deep and absent of any problems. Overall, this is a pretty fantastic Ultra High Definition presentation that never disappoints and should easily please both fans and newcomers.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 channel compatible) soundtrack. Please note that this review pertains solely to the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 audio presentation. This multichannel soundtrack delivers a clean, crisp and at times notably hard hitting audio presentation throughout that immerses you in the tension. It repeatedly takes advantage of all seven available channels in order to send plane and nature activity, plus some action effects, bits of dialogue and more whipping throughout the various speakers whenever appropriate, while never allowing any dialogue or other audio elements to become distorted or rendered problematic along the way. Overall, this is a wonderful Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible) soundtrack that holds up splendidly throughout and repeatedly contributes to the fun and tension.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘Flight Risk’ includes the Behind the Scenes Featurette ‘Risk Management: Making Flight Risk’ (running approximately 8 minutes in length) which includes interviews/comments with the cast and crew, plus some behind the scenes footage and more. The film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (running approximately 1 minute) is also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Blu-Ray disc included in the 4K UHD Combo Pack and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on the 4K UHD & Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Film Rating: 6/10
Disc Rating: 7/10

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‘Flight Risk’ Arrives Home on 4K Ultra HD, 4K UHD Steelbook, Blu-ray & DVD April 1, 2025 & is Now Available on Digital from Lionsgate

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You can purchase ‘Flight Risk’ on 4K UHD at Amazon HERE!

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