I have a headache and I'm tired, so this isn't gonna be a very long review.
There's a lot about "Flightplan" that I don't like, but there's a lot about it that I do like. I'd write out a list of my likes and dislikes, but that would take too long. It's just one of those movies, ya know? It has a whole lotta problems, including major plot holes, but in the end, it's a fairly entertaining movie that successfully killed an hour and 45 minutes. Is it worth the money to see it? Hard to say, but I CAN tell you that I'm really happy it didn't cost me anything to see it.
"Flightplan" was directed by Robert Schwentke, a German director whose work I'm not familiar with. He did a pretty good job keeping the movie at a decent pace, and he made everything look interesting. His camera work is very cool, with the camera floating over seats and moving around the plane effortlessly. There were a couple of really complicated uncut shots, and that was cool to see. The script was written by Peter A. Dowling (making his debut) and Billy Ray, who wrote and directed "Shattered Glass." He also helped write "Volcano," "Color of Night," "Hart's War," and "Suspect Zero." I'm not very familiar with his work (though I saw and liked "Volcano"), but he's been keeping himself busy lately. Anyway, the script was okay, but like I said, there are major plot holes, and too much is relied on chance and luck. Also, much of what's in the movie is really implausible... and even pointless. That's all I can say without spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.
The acting in the movie is excellent. It stars Jodie Foster, so I guess that's no surprise. She's a very intense actress, but she also comes across as totally believable every time. Her role here is similar to her role in the David Fincher film "Panic Room," but I don't have a problem with that. Jodie Foster is an excellent actress, and one of the best things about the movie is watching her do her thing. She's joined by Peter Sarsgaard (he was also in "Garden State," "The Center of the World," "Boys Don't Cry," and Billy Ray's "Shattered Glass") and Sean Bean (the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Equilibrium," "The Island," "National Treasure"), two great character actors who often play villainous, or at least shady, characters. The three of them are awesome in this movie.
Wow, this review is just about over. It really IS short.
I suppose I enjoyed "Flightplan," but the movie has so many problems that I had to roll my eyes a couple of times. However, it has some great acting, and the director does a good job of keeping things moving and making everything look cool. Also, to be fair, the audience I saw the movie with totally loved it, applauding and cheering throughout. They had a good time, so maybe it's just me.
Scale of 1-10: 6