Flight of the Phoenix

Flight of the Phoenix (Director: John Moore)

Moore's most recognizable work is Behind Enemy Lines. This film is a remake of a 1965 Jimmy Stewart vehicle. Screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Get Shorty, Minority Report) adapts a screenplay from the Lukas Heller original with Edward Burns (She's The One, The Brothers McMullen).

Could a movie be more classicly constructed than Flight of the Phoenix? It's a simple tale of a plane going down in the Gobe Desert and a small crew trying to get out, with numerous challenges other than getting the plane off the ground. It's an old-timey type of plot, which is understandable since the first came out nearly 40 years ago.

Dennis Quaid, in his 3rd movie this year, plays Frank Towns, a pilot sent to shut down a failed oil operation and transport the workers to Beijing. His decision to try to fly over a desert storm leads to death and destruction and the crash landing in the middle of the desert. With little food and water to last only a month, the crew must decide whether to wait for rescue or to follow genius Elliott (Giovanni Ribisi) in creating another plane from what's left the old one. Ultimately, they will decide to build the plane, but have to battle heat, storms, lack of rations, mistrust, thieves, and other problems to get to that goal.

The cast includes LOTR alum Miranda Otto, "House" lead Hugh Laurie, and singer/model/actor Tyrese Gibson (last seen in 2 Fast 2 Furious). Quaid plays a good leader, but it's Giovanni Ribisi who steals this movie completely. With a HAL-like voice and supressed sense of superiority, his appearance is always amusing, and he's one of the most memorable characters of the year.

This is classic action, and should find a small following, although it may take time considering it is playing counter to family-friendly Lemony Snickets and chick-friendly Spanglish this weekend.