“Flight Risk” follows a U.S. Marshal and fugitive who board a small plane, as tensions begin to rise while crossing the Alaskan wilderness.

“Flight Risk” wastes no time introducing all of the characters before hoisting them onto the plane. This limited knowledge adds a layer of suspense to the early stages of the flick.

Wahlberg goes full throttle

Mark Wahlberg completely unleashes his unhinged persona here, diving headfirst into virtually every aspect. He fully embraces the zany, over-the-top character with impressive dialogue and mannerisms.

Outside of Wahlberg, however, are two rough performances. It’s not particularly the actors’ faults, but more so the script itself. Michelle Dockery and Topher Grace are forced to deliver line after line of generic, non-human dialogue. This took me out of the movie on multiple occasions.

Alaska’s beauty meets choppy editing

“Flight Risk” benefits from beautiful scenery surrounding the plane, as the group is flying through Alaska. The mountainous landscape adds to the threatening nature of the whole situation.

The film contains several riveting sequences. Some of these are large-scale action scenes surrounding the plane itself, while others are hand-to-hand combat. While the editing is extremely choppy at times, general moviegoers will most likely still be pleased with this aspect of the flick.

Not a Smooth Landing, but an Entertaining Ride

“Flight Risk” struggles to manage its various subplots, leading to a disjointed experience overall. Wahlberg ultimately feels like an afterthought for most of the runtime, which is disappointing since he plays the most compelling character.

“Y’all need a pilot?”

“Flight Risk” isn’t a good movie, but… at least we got this iconic quote.

At 91 minutes long, “Flight Risk” is short enough to remain engaging with plenty of action sequences to stay energetic and exciting. Wahlberg is at the top of his game, and it marks an interesting pivot for Mel Gibson as a director. It’s the type of movie that will likely be a guilty pleasure for many years down the line.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5