It was bound to happen eventually. The awesome Giovanni Ribisi who etched his talent into films such as; "Saving Private Ryan" (most moving death scene ever), "The Gift", "Heaven", "The Dead Girl", "Cold Mountain", and many others, succumbed to the weight of this giant sand turd, the remake of "Flight of the Phoenix". I saw the original in a theater in 1965 when I was ten. They should have left well enough alone. Or rather, I should have left well enough alone. The "buhya's", high fives, "and the crowd went wild" roars, are supposed to pass for dramatic tension and exposition. They don't. Dialogue is flat.Towns (Quaid): Ya think this thing'll fly?Elliot (Ribisi): It'll fly.Towns (Quaid): It better. Riveting.It's no knock on Giovanni Ribisi that he's terrible in this film. His character, Elliot, is actually altered in this remake from a cooky genius ('65) to murderous sociopath here. And yet, he's no worse than anyone else who is also terrible in this film; as is the writing, the jungle drum music score, and the ever so derivative "oogabooga - dead hand reaching out and grabbing a woman's ankle" moment. Yes, they filmed that. And then it made it out of the editing department. Can you just imagine what was left on the floor.If you're interested in a good film called "Flight of the Phoenix" check out the 1965 version.

(I would like to preface this by saying that, due to a Netflix induced conundrum, I watched this remake before seeing the original 1966 film. That being said...) I thought this was an outstanding movie. It was extremely intense and even more dramatic than I suspected, but in the end it was an amazing movie. Giovanni Ribisi stands out as a weird little egomaniac who dominated the movie. He was unbelievable in his role! Ribisi does an amazing job of breaking all stereotypes we've placed on him to play this quiet, awkward, mousy little man. The writers and directors did an amazing job of shining light on the darkest parts of the human heart that we all try to keep hidden. They force us to look in on ourselves and recognize our hearts in one of these characters.

For those audiences who have not seen the original (for whatever reason) I recommend the redux version. Despite its perceived shortcomings the film should appeal to them. Yes, this film is a modern version and adaptation replete with today's warped lingo. Nonetheless, director John Moore delivers a worthy product.And instead of panning his selection I applaud Dennis Quaid's inclusion. He's not Jimmy Stewart. No surprise there. Nevertheless Dennis does a darn good job in his rendition of the oft jaded Captain Frank Towns the pilot of ill-fated cargo plane. Although later he had some really weak even lame moments. One stand outs. It was his response to the female oil crew member's plea to search for a 'lost' companion.Initially stubborn and even oblivious to the plight of the oil rig crew, Quaid soon bends somewhat. He even shows some redemptive qualities. Ina sheepish voice, he replies."OK. I'll go."Still, Quaid provided a credible account of how a seasoned and journeyman pilot may have responded in a similar real life-or-death situation. For the most part, he did nothing.Fast forward...The real story and its rising star begins and ends with the appearance of 'Eliot', the aviation engineer (miniature as in models). Giovanni Ribisi takes control of the dire situation and the film. Moreover, he offers just enough contrast in his character to make the viewer wish to know more about him. then, forget the other cast members. Soon, they all rescind to the background as robots.And why not. Kaiser Eliot requests and then demands their complete obedience. Always mindful, he sets a lofty goal. His singular task and focus is to get the job done: build a 'new' Phoenix from the remains of the wreckage. Hey, it sounded good to me. If asked, I too would have jumped at the chance to help.More kudos...The cinematography was terrific. Especially satisfying was experiencing the wild, gut wrenching plane ride almost the moment after take-off. Minutes later the plane is caught in the fierce clutches of a monster Mongolian desert storm.There's no way out. Eliot, knows that too. After venturing to the cockpit, he bravely apprised Captain Towns."You're too heavy."What did Eliot earn for his sterling effort and sage advice? Towns, sternly rebuked him."Get back in your seat!"Thereafter, events got real interesting. First, the plane's radio antenna was sheared off...

I suppose a remake can't be that different from the original, but watching the movie without watching the original gave me ESP, or the movie was just too predictable.Every event that occurred wasn't creative. The characters are not believable. The drama was way to scripted. I understand that it is a movie, but good ones take you out of the "I know what's going to happen" mindset for at least a few brief moments. Everything that happened could have easily been predicted without knowing beforehand.The most unpredictable thing that happened was the fact that the plane flew. No, I knew it was going to fly, but how they were going to do it was the unpredictable part: laying down and holding onto bars? Yeah, OK... I'd like to see anyone try that on any airplane without losing their grip at SOME point.In all truth, I enjoyed it, but it was so mediocre that I will soon forget about it.