Flight Risk 4K UHD Review

April 2, 2025 Victor Medina

RATING: 3.4 out of 5

THE SET-UP

A federal air marshal (Michelle Dockery) in the midst of transporting a witness (Topher Grace) out of the Alaskan wilderness discovers their pilot (Mark Wahlberg) is not who he appears to be. Written by Jared Rosenberg. Directed by Mel Gibson.

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THE DELIVERY

Flight Risk is not the type of film you expect when you hear the words “Directed by Mel Gibson.” It’s been nearly a decade since his last directorial effort, 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge, which earned him a Best Director nomination. Before that, he helmed, in order, Apocalypto (2006), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and Braveheart (1995).

His latest film seems like an odd choice to add to that list, but it shouldn’t be judged against them. In fairness, Flight Risk is a deliberate throwback to the action adventures Gibson starred in throughout the nineties, in between his Oscar winners and Lethal Weapon blockbusters. Although he doesn’t act in his latest film, it shares a kindred spirit with his movies Bird on a Wire, Maverick, and Conspiracy Theory. It’s over-the-top and highly entertaining, and certainly not to be taken seriously. As long as you don’t expect too much from it, Flight Risk is a fun diversion that’s worth the ninety-minute trip.

The film opens with the arrest of Winston (Topher Grace), a former accountant for a mob boss, by U.S. Marshal Madolyn Harris (Michelle Dockery). Winston is ready to make a deal and testify about his former employer, so Madolyn has to fly him out of the Alaskan wilderness where he’s been hiding out and back to civilization.

Things get complicated, as the trailers for the film have already revealed, because Daryl the pilot (Mark Wahlberg) is actually a mob hitman. Madolyn figures this out pretty quickly, and the rest of the film is a tense cat-and-mouse game to get the plane on the ground and keep Winston alive.

The film offers some surprises, but also a huge helping of action movie cliches and cheesy line deliveries. That doesn’t help elevate a film that already feels rushed and hastily edited. The actors involved make it worthwhile, and the sheer entertainment level glosses over the more ridiculous and silly turns the film takes.

Michelle Dockery is serviceable as Madolyn, adding some depth to a character that doesn’t have much to work with from Jared Rosenberg’s by-the-numbers script. Topher Grace seems a bit lost, unsure of how to make his character interesting. Thankfully, Mark Wahlberg holds it all together with an unhinged performance of a Kentucky-fried sociopath that won’t go down quietly. It’s silly fun, all the way to the last twist in the film’s final minute.

I expected a bit more from Gibson’s direction, but Walhberg’s outrageous performance makes Flight Risk a worthwhile ride.

Score: 3.5 out of 5

SIGHT AND SOUND

The 4K disc provides a solid transfer, with a razor-sharp image that serves the visuals well. Skin tones are natural and the plane’s interior balances the darker colors against the harsher exterior light.

It should be noted that, as mentioned in the special features, much of the film was shot in The Volume, the video-wall sound stage that provides an incredibly realistic 360-degree backdrop. It’s the same tech used in The Mandalorian, and on this particular 4K disc, the resolution makes the view through the plane windows even more impressive. The film’s finale features some CGI effects that become a bit more obvious in 4K, but they are effective enough and don’t detract from the film.

The audio is an English Dolby Atmos track, that features a surprisingly immersive presentation. The use of the surrounding channels to provide an “Inside the plane” experience is subtle but nicely done, and dialogue is well-balanced.

The 4K disc also includes Spanish and French Dolby 5.1 tracks, as well as an English Descriptive Audio track.

Flight Risk Mark Walhberg Michelle Dockery

Video Score: 4.0 out of 5

Audio Score: 4.0 out of 5

EXTRAS

The disc is surprisingly thin on extras, a real letdown considering the sheer starpower involved in the film could have provided plenty of bonus material. Instead, we get an all-too-short featurette and the obligatory trailer.

The bonus features are as follows:

*”Risk Management: Making Flight Risk” Featurette. Mel Gibson, screenwriter Jared Rosenberg, and members of the cast discuss the unique circumstances the film was made under, as it was a deliberately modestly-budgeted film that was shot in 22 days. There are some nice behind-the-scenes insights,including a look at the use of The Volume video wall to create the effect of a plane in the air. Don’t watch this before seeing the film, as it features major spoilers. Running Time: 8:10

*Theatrical Trailer. The film’s original theatrical trailer is included. Running Time: 1:19

*Digital Copy. A code for a digital copy of the film, redeemable at either Fandango at Home (formerly VUDU) or iTunes, is included. Lionsgate digital codes are not redeemable through Movies Anywhere.

Extras Score: 2 out of 5

THE BOTTOM LINE: Flight Risk is a throwback action thriller worth a ride

It doesn’t rise to the level of director Mel Gibson’s Oscar-nominated epics, but Flight Risk is a brisk, entertaining thriller that fully embraces its cliches and over-the-top performances. A solid 4K transfer offers a good technical presentation, but the 4K set offers little in the extras department, making it too bare-bones for 4K fans looking for more to justify a physical purchase.

Scores

Movie: 3.5

Video: 4

Audio: 4

Extras: 2

Final Score: 3.4 out of 5