Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

Survivors of a plane crash in the Mongolian desert work together to build a new plane.

Director:

John Moore

Writers:

Lukas Heller, Scott Frank (screenplay),

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Giovanni Ribisi

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Frank Towns
Tyrese Gibson	...	A.J.
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Elliott
Miranda Otto	...	Kelly Johnson
Tony Curran	...	Alex Rodney
Sticky Fingaz	...	Jeremy (as Kirk Jones)
Jacob Vargas	...	Sammi
Hugh Laurie	...	Ian
Scott Michael Campbell	...	James Liddle
Kevork Malikyan	...	Rady
Jared Padalecki	...	John Davis
Paul Ditchfield	...	Dr. Gerber
Martin Hindy	...	Newman (as Martin 'Mako' Hindy)
Bob Brown	...	Kyle
Anthony Brandon Wong	...	Lead Smuggler (as Anthony Wong)

Storyline

A group of air crash survivors are stranded in the Mongolian desert with no chance of rescue. Facing a brutal environment, dwindling resources, and an attack by desert smugglers, they realize their only hope is doing the impossible... building a new plane from the wreckage of the old one.

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Plot Keywords:

desert | survivor | rescue | stranded | captain | 

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Taglines:

If they stand together, they stand a chance

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language, action and violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

El vuelo del Fénix

Filming Locations:

Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$335,330 (Australia) (22 July 2005)

Gross:

$830,815 (Australia) (5 August 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Aldrich Group, Davis Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The production built a "Phoenix" that could be taxied, but were unable to safely build a flying version economically. Mindful of the original production which did build a "Phoenix" that could fly, but was structurally unsound and crashed killing stuntman Paul Mantz, the flying scenes were done using a radio controlled model and computer graphics.

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Goofs

When speaking to Elliot, Captain Towns refers to the engine as having "more than 2,000 pounds of thrust". The C-119 has reciprocating radial engines, which are not rated in pounds of thrust as jet engines are. The C-119 had either the Pratt & Whitney R-4360-20 engine producing 3,500 Horsepower, or the Wright Cyclone 3350-85 engine producing 2,500 horsepower. No professional pilot would confuse the two.

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Quotes

A.J.: What you doin?
Ian: [Fiddling with a PDA] Oh, just sending an email to a friend.
A.J.: Oh, really?
[Ian smiles at A.J]
A.J.: You're a funny fucker.

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Connections

Referenced in Getaway: Episode #17.5 (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Hey Ya"
Written by André Benjamin
Performed by Outkast
Courtesy of La Face Records/Zomba Label Group
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music

User Reviews

A classic example of how NOT to do a remake.

I have the greatest respect for producers and directors. Regardless of the quality of their work, they must struggle to bring their personal vision to film, and this requires intelligence, technical proficiency, artistic sense, and the skill of a great storyteller. So why do so many directors do remakes of classic movies that deliberately do away with the qualities that made the earlier version(s) as great as they are? Why not fiddle with the less important aspects of the movie? In the original "Flight of the Phoenix", there are several aspects of the film that are essential to the movie; the complete absence of women, the contrast of the claustrophobic setting of the crash site against the vastness of the desert, the lack of backstory for the characters, the revealing of the hidden hopes and fears of the characters through pure dialogue, and the total isolation of the men from outside influences (with the exception of the encounter with the Bedouins.) The 2004 version of the movie basically does away with all of these elements, and the result is not positive.

The original movie was basically a stage play, with limited special effects and a setting that could easily be reproduced on a stage. I don't believe that John Moore improves the movie in any way other than the introduction of some brief, but impressive, special effects.

I also have to point out that some of the reviewers have obviously never seen the original 1965 version, or, if they did, they paid little attention to it. One reviewer, for example, observes that the pilot, Frank Towns, has to be talked into leading the effort to rescue themselves, suggesting that this was somehow a new element in the story. Fans of the 1965 version will recall that this was a major plot element, wherein Towns did not wish to be responsible and did not believe that the effort to rebuild the plane would be successful.

As many others have said, see the original first. Then, if you really want the 21st century special effects, see the 2004 version.

Additional Comment: I just watched this again because a friend had not seen it. These people were the dumbest fools that ever got stranded anywhere. Not to mention that, aside from a minor touch of sunburn,they stay in miraculaously good shape without hats, sunscreen, or any other significant protection.

** out of *****