Blackout Effect

I watched this one night when it appeared on TV and really enjoyed it. The storyline involves a air traffic controllers screen blanking out for three seconds causing two planes to crash. The authorities try to use the controller as their scapegoat and are prepared to let him take the rap. The crash investigator on the case notices some evidence is not what appears at first glance and decides to dig deeper uncovering some surprising results. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer interested and the storyline raises it above par for a TV movie. The acting is very good and characters like team friends in the air traffic control room dominate a lot of the film. Ending up more like a whodunit/mystery than suspense but the finale is worth waiting for and you will be rooting for poor Henry, the air traffic controller.

"Blackout Effect" gets off to a good start and ends confused about it's own purpose. With Stoltz at the center as an NTSB sleuth investigating a midair collision, the film takes the audience into the world of commercial aviation and air traffic control. However, once there, it becomes a mess of conflicts between ATC's and management, the NTSB and the ATC management, the quirky bad guy and everyone, and even a side plot about a relationship between the investigator and a passenger on the doomed flight which serves no purpose. The film loses itself when an agitated ATC threatens to disrupt aviation with a home made ray gun. Yeah, right. An okay watch with sufficient energy to keep the viewer awake, "Blackout Effect" will be most enjoyed by tech-heads and people interested in convoluted dramas, especially about aviation.

I have seen this movie several times, and think that it is one of the better TV movies out there. No, it's not the best, but it has a good story line that flows quite well. Some things, as stated in a previous review, may not be totally accurate, but pretty much anyone smart enough to notice those technical mistakes should know that made for TV movies don't have a large enough budget to get every little detail correct. I have to say that this is a movie worth watching.

Problems with air traffic control lead to a collision, and many deaths. Who or what is responsible? How to prevent it from happening again? Those are the questions this movie is centered around, and it does so fairly well. Especially the first half of the movie is decent, but unfortunately the ending lets it down. The story looses steam and takes a somewhat weird turn a bit after the midpoint.

The dialog is fairly well written, and characters are ok, even though the protagonist is rather flat, and the acting is quite natural. I appreciate that they didn't turn every potential conflict into a lengthy emotional scene, nor do the actors stare wistfully into the distance. The scenery is typical for a TV movie: only a handful of locations, and a somewhat lackluster decor, but the essential locations are well developed. The people who built the control room set can be quite pleased with their job. The score also does its job.

If you don't go in with high hopes, you can enjoy it.

This was recently shown on BBC so I had a chance to watch it. An Air Traffic Controler's life is one of the most stressful, as is illustrated in this drama. It has an interesting plot, which (I think) is well played out by the actors. Although Charles Smith's character is a little over the top.

All in all it's a pretty good movie.