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IMDbPro

Flight of the Phoenix

  • 2004
  • PG-13
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
56K
YOUR RATING
Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, and Tyrese Gibson in Flight of the Phoenix (2004)
Trailer
Play trailer2:30
2 Videos
37 Photos
ActionAdventureDrama

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

  • Director
    • John Moore
  • Writers
    • Lukas Heller
    • Scott Frank
    • Edward Burns
  • Stars
    • Dennis Quaid
    • Miranda Otto
    • Giovanni Ribisi
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    56K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Moore
    • Writers
      • Lukas Heller
      • Scott Frank
      • Edward Burns
    • Stars
      • Dennis Quaid
      • Miranda Otto
      • Giovanni Ribisi
    • 241User reviews
    • 120Critic reviews
    • 47Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos2

    Flight of the Phoenix
    Trailer 2:30
    Watch Flight of the Phoenix
    Flight of the Phoenix
    Trailer 2:24
    Watch Flight of the Phoenix

    Photos37

    The mysterious and eccentric Elliott (Giovanni Ribisi, foreground) insists that he is the only hope for a group of passengers of a downed plane, including (left to right) Ian (Hugh Laurie), Towns (Dennis Quaid), AJ (Tyrese Gibson), Rady (Kevork Malikyan), Sammi (Jacob Vargas), Kelly (Miranda Otto), Liddle (Scott Michael Campbell) and Jeremy (Kirk Jones).
    Towns (Dennis Quaid) and Kelly (Miranda Otto) try to make sense out of their dire predicament.
    With his downed plane looming ominously in the background, Towns (Dennis Quaid) searches for a missing passenger.
    The Mongolian desert and weather wreak havoc on the survivors of a crashed plane, (L - R) Dennis Quaid as Towns, Giovanni Ribisi as Elliott, Kevork Malikyan, Miranda Otto, Scott Michael Campbell, Jacob Vargas, and Hugh Laurie.
    Emotions and tensions run high for passengers of a downed plane lost in the desert, including, left to right: Tony Curran as Rodney, Miranda Otto as Kelly, and Dennis Quaid as Towns.
    The surviving passengers of a downed plane lost in the Mongolian desert struggle for their most precious commodity: water.  Pictured, left to right are: Scott Michael Campbell as Liddle, Tyrese Gibson as AJ, Miranda Otto as Kelly, Dennis Quaid as Towns, Tony Curran as Rodney, Kirk Jones as Jeremy, and Hugh Laurie as Ian.
    Jeremy (Kirk Jones, left) and Rodney (Tony Curran) take a quick break from the rigors of their life-and-death struggle.
    Lost in a desert wasteland, AJ (Tyrese Gibson, left) and Jeremy (Kirk Jones) plan their next move.
    The passengers of a downed aircraft make heroic efforts to build a new plane from the wreckage of the old.
    The survivors of a downed aircraft pull together to build a new plane out of the wreckage of the old one.  (L to R) Jacob Vargas, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, Hugh Laurie, Scott Michael Campbell, Kevork Malikyan, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Kirk Jones and Tony Curran.
    AJ (Tyrese Gibson, left) and Towns (Dennis Quaid) have strong reactions to a problem in the building of the Phoenix.
    Dennis Quaid, Giovanni Ribisi, Miranda Otto, and Tyrese Gibson in Flight of the Phoenix (2004)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dennis Quaid
    Dennis Quaid
    • Frank Towns
    Miranda Otto
    Miranda Otto
    • Kelly
    Giovanni Ribisi
    Giovanni Ribisi
    • Elliott
    Tyrese Gibson
    Tyrese Gibson
    • AJ
    Tony Curran
    Tony Curran
    • Rodney
    Sticky Fingaz
    Sticky Fingaz
    • Jeremy
    • (as Kirk Jones)
    Jacob Vargas
    Jacob Vargas
    • Sammi
    Hugh Laurie
    Hugh Laurie
    • Ian
    Scott Michael Campbell
    Scott Michael Campbell
    • Liddle
    Kevork Malikyan
    Kevork Malikyan
    • Rady
    Jared Padalecki
    Jared Padalecki
    • Davis
    Paul Ditchfield
    • Dr. Gerber
    Martin Hindy
    • Newman
    • (as Martin 'Mako' Hindy)
    Bob Brown
    Bob Brown
    • Kyle
    Anthony Brandon Wong
    Anthony Brandon Wong
    • Lead Smuggler
    • (as Anthony Wong)
    Yi-ding Wang
    • Smuggler #2
    Kee-yick Cheng
    • Smuggler #3
    Vernon Lehmann
    • Smuggler #4
    • Director
      • John Moore
    • Writers
      • Lukas Heller(1965 screenplay)
      • Scott Frank
      • Edward Burns
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The model used for the crash sequence cost $250,000 and was so perfectly built it actually flew further than the crew and testing had predicted. In fact it flew so far it hit the camera filming it and broke the cameraman's leg.
    • Goofs
      The nomads have dromedary camels which are native to Arabia whereas the Bactrian camel is native to the Gobi desert.
    • Quotes

      Sammi: I thought you weren't religious, Rady?

      Rady: Spirituality is not religion. Religion divides people. Belief in something unites them.

    • Connections
      Featured in Profile: Hardy Krüger (1978)
    • Soundtracks
      I've Been Everywhere
      Written by Geoff Mack

      Performed by Johnny Cash

      Courtesy of American Recordings, LLC

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews241

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    4/10
    ho-hum remake
    "Flight of the Phoenix" is at best a so-so remake of the fine Robert Aldrich adventure classic from1965. The plot in both films is fairly simple and straightforward. After a plane crash lands in the Gobi Desert, the survivors hit upon the notion of rebuilding the damaged vehicle in the hopes of flying it back to civilization. Dennis Quaid assumes the role, originally filled by Jimmy Stewart, of the pilot who, against all odds, endeavors to lead his passengers to safety.

    Although the new version follows the original fairly closely in terms of both character delineation and plot development, the story doesn't seem quite as fresh today as it did when we first encountered it close to 40 years ago. Perhaps what's missing is the guiding hand of a master craftsman like Aldrich to really deliver the goods (John Moore, a far less distinguished director, is manning the controls here). This "Flight" feels awfully predictable and rote, as we plow our way through each of the various survival threats, rescue attempts and internecine personal conflicts that are standard in all such tales of survivors stranded in a hostile environment. Each of the characters steps out of the shadows to have his or her own Moment in the Sun (yes, in this version, there is actually a woman aboard), before receding dutifully into the background to allow the next person to do the same. About the only intriguing element in the story is the fact that the main character, the pilot of the plane, has to actually be talked into participating in the Quixotic rescue plan. Thus, he is a leader and a hero more by default than by design.

    Although the crash itself is fairly impressive from a technical standpoint - despite a rather phony-looking, computer-generated sandstorm that brings the plane down - once we end up on the desert floor, the movie doesn't do a particularly effective job conveying the truly grueling nature of the predicament these individuals are facing. We never really get the sense that they are just a few water droplets away from dying of thirst or heatstroke. Moreover, the feat that they are able to accomplish seems barely credible - from a sheer mechanical engineering standpoint - given the lack of resources and expertise with which the group has to cope. The main weakness with a film like "Flight of the Phoenix" is that, when the plane goes down, we're stuck in the desert right along with the characters, and if they don't have anything particularly interesting to say to one another, we can feel just as stranded as they.

    Thus, despite a few quality moments, this "Flight" never manages to get off the runway. Check out the original instead.
    helpful•135
    77
    • Buddy-51
    • Jan 6, 2005

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    FAQ2

    • Can you build a new aircraft out of a wrecked one?
    • Is it really possible to build a new plane out of an old one?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 17, 2004 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Phượng Hoàng Cất Cánh
    • Filming locations
      • Namib Desert, Namibia
    • Production companies
      • Twentieth Century Fox
      • Aldrich Group
      • Davis Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $45,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $21,009,180
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,019,430
      • Dec 19, 2004
    • Gross worldwide
      • $35,021,497
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
      • DTS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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