airborne

Successful movies pull off a delicate balancing act of meeting and defying expectations. Too predictable and things get boring…too bizarre and audiences get uneasy. It’s easier to play things safe; that’s why most major motion pictures follow a pattern. But the direct-to-DVD market has a little more leeway. That’s how you get films like Airborne, which will earn very few “thumbs up” but at least doesn’t take you on the same ride you’ve paid full price for so many times before.

On a late-night transcontinental flight from London to NYC filled with only ten passengers, things are getting mysterious. The flight attendants are acting squirrely, folks in coach start disappearing, and it all has something to do with an ancient Chinese vase stuck in the cargo hold. From the pictures and description on the box, one would might expect zombies or a virulent parasitic outbreak…or both. But Airborne doesn’t choose any of those options.

To reveal more would ruin part of the guessing game. But suffice to say that it’s more of a heist film than a horror film with better than average acting and production values that work just fine for a 46” TV. No extras but you do get a rather unhealthy looking Mark Hamill in a glorified cameo as the air traffic controller they’re all depending on. If he can lift an X-wing fighter he should have no trouble with a 747!