Flight Of The Phoenix was a remake of a 1965 film. A group of oil workers get in an airplane crash in the middle of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. The film is about whether being trapped in the middle of nowhere will tear them apart or bring them together so they can try to escape.

The story is all about the dynamics between the main characters. First there’s Dennis Quaid as Captain Frank and his co-pilot Tyrese Gibson as A.J. who act like they’re in charge. There’s Giovanni Ribisi as Elliot who is an eccentric that doesn’t want to follow anyone’s rules but thinks he can get them out of the desert. Miranda Otto as Kelly has a love-hate relationship with Captain Frank sometimes yelling at him because he’s not taking charge and other times supporting him. Sticky Fingaz as Jeremy thinks he can walk out of the desert by himself, etc.

The movie throws in some curveballs like bandits in the Gobi and storms to keep things interesting.

In the end, it’s a pretty good drama that brings you in with the characters.
C

There are so many things wrong with this movie that it's hard to know where to start and when to end. They've taken a masterpiece and turned it into a "coming of age" movie for adolescent acting adults. The only people who will give this mediocrity more than two stars are those who haven't seen the original with Jimmy Steward as the pilot. Where is it written that black actors are to be portrayed as badasses who look like they spend seven days a week at the gym, even when they've been in the desert for weeks? And we can do without all the profanity and the self-congratulatory fist-pumping and bumping. Even Harrison Ford couldn't have saved this movie.

Luckily I did not see the original. So I had nothing to compare it to. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. At the beginning two groups of people didn't really like each other. By the end of the movie, after struggling to survive together, they had camaraderie and genuinely cared for each other. It's a movie about hardship and individuals working together for the good of the group.

The script ignored the characters' motivations. None of the characters were particularly likeable, so who cares whether they got out of the desert? One star off. Also there wasn't enough of the characters working together showing what they were actually doing as in the original film. Another star off.

I like the unusual story. I'm inspired by the perseverance. I like the shooting even though there was not much. I like the explosions. I wouldn't watch many movies that are just adventurous. The 5.1 surroundsound added very much to the intensity.

This was very well done. It was exactly what a movie like this is supposed to be. Entertaining period. Believable dialog, good writing, decent acting. Provides some action, some suspense - I realize this is a remake, but it was modernized well. Best of all? No politics, no glorified statements, just a good story and done well.

Pretty much agree w/what infinite loop said below. No where was it as good as the original . Kept waiting to see the effects of dehydration , exposure & sleep depredation . But the stars seemed like they had a day at the beach . Can't fathom why they spent all the time & money to remake a classic , then fail to come close to the intensity . Next they'll remake The Red Tent w/hot chocolate , quilts & a teddy bear instead of a polar man eater.

After seeing the first and buying it years ago with Jimmy Stewart, I still liked the idea of the new Flight of the Phoenix. Renting it in the old Blockbuster days I enjoyed it. When the price dropped to a reasonable price I snapped it up. The show, reminiscent of the original was updated. The companies rep was there played by Hugh Laurie from House MD as well as a crusty captain played by Dennis Quade. The cast like in the original was made up of people from all around the world, some couldn't get along even with their friends. What brought them together was their desire not to die without trying something to get them out. Deserts are not fun, especially with nomadic tribesmen's wanting them dead and stealing their belongings. If you want drama with action this movie is it. I recommend it very much.