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Flight of the Phoenix (2004)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
17 December 2004 (USA) moreTagline:
The only way out is up morePlot:
Survivors of a plane crash in the Mongolian desert work together to build a new plane. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
2 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Max Payne Gets A PG-13 Rating (From Screen Rant. 1 October 2008, 10:18 AM, PDT)
First ‘Max Payne’ trailer debuts on web
(From screeninglog. 12 July 2008, 9:31 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
A classic example of how NOT to do a remake. moreCast
(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 Wong | ... | Lead Smuggler |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
El vuelo del Fénix (Argentina) (video title) (Spain) [es]Le vol du Phoenix (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
Aavikkolento (Finland) [fi]
Anka'nin uyanisi (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Der Flug des Phoenix (Germany) [de]
Fööniksi lend (Estonia) [et]
I ptisi tou Foinika (Greece) [el]
Il volo della fenice (Italy) [it]
O Vôo da Fênix (Brazil) [pt]
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some language, action and violence.Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
113 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
UK:12 (video rating) (2005) | UK:12A (original rating) | Canada:14A (DVD rating) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41095) | Taiwan:PG-12 | Norway:11 | Iceland:14 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Germany:12 | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M (DVD rating) | Philippines:G | Singapore:PG | Greece:K-13 | Peru:14 | Argentina:13Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Continuity: After the crash, the crew poke a hole in the top of the plane to let in some air because the plane is totally covered by sand. Yet during the burial in the next scene the plane is mostly uncovered. moreSoundtrack:
Night Train moreFAQ
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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 *****