Josh Hartnett stars in Fight or Flight, a “wacky” action comedy too cheap to make memorable action and too boring to have good comedy.
Some actors get to be the biggest movie stars in the world. They have the good looks, charm, and distinct personality to be in anything they want. And then there are guys like Josh Hartnett. He’s got the look of a self-impressed pretty boy that’s remained mostly unfazed in his 27-year career. There’s some charm to him, in a know-it-all sort of way. But in terms of personality? He’s just…there. Just a handsome face that can slide into the background. Maybe that’s why some of his best work is in ensembles, like the hip 90s crew of The Faculty or the distinguished troupe that led Oppenheimer. Even in movies where he’s front and center on the poster (Black Hawk Down, Lucky Number Slevin), he needs the names and faces of bigger stars to sell it. Sadly, he’s the only big name and face in Fight or Flight.
Hartnett stars as Lucas, a former American agent now drinking his life away in Bangkok after his last job went south. He’s suddenly called back into action by an old boss (Katee Sackhoff) to bring in “the Ghost,” a mysterious asset getting on a flight to San Francisco. Lucas reluctantly boards the plane trying to identify the unknown agent, only to learn some of the other passengers have lethal intentions. With the help of a spunky stewardess (Charithra Chandran) and other scared flight crew members, Lucas has to fight his way through the flight if he wants to get his life back.
Planes, trains, and opposite films.
If the concept of a laid-back action badass stuck in a condensed moving vehicle fighting bad guys sounds familiar, you’d be right in thinking back to 2022’s Bullet Train. That action comedy had a lot of cards in its hand: Brad Pitt’s star power, the slick direction of David Leitch (Deadpool 2, The Fall Guy), the candy-colored neon lights of the Japan setting, and a stacked supporting cast including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Despite having similar premises, Bullet Train and Fight or Flight are actually the inverse of each other. One is a glossy, overstuffed, hyper-caffeinated blockbuster where you can see the money on screen. The other is a routine, stripped-down, slowly-paced B-movie that looks as cheap as any Tubi Original. Say what you will about Bullet Train, at least it looked and acted like it wanted to entertain a crowd.
Director James Madigan is mostly known for visual effects (Iron Man 2) and second unit work (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), neither of which help elevate the shocking lack of momentum in Fight or Flight. There’s no visual flare to make the movie visually interesting, the plot is a routine beat-em-up with uninteresting stakes, and most of the dialogue is either bland exposition or “witty” banter that falls flat. There’s barely even a score, creating dead air in every scene where there isn’t punching. The fight choreography does have the close-up physicality of the John Wick films that gets more ridiculous as the movie goes on. The problem is those scenes are so few and far between that when the movie does reach its bonkers final showdown (featuring a chainsaw), it doesn’t feel earned after sitting in such a drab story for over an hour.
Hart-less.
Josh Hartnett is having something of a comeback with his roles in Oppenheimer and Trap. But what exactly is Hartnett coming back from? After spending the late 90s/early 2000s as a heartthrob, everyone from Harrison Ford to Brian De Palma tried to make Hartnett a legitimate movie star, only bringing middling results. And maybe that’s because Hartnett is just not that interesting of an actor. He’s a handsome man, but doesn’t bring anything else to the table aside from a smolder. Going back to Bullet Train, compare Hartnett to that movie’s star, Brad Pitt. He may not be the most dynamic actor, but Pitt has a slick wildcard energy that can shake-up any scene. He’s also not afraid to make a fool of himself while being the most charming man in the room. Hartnett is just…a guy. A good-looking guy, but still a guy.
That guy doesn’t see any reason to elevate Fight or Flight. Hartnett is a stiff for most of the movie, with only bugged-out eyes to stress how stressed his character feels. He looks unenthused by a whole airplane full of people trying to kill him and has no chemistry with any of his co-stars. Even with a drug-enthused hallucination in the final fight, the movie has to throw whacky visuals in the background because Hartnett can’t express anything other than light amusement. He gives more energy to phone call scenes with Sackhoff, who is on a completely different set for the entirety of the movie. Maybe Hartnett knows he’s in the dirges of low-budget schlock and is saving his energy for when Christopher Nolan or M. Night Shyamalan call him back.
The bottom line.
Fight or Flight should be a lot more fun than it is. A more clever filmmaker would think of more creative ways to have fun making fights on a plane. Furthermore, a more dynamic actor would rise to the occasion of such a kooky concept to help the audience roll with the punches. Neither of those things are present in Fight or Flight, leaving us with the equivalent of Snakes on a Plane if the snakes never showed up.
Fight or Flight is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer here.
Images courtesy of Peter Jarowey/Vertical. Read more articles by Jon Winkler here.
REVIEW RATING
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Fight or Flight - 4/10
4/10
