I saw very little about this film, but I knew it was going to be a wild ride when I read the one-line synopsis. Fight or Flight is as unbridled as adrenaline, starting with a dull roar and quickly exploding into a frenzy that begins to rival a live-action anime-meets-anime action movie. Trapped on a plane, Hartnett's character finds himself on a plane loaded with a bunch of expert assassins chasing their target. What could the outcome be? Surprisingly, there are plenty of genuinely funny elements that make the film a fun immersion in cinema. It's packed with action scenes, a mix of comedy and John Wick that's wild, relentless, and quite over-the-top.
Crazy cinematography is deployed to give the sequences more intensity, with punches, knives, and all sorts of cutting-edge aviation tools used to unleash the pain. The antics and dialogue are comical, and Hartnett himself is a great interpreter of some of the most absurd, yet timely, lines that are powerful enough to make me laugh. His clever balance of comedy and suspense allowed him to find a way to fill every minute of the film with a dose of entertainment, all at a pace that easily carried the nearly 90 minutes. Somehow, Madigan and his writing team integrated a story filled with mystery, a touch of crime, and character development that goes beyond the pointless punchlines.
Director: James Madigan
Writers: Brooks McLaren, D.J. Cotrona
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Charithra Chandran, Katee Sackhoff
Fight or Flight offers a good backstory for several characters, giving us something else to immerse ourselves in as they discover how this wild adventure began. And, somehow, the performances are good in this film; Hartnett entertained me the most, while the others maintain excellent character portrayals that don't descend too deeply into boredom and disillusionment. What does all this madness boil down to? Surprisingly, a cheesy and fun film is so self-conscious about its originality that it's funny and creative. However, the film is extraordinarily stupid, and anyone looking for logic will have a hard time digesting the material before them. Fight or Flight has many strange conventions that change at all too opportune moments, with quicker revelations and appearances as the finale approaches. As this gradual decline emerges, the film eventually reaches its (mostly) predictable end, with a very quick closure and perhaps a ridiculous ending, too cheesy and far-fetched to be considered the best ending. Along the way, the story tries to go deeper, but never quite delivers the incredible story one might hope for in its protagonists.
A hidden component is inconsistent, elements that suggest something deeper, but then vanish into a predictable mess that didn't strike me with that threatening or legitimate force. Although I'm somewhat numb to this, I warn sensitive viewers that Fight or Flight takes the violence too far. Several endings will be difficult to watch, as the human body is brutalized and pushed to its limits. The only thing that helps cushion this savage tone are the cartoonish comedic overtones and artificial-looking graphics that help achieve such things. As for the language, there isn't much else to say, except that it's vulgar and aggressive, and only the well-timed gag, the punchline, and the silliness can help.
The Verdict: Fight or Flight is a unique film of the year, in terms of its audacity. It's a fun film, an action-anime lover's dream, with hyperbolic slapstick, well-delivered and well-timed dialogue, funny faces, and performances that complement it all, executed in a way that turns the world into a fun way to pass the time. Like Bullet Train, Fight or Flight is a madcap adventure packed with cinematic elements (audio and visual) to immerse you in the experience. However, its suspension of logic can be taken too far, which, combined with the film's violence, language, and savage nature, might dissuade you from watching it. Add to this a story that isn't bad, but not spectacular either, and the film's appeal is further diminished and loses points.
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