Plane 4K UHD Review

Crashed Landing

Gerard Butler stays with his passengers in Plane, and if separated, he sees it as his job as captain to get them back. That means sweating it up on a south-of-the-equator jungle island after his plane is struck by lightning, then mowing down the local militias looking to profit off their hostages.

With a distinct ‘90s-like verve, Plane follows the formula, including co-star Mike Colter playing a convicted murderer, fighting alongside Butler on this rescue mission. There’s little to no nuance outside of the airline company working up a PR message before a plan to pick up the downed aircraft. That says enough about the modern corporate mindset to make Plane’s point.

Plane is stock material and generally, its worst offense, boring too

Otherwise, Plane is stock material and generally, its worst offense, boring too. Butler leaves his plane and crew to try and locate a radio, scrounging around an abandoned building that looks every bit the cheap location is likely was. Plane struggles to look the part of those $100 million genre epics, much as it tries to be them.

Plane’s primary issue is Butler’s dullness. That’s not on the performance, but the character itself whose bland heroics never elicit a cheer. Colter’s Louise Gaspare offers more to chew on, a sympathetic criminal, even if his guilt is never fully established. There’s a backstory left untold in any detail, while his character actions further muddy any distinction between anti-hero or villain, even if he does take a stand against the local gang element – that’s more respect than a willingness to fight.

After a dry crash sequence with middling CG visual effects, Plane flattens out until the finale can add a passable shootout (and admittedly, one of the screen’s funniest villain deaths for its sheer brutality). Never self-aware, unwilling to smirk, and played entirely straight, Plane desperately tries to stand out on scale alone, but never convincingly sells itself on those merits.

Video

The dull digital cinematography brings a definite modern gloss to Plane. Almost certainly a 2K-finished production, detail doesn’t make an impressive statement. Plane, texturally, looks flat, even smoothed except when in close.

Black levels have a way of lightly crushing detail too, odd for a modern Dolby Vision pass. This limits depth, even though brightness keeps a stable, intense peak wherever possible. Plane’s impressiveness isn’t given the chance to stand out.

At least the color provides something to look at, intense, saturated, and vibrant. That’s the best thing about Plane, and the only major asset.

Audio

Rocking as a thunderstorm kicks off, the Atmos mix provides plentiful boom. Bass reaches those superb depths of the best action flicks, thick, tight, and rumbling. Shootouts lack the same pop, aside from sniper rifle shots.

Atmos effects drench the soundstage in rain, pinging off the cockpit windows or around passengers. Thunder roars through the speakers, hitting each one vividly, and keeping all active but still discrete. Jungle environments ensure insect and bird calls swim through the available speakers. Gunfire erupts in a wide, consistent motion, expertly tracked in each channel.

Extras

Three generic EPK featurettes and a trailer. Meh.

The following six screen shots serve as samples for our subscription-exclusive set of 28 full resolution uncompressed 4K screen shots grabbed directly from the UHD: