12 Plane Movies That Prove It’s Better to Wing It
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The post 12 Plane Movies That Prove It’s Better to Wing It appeared first on Consequence.
How does one define a plane movie? A plane must be involved, of course, but it goes beyond that: Could this story be set anywhere except the familiar rows of a 747? Does it echo with the lived experiences of millions of passengers worldwide? Does the film capture what it means to fly through the sky in machines that once filled us with wonder, but now have become grimy with the mundanity of modern travel? Would this movie be a movie you’d enjoy watching on an airplane?
In honor of the upcoming release of the Gerard Butler-starring Plane, we pay tribute to this hard-to-define subgenre by offering up the movies we deemed most iconic in terms of planes. Some may not feature a ton of on-plane action. Some might not be what you immediately think of as a plane movie. But they all seek to bring a taste of recirculated air and the antiquated promise of chicken or fish.
— Liz Shannon Miller
Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Columbia)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? While a majority of the film takes place on the ground, Dr. Strangelove effectively begins and ends with the presence of planes. In between, a good portion of the conflict surrounds the crew of fighter pilots tasked with triggering nuclear war and the Petagon’s inability to contact them.
Does a Plane Crash? There are no plane crashes in Dr. Strangelove. Though, the dropping of an atomic bomb is an equally disastrous substitute.
Do We Trust the Pilot? The pilots of Dr. Strangelove are somehow the most intelligent, well-reasoned, honorable characters in the film. Sure, their actions lead to the destruction of modern civilization, but they’re merely following protocol – and doing a damn good job at it too, if we may add.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? This movie might make you afraid of a lot of things – nuclear armageddon, self-destructive bureaucracy, the corruption of your precious bodily fluids – but flying won’t be one of them. Thanks largely to the distinction between commercial airlines and air force jets, you can safely watch Dr. Strangelove before your next flight without peaking your anxiety.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Is it even a question? Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb comes from perhaps the film auteur, Stanley Kubrick, and stands as one of his finest, funniest films. A satire perfect for its time that retains a scary amount of relevant themes, if Dr. Strangelove doesn’t deserve first class, nothing does. — Jonah Krueger
Airplane! (1980)
Airplane! (Paramount Pictures)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Pretty much the whole darn thing. From the moment our hopelessly romantic hero leaves his cab waiting, the majority of the plot takes place on the plane. If not for the communication with the control tower worker who picked the wrong week to quit his vices, we’d seldom ever leave the plane’s cabin.
There also are flashback sequences, but in the reality of the film, they’re being remembered from the plane. Count it!
Does a Plane Crash? Yep. Right through the terminal, in fact, thanks to a distracted aircraft marshaller.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Airplane! features several pilots with varying levels of trustworthiness. Let’s break them down:
• Pilots we absolutely DO NOT trust: Ted Striker. Despite successfully saving the day, his nervous demeanor and shady track record don’t exactly inspire us with confidence.
• Pilots we MIGHT trust: Captain Clarence Oveur, who seems competent enough, but asks too many uncomfortable questions for us to fully trust.
• Pilots we absolutely DO trust: Captain Rex Kramer (who we’re told is legendary in the cockpit), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Captain Roger Murdock (come on, the man is the NBA all-time leading scorer), and the blow-up autopilot (who, somehow, is the most sound pilot we see actually fly a plane).
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? Fear not, as Airplane! is too downright silly and fantastical for any of the on-screen danger to inspire any real aerophobia.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Airplane! is certifiably first class. Despite a few of the jokes aging quite poorly, the film’s absurdist sense of humor and joyful tone make it hard to stay mad at. Put simply, it’s inarguably a quintessential ‘80s comedy – quote “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley” in a room full of Gen Xers if you need proof. – J. Krueger
Top Gun (1985)
Top Gun (Paramount)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Enough to take your breath away, that’s for sure.
While we don’t have the minute count handy, the amount of air time in the original Top Gun was more than enough to make its mark on audiences. The initial mixed reviews on what’s now considered a true classic didn’t deter people from flocking to theaters, and part of the appeal was the focus on daunting aerial stunts and impressive special effects.
Does a Plane Crash? Yes — and very memorably. Goose’s crash is probably only second to the iconic volleyball scene in terms of memorability.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Naturally, this is a key question to the plot of Top Gun. Obviously Tom Cruise’s Maverick is a technically great pilot — that’s never in question — but he’s also a notoriously headstrong figure. He describes himself as “dangerous.” He’s very shaken by the loss of Goose; how will he recover from the tragedy as the years pass? Tune into Top Gun: Maverick, which conveniently explores that theme next!
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? Maybe, but in the most thrilling way possible. The stunts in the Top Gun franchise are as awe-inspiring as they are terrifying.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Top Gun has to be considered a First Class film. From quotability — “Talk to me, Goose,” “I have the need for speed,” etc. — to the unforgettable visuals and top-tier soundtrack, it’s an essential piece of American filmmaking through and through. — Mary Siroky
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Die Hard 2 (20th Century Fox)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Die Hard 2 is mostly set in Dulles Airport and the surrounding areas, and that’s where most of the action takes place. However, it’s the fact that John McClane’s (Bruce Willis) wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), is trapped on a plane circling DC that causes the thin plot’s central personal conflict. The final set piece is also staged on the wing of a plane as it taxis down an impossibly long runway – a classic Hollywood trope.
Does a Plane Crash? As retaliation for trying to mess with their plans, the terrorists cause a commercial airliner (piloted by the great Colm Meaney, no less) to crash by recalibrating the sea level to -200 feet, tricking the pilot into thinking there’s more altitude than there really is. That bit of movie nonsense is compounded by the fact that the plane then explodes in a massive fireball as it slams into the runway, despite the whole conceit being that the plane’s fuel tanks are “dry as a martini.”
Now the plane explosion at the end of the film, that one is worthy of McClane’s “woooaaahhh!” To stop the fleeing bad guys, our hero pulls the plane’s fuel dump and tosses a lighter into the spillage with a good ol’ “yippie ki-yay, motherfucker.” The resulting trail of flame not only blows the terrorists to Hell, it provides a landing strip for the incoming passenger planes.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Not the despotic drug lord General Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), but every other pilot in the movie is just a regular commercial fly-guy doing their best.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? It might make you more afraid of airports, or at least less trusting of announcements. We always knew they were lying to us about delays and holding patterns.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Business Class, and it’s really all thanks to Bruce Willis. The plot is considerably thinner than even the worst Die Hard movies, but Willis as pre-2007 McClane is still an upgrade over economy action heroes. – Ben Kaye
Con Air (1997)
Con Air (Touchstone Pictures)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Save for the preflight exposition and a refueling stop in the desert, pretty much from takeoff to landing.
Does a Plane Crash? In glorious ‘90s fashion. The whole movie is one improbable bit of action after the next, but nothing beats the crash landing on the Las Vegas Strip. A prisoner transport plane, the Jailbird is a C-123K military aircraft, which has a 110-foot wingspan; at its widest, the Strip is 135 feet and jam-packed with traffic. Con Air’s blockbuster finale has the plane sliding down the center of the famed avenue, losing its wings on metal posts, exploding a few neon signs and a relative handful of vehicles before it slams through the lobby of the Sands Hotel and Casino – all while Steve Buscemi sings “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” To top it off, it even hits a slot machine jackpot when it finally comes to an abrupt stop.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Although we normally wouldn’t suggest trusting a convict named Earl “Swamp Thing” Williams who’s escaping prison, he does crash land on the Las Vegas Strip while barely shaking his passengers. Civilian casualties aside, guy’s got skill.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? If you frequently fly Convict Air, sure, but Southwest should still be fine… if you don’t mind a few delays.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? First Class. It’s one of the greatest bad movies of all time, completely representative of a specific era in action, and a highlight of Nic Cage’s bonkers career. – B. Kaye
Air Force One (1997)
Air Force One (Columbia Pictures)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Nearly all of it, discounting the scenes on the ground as Vice President Kathryn Bennett (Glenn Close) and the team tries to figure out how to stop the terrorists (led by Gary Oldman!) who have taken over President James Marshall (Harrison Ford)’s flight home from Russia.
Does a Plane Crash? Yes, the titular 747 is sacrificed as Marshall and his family make their escape. But the fun thing about Air Force One is that technically, whatever plane the President is on is known by that designation. (And honestly, the real Air Force One was inside us all the whole time.)
Do We Trust the Pilot? The original pilot, sure. But then Egor Korshunov (Oldman) takes over, and his designated pilot… Well, to be fair, the new pilot isn’t really responsible for the afore-mentioned plane crash. He does manage to keep the plane in the air!
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? The set of circumstances that lead to Air Force One crashing are so hyper-specific that unless there’s a strong chance of you ever flying on actual Air Force One, especially on a return flight from Russia, the answer is probably not.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? First Class — Air Force One not only received Oscar nominations for its sound and film editing, but it holds up to this day as an iconic ’90s disaster film, with great performances across the large ensemble cast and always tense direction by Wolfgang Petersen. Harrison Ford growling “Get off my plane!”… that, friends, is cinema. — L.S.M.
Soul Plane (2004)
Soul Plane (MGM)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Quite a bit! And not just on any plane. Things begin with a truly disastrous flight for our hero Nashawn (Kevin Hart), but after a lawsuit results in Nashawn becoming quite rich, we get to discover his vision for the perfect flight experience, courtesy of newly-founded NWA Airlines.
Does a Plane Crash? Nope! Things get a little scary after the pilot and co-pilot are both incapacitated and Nashawn has to fly the plane himself, and the plane does end up landing in Central Park (as opposed to JFK Airport).
Do We Trust the Pilot? On the one hand, the pilot here is played by Snoop Dogg, the illest of the ill. Who are we to question his bonafides as a pilot? That being said, maybe he shouldn’t have eaten those mushrooms and passed out mid-flight.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? No, but it will make you question the amenities other airlines choose to offer. Why can’t more planes have dance clubs and hot tubs?!?
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Economy. There are some solid bits, and it’s great to see young talent like Hart, Mo’Nique, Terry Crews, and Sofía Vergara emerge. But some of the other jokes haven’t aged that well, and it feels like the premise could have been pushed further. Still, a less painful way to spend 90 minutes than flying from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, especially thanks to a RZA-powered soundtrack. — L.S.M.
Snakes on a Plane (2006)
Snakes on a Plane (New Line Cinema)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Pretty much the whole movie.
Does a Plane Crash? No, however this plane is absolutely FILLED with snakes.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Only if you trust pilots who are killed by snakes.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? It will make you afraid of snakes while flying.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? This movie is either dumb as hell or transcendent depending on how many weed gummies you’ve taken. Economy, for sure. — Spencer Dukoff
Inception (2010)
Inception (Warner Bros.)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Technically, a significant amount of it — the “dream team” has an objective to plant an idea in the subconscious of Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) via a dream within a dream (within yet another dream), all taking place on a cross-continental flight to America. That being said, most of the action we see takes place in Fischer’s dreams, rather than the unnecessary footage of seven people asleep on a plane the whole time.
Does a Plane Crash? It does not! Cars crash, alpine bases explode, and trauma is eventually confronted… but the plane stays in the air the whole time.
Do We Trust the Pilot? We never see the pilot, but everyone makes it safe and sound to their destination… so yes.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? Not unless you’re afraid of someone planting an idea into your subconscious on an eight-hour flight across the globe.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? First class. Inception certainly holds up, both in concept and in execution. That being said, all of the danger that Leonardo DiCaprio’s character William Cobb puts his colleagues through could have been avoided by going to therapy and dealing with his issues, but alas. — Paolo Ragusa
Flight (2012)
Flight (Paramount Pictures)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Despite what the title suggests, not much — but the portion of the film that does take place on an airplane is the most significant part. Denzel Washington plays Captain William (Whip) Whitaker, who deals with the chaos and ramifications of a bender-induced crash landing, and his irresponsible actions in the first act of the film play a primary role in the story.
Does a Plane Crash? It sure does — but not before Captain Whitaker pulls off a shocking move by inverting the plane in mid-air.
Do We Trust the Pilot? We do not, and for good reason. Whitaker’s pre (and mid)-flight bender is unsettling, especially considering the fallout.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? It certainly could. The harrowing experience of watching the passengers and crew at the mercy of a drunk, erratic pilot is enough to keep you away from planes for a bit, but luckily, the chances of an event like the one in Flight playing out in real time are extremely unlikely.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Business Class. Denzel Washington provides a stunning and illuminating performance (as usual), but the film loses a bit of steam in the back half as the characters deal with the legal aftermath of the crash. The structure of the film, as well as the shocking sequencing in the plane segment, is certainly unique, and provides a thrilling, but thought-provoking, experience. — P.R.
Sully (2016)
Sully (Warner Bros.)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Much less than you’d assume.
Does a Plane Crash? The plane lands, however it lands in the Hudson River. So not exactly the runway you’re hoping you’ll touch down on when you land.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III is a goddamn American hero.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? Maybe a little bit? But it is also a movie about a pilot saving the lives of over 100 passengers and crew. So you should take some comfort in the fact that pilots like Sully exist!
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? It’s Business Class. Good performances from Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart and Clint Eastwood doing his thing behind the camera make it a memorable watch. However, it may be a little disappointing if you were thinking the whole movie would be an action spectacle when it is, in fact, more of a movie about legal culpability in the aftermath of that legendary crash. — S.D.
Plane (2023)
Plane (Lionsgate)
How Much of the Movie Actually Takes Place on a Plane? Maybe about a third of the screen time, to be honest. But the time spent on the plane is pretty terrifying, as the flight Captain Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) is piloting to Tokyo hits a ton of terrifying dilemmas.
Does a Plane Crash? Actually, Brodie manages to land the plane successfully on a remote island, after a lightning strike incapacitates the flight. Unfortunately, the militia occupying said island isn’t exactly eager to help them get back in the air.
Do We Trust the Pilot? Without question. Brodie is a nice guy who loves his daughter and just wants to spend New Year’s Eve with her. And he’s very good at flying planes! It’s not hard to trust — and root for — Brodie.
Will This Movie Make You Afraid of Flying? There are definitely some tense sequences on board the plane, as the disaster which leads to the flight is rendered in seat-rattling detail. But if you told me that Captain Brodie was flying in even the most dangerous weather, I’d feel safe on board his plane.
Rank This Movie: First Class, Business Class, or Economy? Business class. That definitive title aside, Plane‘s primary conflict lies in Brodie and the mysterious Louis (Mike Colter) teaming up to fight the violent militia members who want to hold the other passengers hostage, following their emergency landing. But the movie knows exactly what it is, and is a lot of fun as a result. — L.S.M.
12 Plane Movies That Prove It’s Better to Wing It
Consequence Staff
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