Bullet Points: Skybound
Airplane disaster flicks are nothing new. The first film of its kind was 1970’s Airport featuring an all-star cast that included Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin and George Kennedy. Airport was a huge success for Universal and spawned three sequels and countless imitators in the decades since its release.
It would be easy to assume with so many movies using Airport as inspiration that there is nothing new that an airplane disaster movie could come up with to differentiate it from its predecessors but then 2017’s Skybound comes along and takes out a key element to every movie in airplane disaster subgenre… the ground!
- The Bermuda Love Triangle: Our movie begins a few days after Christmas, rich guy Matt (Rick Cosnett of The Flash fame) is looking to impress his new girlfriend Lisa (Scarlett Byrne, who you may remember as Pansy Parkinson from Harry Potter) by flying her out to Los Angeles on his family’s private jet. Matt and Lisa are meeting their friends Odin (Tyler Fayose) and Roxy (Carla Carolina Pimentel) and the foursome are planning on ringing in the New Year, Hollywood style. Matt’s brother Kyle (Gavin Stenhouse) is going to hand off the keys to the jet to Matt, but wait… there seems to be some weird vibes between Kyle and Lisa. We learn that Kyle and Lisa were actually an item not too long ago. And now here’s Lisa dating Kyle’s brother… awkward! The awkwardness isn’t going to go away anytime soon after the tower will not allow Matt to take off without a co-pilot. Since Kyle is the only other licensed pilot around, he finds himself in the co-pilot seat flying to California with his brother and his ex-girlfriend. But this love triangle will soon prove to be the least of Matt’s problems…
- Thunder and Lightning: Shortly after takeoff, the plane flies through a thunderstorm and soon thereafter Matt and Kyle realize that all systems are no longer a go. The plane has lost all communication with the ground and the TCAS (Traffic Collision Alert System) is down. Matt believes it may be a short circuit and goes to see if he can repair it… while he is checking the access panel, he realizes there is a stowaway on the plane. Erik, the stowaway, admits he is having some problems with the authorities and is looking to flee the country and go to Mexico. Matt is not about to help Erik out and informs him that they are going to land at the nearest airport and that is the end of the line for Erik, but things escalate quickly and Erik pulls a gun and the result is Kyle taking a bullet for his ex-girlfriend Lisa. We learn that Erik is actually the leader of an apocalyptic religious sect and he is on the FBI’s most wanted list. So now Matt has a restrained fugitive on board, the plane is still not fully operational, his brother has a bullet inside him and Lisa the med student is doing her best to remove the bullet and things are STILL going to get worse…
- Apocalypse Now: Matt attempts to land the plane in Chicago, but as he approaches the airport the airspace is a veritable airplane traffic jam. It appears all the planes in the air have lost communication with the ground and after seeing the horrific sight of two planes collide in mid-air, it is obvious all the planes have lost their TCAS system too. Eventually our skybound travelers learn that the United States was the target of a nuclear attack and the only way they are going to make it out of this situation alive is if they can get to Hawaii… Do they have enough fuel? Will the brothers let the Lisa situation cloud their judgement? What about Erik the fugitive? There is plenty of tension to go around in this action thriller.
Skybound is worth a watch just for the intriguing twist it gives the airplane disaster subgenre. My fears early on that the movie was going to be some sort of CW reboot of Wings quickly subsided. The interpersonal drama between the young cast of characters fades into the background as the movie goes on and rightfully so. The tragedy that is occurring on the ground below forces a generation known for their selfishness to step up and do what is right for the greater good.
I do have one complaint however… that was the use of the term “skybound” in the movie. I should preface this complaint by saying that nobody loves it more when a character in a movie says the title of the movie that they are in. It is like a bell of joy goes off in my head whenever it happens. However the use of the term “skybound” did not feel organic in Skybound. Maybe because I’ve never heard anyone in the entirety of my life say “skybound” before. That could be because I am not cool enough to hang around pilots, but if I were going to hang around pilots you better believe those pilots would be Doug Masters and Chappy Sinclair.
That reminds me, I have not watched Iron Eagle in way too long, so while I remedy that situation, you should check out Skybound but first read these Bonus Bullet Points…
- If You Ever: …wanted to see bison running while on fire, then this is the movie for you.
- Mile High Club?: Odin and Roxy take full advantage of being on a private jet and excuse themselves to the lavatory as the plane is taking off with the intent of joining the infamous Mile High Club. However depending on Odin’s stamina level, the two may have actually been finished before they were a mile high in the air so I’m not sure if they officially joined or not.
- Vin Diesel Reference: One of the activities on the agenda for Matt, Lisa, Odin and Roxy when they are in Los Angeles is to attend the Hollywood premiere of a new Vin Diesel movie. Is the real tragedy that they are now going to miss this premiere or that they were excited to be going in the first place? You decide.
- Water Feature: If I ever become an eccentric billionaire my private jet will have a water feature like the one in Skybound… no wait, my private jet will have an even better water feature than the one featured in Skybound.
