Bullet Points: Turbulent Skies
Last year, in the opening to my review for 2013’s 500 MPH Storm, I mentioned that if movies had taught me anything, it was that Casper Van Dien was the man to call if my hometown was in the midst of a natural disaster.
After watching 2010’s Turbulent Skies, I know he is the man to call for man-made disasters too…
- As Advertised: Turbulent Skies wastes no time delivering some turbulent skies as we see a passenger jet bumping and rocking around due to some nasty turbulence. Fearing the plane will be torn to pieces, the pilot ops to drop altitude… then things gets worse. One of the plane’s engines dies, then the other engine catches fire! The pilot is faced with a tough decision and he hopes by shutting off the engine on fire and then turning it back on, the fire will cease and the engine will start up again. (I think this pilot missed his true calling as an IT professional). The second engine never starts up again, that means it is emergency landing time and it is a disaster… only 40 people end up walking away.
- Timing is Everything: Have no fear, DevAir is here! With the crash landing still dominating the news cycle, DevAir Industries decides now is the time to strike with their latest invention… the CD70, an advanced super computer that can fly a plane and eliminate the human error component completely. The son of DevAir’s CEO, Charles Devain (Patrick Muldoon, Rage and Honor II) holds a press conference at LAX to introduce the press and potential investors to the CD70, he is joined by fellow DevAir executive, Samantha Woodward (Nicole Eggert, The Demolitionist). They are joined via satellite from New York, by DevAir CEO, Richard Devain (Brad Dourif, Sworn to Justice) and the inventor of the CD70 (and Samantha’s husband) Thomas Woodward (Casper Van Dien, The Flood)… Thomas knows everything there is to know about the CD70, except for the fact that Charles plans on inviting passengers on the CD70’s test flight!
- What Could Possibly Go Wrong?: Tom is obviously not happy with this news, especially since his wife was in on it! (Patrick Muldoon getting in between Casper Van Dien and the woman he loves?! Where have I heard this before?!) Richard and Charles, b focused on the company’s bottom line, believe that Tom is overreacting, plus they will have an actual flight crew on hand in the event that anything does go wrong. And things go wrong immediately, with the CD70 changing course and sending the plan right into an electrical storm. Realizing this computer error, the captain attempts to override the CD70 and pays with his life, the co-pilot is also incapacitated when he attempts to gain control of the plane… and the reason for all of this, Charles had some of his tech guys install some additional software… and that software contained a virus!
- Enter the Geek Squad: When the government is informed with what is going on, they immediately mobilize two fighter jets to be prepared to shoot down the plane before it can crash into its new destination of Cleveland aka My Hometown! Tom is confident that he could override the CD70, but how in the hell is going to get onto the plane!?!? That’s when General Caldwell mentions a modified jet that could be used for an air to air transfer… Tom is in, no matter the danger! While Tom is preparing for this daring mission, his geek team is working hard trying to figure out what Tom will need to do to override the CD70 and free the plane from its technological grip. Once he gets aboard, much to the shock and amazement of his wife, Tom manages to eliminate the CD70 problem. But he doesn’t do so unscathed… so now we have a new problem on our hands, there’s no one to fly the plane! That’s when Samantha has to step up and get talked down by ground control at Hopkins International Airport aka My Hometown Airport aka the airport nobody will be able to access if they build a new Cleveland Browns Stadium nearby, per my father.
Turbulent Skies is a trope filled disaster flick that benefits from having a cast of familiar faces and a director with the expertise to get a lot out of a little, like Fred Olen Ray. And Turbulent Skies also allowed me to add “evil infected super computer” to the dragons that I have seen the heroic Casper Van Dien slay!
Personally, I hope I never run out of Casper Van Dien movies to review. Here we are, nearly 10 years into Bulletproof Action’s run and I’m still finding CVD flicks from the past, that I have yet to see. And the man is still putting in the work, with no less than 8 projects in the Upcoming section on his IMDb page (I am most interested in Ruthless Bastards, currently listed as being in post-production).
Let me put in a little more work and share some Bonus Bullet Points with you…
- Customers Also Watched: If you are looking for more plane themed movies directed by Fred Olen Ray, there are plenty to choose from… 2012’s Collision Course starring Tia Carrere and David Chokachi… There’s also 2000’s Mach 2 starring Brian Bosworth and 1999’s Active Stealth starring Daniel Baldwin… And you can’t forget 2001’s Air Rage starring Ice-T!
- If You Ever: …wanted to see Brad Dourif hand Casper Van Dien a check for $1 million dollars, then Turbulent Skies is the movie for you. Personally, I’d rather Brad Dourif hand ME a check for $1 million dollars.
- One Question: What was up with the whole boarding process for the plane? People just kept wandering in at random intervals, there was no organization at all. That should have been the first sign that this flight was doomed.
