The new action movie’s finale sees Gerard Butler fight to protect his flight’s passengers.
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for PlaneGerard Butler is back for another ridiculous action movie in Jean-François Richet’s Plane, and if you’re looking for another fun, fairly predictable vehicle from Butler, Plane will definitely appeal to fans of Olympus Has Fallen, Greenland, Copshop, and Den of Thieves.
However, it is definitely not the type of movie that you’d want to watch in the middle of a flight, as the propulsive action doesn’t let up until the very end. Butler stars as Brodie Torrance, a Scottish commercial pilot who is based out of Hong Kong.
Brodie’s wife passed away three years prior to the events of the film, so he is eager to finish his overseas flight so that he can spend New Year’s Eve with his daughter, Daniela (Haleigh Hekking).
The list of passengers is relatively small, but moments before the flight is scheduled to begin, Brodie is informed that he will be transporting Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), who is being extradited after being convicted of homicide.
Brodie must attempt to keep the crew and passengers calm when they begin experiencing extreme weather conditions and face malfunctioning technology.
Why Does the Plane Crash?
As Brodie begins the flight, the plane heads into extreme turbulence that causes the vehicle to violently shake. While Brodie has his flight attendants tell the passengers to calm down and remain in their seats, chaos breaks out and a few passengers are killed (including the officer detaining Louis).
Brodie is told that he must make a landing over the open water, but he manages to use his knowledge of weather patterns to successfully land it on an island. With no way of communicating the situation to the airline’s command center, Brodie is forced to take the passengers off the plane before it heats up.
He charts the area and realizes that the plane has landed in Jolo, an isolated area of the Philippines that is controlled by a fortified radical militia group. Fearing that little time is left, Brodie sets out with Louis to find a communications center.
Why Does Brodie Team Up With Louis?
After Louis tells Brodie that he is a former military officer who was convicted of a crime when he was only a teenager, Louis reluctantly agrees to take off his handcuffs. Initially, he fears that Louis has abandoned him when he mysteriously disappears and sets off alone to a military command center.
Brodie is able to briefly talk over the phone with the airline’s emergency hotline, but the worker on the other line does not believe him. Instead, Brodie messages Daniela, who is able to pass along the information to Scarsdale (Tony Goldwyn), a former Special Forces officer who is handling the rescue operation.
Scarsdale works with the airline’s owner Hampton (Paul Ben-Victor) to arrange a rescue by a mercenary group led by Shellback (Remi Adeleke).
Scarsdale realizes that they are facing a potentially disastrous public relations crisis when he’s told that Brodie is stuck doing unenviable flights because of an incident in the past where he forcefully subdued a rowdy passenger.
However, Scarsale is angrier with Hampton, who tells him it was the airline’s policy to fly the plane amidst risky weather conditions due to the costs that it would save on going the fastest route.
Brodie’s communications line is shut off when he’s attacked by local militia leaders, and only narrowly manages to escape with Louis. They are forced to team up when the militia leader Dele (Yoson An) and his squad take the passengers hostage.
Louis teaches Brodie how to operate a weapon, and they find out that the passengers have been taken from the plane to a nearby military center. Dele plans to send them on boats off the island where they can be held for ransom money.
How Does Brodie Save the Day in ‘Plane’?
After Brodie and Louis join forces with Shellback and the other mercenaries, they lead a successful raid that frees the passengers from captivity.
Brodie is able to gather supplies to repair the plane, but he knows that any larger rescue effort won’t be able to reach them for another 24 hours.
Louis insists that they will not be able to survive in the jungle, and Brodie decides that he might be able to prepare the plane for takeoff in a short amount of time. However, an infuriated Dele and his men are hot on their trail after several of their men are killed in the raid.
Brodie is able to load the passengers onto the plane as the mercenaries battle the militia with Louis’ help. After reaching Scarsdale’s line, Brodie is informed that they might be able to land the plane on a nearby island where they can be reached by the Philippines rescue force.
The plane sustains heavy damage amidst the firefight, but Louis remains on the island to ensure that everyone gets on the flight safely. Dele is killed amidst the battle and Brodie successfully lands the plane at the safe airport.
Will There Be a ‘Plane’ Sequel?
Amidst the firefight on the island, Louis discovers a bag stashed with a large amount of cash. Knowing that even if they are rescued he will still be sent back to prison without a fair trial, Louis decides to run off into the jungle.
He does not perish in the aftermath of Brodie’s successful takeoff, which leaves the door open for a potential sequel or spin-off project. Although a few of the passengers were killed by the militia when they attempted to resist capture, Brodie is able to get everyone who had boarded the flight to safety.
The Philippines rescue workers help escort the passengers to safety, and Brodie thanks his crew for their assistance amidst the crisis. He limps off the plane after sustaining a wound during the flight but takes a moment to look over the seats before he sits down on the outside runway.
Brodie calls Daniela and jokes that he might be a little late in seeing her. Regardless, Daniela is delighted that he has returned to safety, and they expect to spend much more time with each other in the future.