97 Minutes Review: Probably The Worst Action Movie Of The Year
Directed by Timo Vuorensola , 97 Minutes was Alec Balvin's first film since the tragic death of cinematographer Galina Hutchins on the set of Rust . The film's title suggests the time the characters have until the hijacked plane runs out of fuel and crashes.
Where to watch 97 Minutes in the UAE?
97 Minutes is currently showing in UAE cinemas such as VOX Cinema and Reel Cinemas.
Review 97 minutes
GOOD
+ Interesting idea
BAD
- Performance not convincing
- It seems longer than it actually is
- Predictable “turning point”
- Too many spaces
At the start of the film we learn that Oceanic Flight 420 from London Heathrow to JKF is 1,100 miles from the American coast. Passengers and crew only have 97 minutes to land at their destination (and the plane has almost enough fuel to get them there).
The action begins immediately: the hijacker gets up from his seat and shoots the innocent flight attendant. Chaos ensues. A police officer is on board and he dies immediately. For some reason, the hijackers think it's a brilliant idea to shoot all the flight attendants and the pilot, even though none of them know how to fly a plane.
Toyin's deputy at the NSA investigates the threat posed by Flight 420. But there is hope because the agency has secret agent Alex (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). With the help of the brave Dr. Kim (MyAnna Buring), Alex must save the pilot's life, defeat the hijackers and land the plane before it runs out of fuel.
To make matters worse, NSA Director Hawkins (Alec Baldwin) wants nothing more than to blow up the plane with everyone inside. Alex must find a way to regain control of the Boeing 767 before Hawkins blows it out of the sky.
"It's not bad, it's good." Just bad.
In terms of quality , “97 Minutes” is no worse than “Snakes on a Plane.” However, the first film was a lot of fun and had a cult film vibe that was hard to pin down. There was also Samuel L. Jackson and a relatively coherent plot.
During the hijacking, passengers on the plane were allowed to move freely around the plane and even use the toilet. Our hero Alex screams to anyone who will listen that he is a secret agent, but his fellow criminals never listen. When one of them listens, he is quickly killed.
It also feels like it takes over an hour and a half to complete most of the actions depicted in the film. And then the big twist is revealed. I won't give it away, but you can probably spot it from a mile away.
The acting isn't the best. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a decent actor, but he thrives in television series. As brilliant as he was on shows like Vikings and The Tudors , his heart wasn't in it. The same goes for MyAnna Buring, whose 97-minute performance isn't as compelling as her work in The Witcher .
Alec Baldwin is a star player who doesn't give his best in this film. This is understandable given the tragedy that occurred a few years ago. But unfortunately, his poor performance made an already imperfect film even worse. It doesn't help that his character is a one-dimensional villain whose sole purpose is to stand there and constantly call for the plane to be bombed. He's getting older. Fast.
Even though "97 Minutes" isn't a very good movie, it's still fun to watch if you're willing to suspend your disbelief to the point where you forget everything you know about how things work, even time. The idea is quite interesting, but the implementation lacks any logic.
What other 97 Minutes critics say (video reviews):
The Wasteland reviewer felt that there was too much going on in the film and that it was confusing.
Movie Review Mama gave this movie a C and found most of it unrealistic.
