Flight of the Phoenix
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: December 17, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
16
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
This is high-carb filmmaking at its finest. When it's all over, you'll have a knot in your stomach. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
An excellent job of retaining key elements of the original plot but have created a whole new set of characters that gives the film an entirely contemporary feel. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyScott Brown
Refreshingly, it's actually about action, albeit arbitrary action, and how it defines us and keeps us alive. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Effective action, solid suspense, excellent Ribisi, plus enough clichés to equal the grains of Gobi sand that fill the screen. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
The old-fashioned theme of disaster as an existential test of character still works. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Ends up feeling like the sort of leisurely man's-man adventure movie you used to be able to catch on Sunday afternoon TV. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
The action is thrilling enough. Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
With his bleached-blond hair, implacable European accent, and nerdy devotion to cool rationality, Ribisi acts like a cross between a young Reich officer and the Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons," and his unashamed hamminess steals the movie. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverMichael Fox
This half-hearted, half-witted remake of Robert Aldrich's compelling 1965 tale of survival, ingenuity, and teamwork generates no heat. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
While it certainly looks swell thanks to director John Moore's striking visuals, the wings of this rebuilt "Phoenix" have been clipped by generic scripting and a short supply of dramatic tension. Read full review
50
VarietyRobert Koehler
Shows both how far Hollywood's tech departments have advanced in 40 years and how shallow the pool of solid action thesps has become. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
There's nothing like dumbing down a movie grown-ups love so it can be "sold" to teens who aren't going to go anyway. The savvy flyer will proceed to the gate marked The "Aviator" instead. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
So what's the point of doing it a second time if you can't make it more realistic? Read full review
50
Miami HeraldPeter Debruge
It's a shame that no one involved with Flight of the Phoenix knew what a hit phenomenon "Lost" would be, or else they might have taken greater care in developing the challenges this crew would face. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Silly to the last drop of rationed water. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Because I had, in a sense, already seen this movie, it didn't have surprises or suspense for me, and the actors on their own aren't enough to save it. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleRuthe Stein
While still trumpeting human ingenuity, the new movie lacks the subtlety, character development and exceptional ensemble acting of the 1965 version. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
This new low-octane version is hardly going to make anyone forget Robert Aldrich's semi-classic, testosterone-laden original starring Jimmy Stewart. Read full review
50
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
This Phoenix screams hack job. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
But, in the end, it may be that man against sand isn't as thrilling as it was back in the day. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
By the end, though, it's all too much what it seems, a literalist adventure with a socko "Twilight Zone" twist that's finally too little, too late. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
The first-act crash is admittedly spectacular and the ending adequately suspenseful, but what comes between is disappointingly routine and completely lacks the kind character complexity that made the original a thrill every step of the way. Read full review
40
Film ThreatElias Savada
The whole film appears over-blown and pumped up on marketing steroids. Read full review
38
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
This remake replaces suspense with boredom and witty dialogue with lame lines any self-respecting actor should be embarrassed to utter. Read full review
38
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
This clunky remake can't rise from the ashes, nor would you want it to. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
The countdown begins with the first negative integer — an amped-up score that overpowers the proceedings like a bad band at a high-school dance. Read full review
25
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
It's a botched job...the new "Phoenix" lacks the very things that made the old one special. Read full review
20
The New York TimesStephen Holden
A moth-eaten stranded-in-the-desert yarn that throws in every cheap trick in the manual to pump up your heartbeat, is so manipulative that the involuntary jolts of adrenaline it produces make you feel like a fool. Read full review
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