And just like that *snap* Josh Hartnett was relevant again. Josh Hartnett is one Hollywood’s oddest cases – in his 20s, he was totally hot, starring in major films at least once a year between 1998 and 2007.
Then he hit 30. And his popularity vanished like that of a prom queen with a positive pregnancy test. Dare I say? This is how Hollywood used to treat starlets. It was practically cliché – you take your Anna Faris, you play with her until she isn’t so cute any longer, then you throw her away. Except with Hartnett, it’s a guy. Well, score one for equal lack-of-opportunity, Hollywood. Congrats?
Josh Hartnett never stopped working, but you’ll note his film titles for over decade just weren’t noteworthy. He went from Sin City and Black Hawk Down to Parts Per Billion and Oh Lucy! Then in his 40s, he found a groove again – lesser parts in a Guy Ritchie film and Oppenheimer led to bigger parts in Trap and, now, Fight or Flight, a film which should keep him in stardom for at least another week or two. Hollywood is fickle, but – for now- Josh Hartnett is back.
Former Secret Service Agent Lucas Reyes (Hartnett) is burned out and hiding. Lost in Thailand, he drinks himself to sleep and avoids authority figures like they’re all looking for him, because until recently, they were. Acting as an agent. Reyes did something so horrible that he not only lost his job, he needed to go into hiding, and has -presumably- been on the run for two years, although he looks pretty darn settled living in a Bangkok rickshaw.
Meanwhile in authority-land, secret government forces have one shot to collect a hacker named Ghost who is going to board a plane from Bangkok headed to San Francisco. And the government has
run out of agents, well, who ya gonna call? On the promise of getting his record scrubbed clean, burnout Reyes reluctantly takes up the challenge of 1) Finding Ghost, of whom there is no picture, only subtle clues, and 2) Bringing Ghost into custody alive. So much for enjoying first class.
Oh, but here’s the real problem: A bounty for Ghost has been posted on the dark web. This bounty has been advertised long enough for the plane to be filled with all manner of cut-throats, assassins, and generally bad dudes. So to do his job properly, Reyes will have to discover Ghost and then battle any Ghost foes that show up.
So, how many Ghost bounty hunters are there? Hmmmm … Have you ever seen The Pink Panther Strikes Again? The one where Inspector Clouseau is unwittingly attacked in Oktoberfest by assassin after assassin after assassin? More. In fact, this film is more like the Airplane! scene where the passengers line-up to calm the hysterical woman. Except more and bloodier and more outrageous. “More” is a good word to describe this insanity. And damned if Hartnett doesn’t pull off carrying us through this zoo. I haven’t had this much fun in a movie like this since Bullet Train. Is Fight or Flight genius? No. Far from it. But this is a great romp for folks into idiot plots, excess blood, and unnecessary violence.
There once was a disgraced agent Reyes
Who medicated away all of his days
Then the government came callin’
And instead of stallin’
Our boy unleashed a violent haze
Rated R, 102 Minutes
Director: James Madigan
Writer: Brooks McLaren, D.J. Cotrona
Genre: Good way to pass time on a long flight
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Action junkies
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Realists
