I like to describe this movie as "clean". By that I mean two things.
First is the scenery and cinematography. When you look at the scenery you know exactly what you're looking at because there is no attempt to contaminate it with special effects. Maybe there was just a tad of special effects; when the second small plane crashed on takeoff from Pago Pago. But that only took a few minutes of the movie.
The second thing I mean by clean is the plot. It is straight forward, simple, and easy to follow. No fancy and complex intrigue to take away from the enjoyment. I believe another reviewer of this movie described it as easy to watch. That is so true.
Other good aspects of this movie are sound, score, writing, editing, and production design. The plot (a commercial airliner, with no search and rescue equipment, trying to find a lost small plane, whose navigation instruments have gone kaput, in the vast expanse of the Pacific) is dramatic, exciting, and well-paced. The ending is a source of tremendous joy, especially when you remember that this is a true story.
Finally, Robert Loggia gives a fine performance as the captain of the commercial airliner. Sometimes I felt I was right there in the cockpit with him and his first and second officers. And the people behind the camera also deserve high marks for their contributions to this very entertaining movie.
First is the scenery and cinematography. When you look at the scenery you know exactly what you're looking at because there is no attempt to contaminate it with special effects. Maybe there was just a tad of special effects; when the second small plane crashed on takeoff from Pago Pago. But that only took a few minutes of the movie.
The second thing I mean by clean is the plot. It is straight forward, simple, and easy to follow. No fancy and complex intrigue to take away from the enjoyment. I believe another reviewer of this movie described it as easy to watch. That is so true.
Other good aspects of this movie are sound, score, writing, editing, and production design. The plot (a commercial airliner, with no search and rescue equipment, trying to find a lost small plane, whose navigation instruments have gone kaput, in the vast expanse of the Pacific) is dramatic, exciting, and well-paced. The ending is a source of tremendous joy, especially when you remember that this is a true story.
Finally, Robert Loggia gives a fine performance as the captain of the commercial airliner. Sometimes I felt I was right there in the cockpit with him and his first and second officers. And the people behind the camera also deserve high marks for their contributions to this very entertaining movie.