A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
a little
Amid the violence and peril are messages about the importance of using courage and teamwork to save innocent lives.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Captain Brodie Torrance and Louis Gaspare, a convicted felon, work together to save the passengers of the ill-fated plane. They and the rest of the passengers show courage in the face of fear.
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Diverse Representations
Flagged for concern
The cast includes prominent Asian characters, but the Philippines is portrayed as crime-ridden and rife with ineffectual law enforcement. And colorism is also in play, signaling which characters are "good" and "evil": Criminal characters are darker-skinned, while heroic Asian characters are lighter-skinned and present as more East Asian than Southeast Asian. The criminals' leader, Junmar (Evan Dane Taylor, who's Filipino American, African American and Native American), is one of the darkest of the Asian characters in the film. Meanwhile, many of the "good" East Asian characters still suffer, including those amid the stranded passengers who are sacrificed to garner sympathy for the others. And the main East Asian character, co-pilot Dele (Yoson An), is competent and capable, but is presented as a sidekick of sorts to the White Captain Torrance (Gerard Butler). Black characters are also below the White hero on the importance scale, and while Louis (Mike Colter) is heroic, he's also associated with violence, as is the leader (Remi Adeleke) of the mercenaries who help the passengers escape. Other racially diverse characters are present, including chief flight attendant Bonnie (Daniella Pineda, a Mexican American actress). But the majority of these characters have few to no lines. Bonnie does speak, but her characterization is limited to being calm under pressure and efficient despite serious pressure.
Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.
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Violence & Scariness
a lot
Scenes with violence and blood, death, and peril, including a plane crash, kidnapping, and torture. Guns are shown/used, sometimes fatally. Another character is killed via choking/neck breaking.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Language
a lot
Language includes "f---ing," "hell," "f--k," "s--t," "goddamn."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
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Products & Purchases
very little
Dell Technologies ad is seen on a flight departure board.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Plane is an action film with strong violence, language, and problematic depictions of diverse communities. Gerard Butler plays pilot Brodie Torrance, who teams up with a convicted felon with a military past, Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), to save a plane's passengers from dangerous separatists in the Philippines. Expect many intense scenes with violence and blood, death, and peril, including a plane crash, kidnapping, torture, and weapons (guns are used to kill people). Language is strong, too, with use of "f--k," "s--t," "goddamn," and more. While characters demonstrate courage and teamwork, there are troubling aspects to how the film's non-White characters are represented. Darker-skinned, Southeast Asian-presenting actors are cast as criminals, while lighter, more East Asian-presenting actors are cast as "good guys." And Black characters are coded as heroic but violent. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
PLANE follows Captain Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) as the plane he's flying with co-pilot Dele (Yoson An) crash lands. They wind up on an island in the Philippines that's run by separatists who are led by Junmar (Evan Dane Taylor). Torrance and one of the passengers on the plane, convicted felon Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), must work together to take on the separatists, save the passengers, and get off the island alive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the quality of the diverse representations in Plane. Where does it fall short? What could it have done better? How does colorism come into play?
How do the characters demonstrate courage and teamwork? Why are those important character strengths?
Talk about the movie's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Do you consider a Captain Torrance a hero? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 13, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: February 2, 2023
- Cast: Gerard Butler, Mike Colter, Yoson An, Evan Duane Taylor
- Director: Jean-Francois Richet
- Inclusion Information: Black actors, Asian actors
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 107 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violence and language
- Last updated: October 6, 2023
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