FIGHT OR FLIGHT (2025)

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director:  James Madigan
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Charithra Chandran, Marko Zaror, Katee Sackhoff, Julian Kostov, JuJu Chan Szeto, Danny Ashok, Hughie O'Donnell, Jyuddah Jaymes
Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins
Rating: M18 (Violence and Gore)
Released By: Shaw Organisation
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 15 May 2025

Synopsis: Wildly entertaining, gory action thriller from the producers of John Wick. Josh Hartnett takes on a plane full of assassins in a first-class fight for survival.

Movie Review:

Josh Hartnett is officially back after appearing in high-profile studio projects liked Oppenheimer and Trap. And to think 20 years ago, he was in the same league as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon until he decided to step away from Hollywood.

Whether he is back or not, at least Hartnett is still consistently doing his B movies. Coincidentally, someone just watches David Leitch’s Bullet Train and flips the setting from a train to a plane in Fight or Flight.

Hartnett plays Lucas Reyes, an out-of-shape, perpetually drunk ex-Secret service agent now living in exile in Bangkok. One day, he got a call from his ex-girlfriend, Katherine (Katee Sackoff) who needs him to arrest a cyber-terrorist dubbed The Ghost on a flight to San Francisco.

Katherine who works in an unnamed, secret organisation manages to get Reyes a passport to board the flight. Unfortunately, a bounty has been placed on The Ghost’s head and there are many ruthless bounty hunters onboard. And who and exactly where is The Ghost? Well, Reyes has to enlist the help of flight attendant Isha (Charithra Chandran) to at least sort things out.

When the poster proudly declares it’s from the producers of John Wick, the movie jolly well lives up to its proclamation. Indeed, after 20 long minutes of setup, Fight or Flight delivers its first fight between Reyes and an assassin Cayenne (Marko Zaror) in the first class shower facility. It definitely sets the tone of the movie, gruesome, chaotic and Hartnett is game on in delivering the action.

Fight or Flight certainly is generous in putting out cartoonish level of violence and gore. Both former second unit director James Madigan and fight choreographer Brahim Chab is definitely at ease staging the numerous fight scenes which involved anything from a seat belt to an ice axe. Whoever came up with the idea of an chainsaw, he or she just scored an extra star for the rating. The action is outrageous and you even have a trio of Wu Dang expertise onboard.

Yet when the movie cuts to the narrative side which includes some messages on slave labour and unnecessary prolonged talks between Katherine and her subordinate, you starts to feel the dragginess of the plot which in all honesty, runs less than 100 minutes. And then, there’s the tone of it as it struggles hard to be tongue-in-cheek and grounded all at the same time.

Even if the story is a little letdown, a bleached blond Josh Hartnett is still as entertaining as ever as the leading man. The casting of Brad Pitt unquestionably salvages Bullet Train. Let’s face it, even if Hartnett lacks the star power of Pitt, he still has the charism and goofiness to save the flight. Just simply armed him with a chainsaw and a bottle of opioid. He will get the job done.

Movie Rating:

(Outrageously violent innovative action choreography, this one is for the action fans. Casting Hartnett is a bonus as well)

Review by Linus Tee