ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, January 10, 1997 TAG: 9701100135
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 7 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: MOVIE REVIEW
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
"Turbulence" is a perfect example of the Hollywood studio mentality at its worst - derivative, formulaic, bloody, violent and dependent on slick computer effects.
The crackpot script might have been created by combining pages from a third-rate disaster flick and pages from a third-rate psycho-killer movie. By the end, the action has become so silly that the characters start cracking bad jokes about it. Perhaps everyone involved finally realized what a piece of junk they were making and could no longer restrain their derision.
On Christmas Eve, detective Aldo Hines (Hector Elizondo) finally recaptures serial killer Ryan Weaver (Ray Liotta). But Weaver, a charming fellow with a twinkle in his eye and a kind word for everyone he meets, claims that Hines has framed him. Could he be innocent? As luck and poor screenwriting by Jonathan Brett would have it, the cops have to transport both Weaver and the vicious bank robber Stubbs (Brendan Gleason) from New York to Los Angeles on an otherwise virtually empty 747.
Teri Halloran (Lauren Holly) is the plucky flight attendant who has to take charge when everything goes wrong.
Even with movies this contemptible, it's not fair for a review to give away the harebrained surprises, and this one won't.
Veteran director Robert Butler, whose long career in films and TV includes "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" and episodes of "Hogan's Heroes" and "The Twilight Zone," keeps things chugging along at a reasonable speed. More than 100 men and women get screen credit for the special effects, handled mostly with models and computer animation, and they made their 747 appear do all sorts of things -- flipping and rolling through storms, and even hitting cars.
But, so what? The entire situation is such a hash of preposterous cliches that no one could take it seriously for a second. The plot and the characters are so screwy that the dividing lines between comedy and suspense disappear. The crowd at one preview screening was initially unsure, with scattered nervous giggling in the early scenes. By the end, however, everyone was laughing loudly at all the wrong places.
"Turbulence" is an alternative classic that deserves to be ranked right up (or down) there with "Showgirls" and "Mommie Dearest."
``Turbulence" 1/2*
LENGTH: Short : 50 linesby CNB