Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #263607 in DVD
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: German, English, French, Italian
• Subtitled in: English, French, German, Italian

Amazon.com
This chaotic and gratuitously violent movie deservedly took a nosedive when released in 1996. It belongs in the same category of air-disaster movies as Con Air and Air Force One, but those films could be considered masterpieces in comparison to this schlock. Ray Liotta gives an over-the-top performance as the so-called Lonely Hearts Killer, who seizes control of a 747 during mid-flight and proceeds to wreak havoc. He kills just about everyone, but Lauren Holly survives as the flight attendant who eventually has to land the damaged airliner while the pilot of another 747 (Ben Cross) talks her through the landing procedure. Sound familiar? It ought to--Turbulence is another grab bag of thriller clichés. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Not THAT Bad
Admittedly TURBULENCE suffers from a woeful lack of originality, which caused it to be a flop as a big Christmas theatrical release. But it does have an atmosphere that is, at times, effectively creepy. For example: the dead bodies sliding around the 747's cabin in the storm provide truly chilling visuals. This could be an old ghost ship at sea, its crew dead, the auto-pilot replacing the rope tied to the wheel to keep the bow pointed into the wind.

I don't know why the reviewers here have slammed the acting and effects. The performances are NOT wooden and the special effects ARE well done. Ray Liotta is gleefully maniacal and Lauren Holly is likeable and attractive. The climax at LAX is suspenseful.

I think one reason many people don't enjoy this movie is because of unmet expectations based on genre. People go in expecting something along the lines of AIRFORCE ONE, yet TURBULENCE is 75% psychological drama and 25% action-special-effects thriller. I personally enjoyed the cat and mouse games between the Liotta and Holly characters, but understand how others might find their conversations makes the film seem "talky."

It's certainly not a great film, but it's not THAT bad!

FLY THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES
TURBULENCE, directed by Robert Butler, is one of those escapist movies where you can't focus too much on the plot or the pure stupidity of the writers. Here's some thoughts:
THE SCRIPT: Does well, even though it's not hard to see from the beginning that Liotta's character is as evil as Elizondo's says he is---big problem, though: the writer has Lauren Holly doing some really stupid things, like leaving the cockpit, engaging in a conversation with her would-be killer, and frequently disregarding the people who are trying to land the plane! SCORE: 2
THE CAST: Ray Liotta goes over the top, but he's such a commanding actor that it works beautifully; Lauren Holly does well considering what the script does to her character; Rachel Ticoctin is warm and fuzzy as one of the flight navigators; Catherine Hicks (Child's Play) does a good job and doesn't deserve what happens to her, either; and Brendan Gleeson(28 Days Later) is vile as the prisoner who starts the whole mess. SCORE: 4
TECHNICALLY: Special fx are not overwhelming, but good; the scene where the plane crashes into the karaoke bar is stunning; the direction is fast-paced, but he should have strangled the writer; good sound editing. SCORE: 4

SUMMARY: Entertaining "Hollywood" movie; not as bad as some others felt.

you've seen it before, but this one is good
you've all seen movies where the bad guys seize the plane and reck havoc like in Con Air, Air Force One, Executive Decision and so forth. Liotta is dynamite in a tour-de-force performance as he kills off everyone on the plan except a few and Lauren Holly who has trouble dealing with the fact that a psycho is trying to kill her and she doesnt know how to land the damn plane. intense, violent and that is good enough for me.