Many a movie takes place in the confines of a cabin or around an airport, but which are the best flying-themed films out there?
We asked you what your favourite plane films were via our Facebook Page; from Top Gun to The Terminal, the people have spoken and we present the best plane movies of all time!
1. Airplane! – this spoof disaster movie still has a cult following even 30 years after it first hit our screens. Starring Leslie Nielsen, this absurd film follows a traumatised ex-fighter pilot who must try and fly the plane following a bout of food poisoning that takes out the pilots and most of the passengers, in order to win the love of an air stewardess.
2. Con Air – Nicolas Cage plays a former US solider who is about to get paroled from prison on good behaviour. But to get home, he finds himself on a flight full of psychopathic murderers who take over the plane under the direction of their ringleader, Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom. This high-octane airborne movie follows Cage as he battles to bring justice, crash land the plane and save his own skin in the process.
3. Flight of the Phoenix – based on the 1964 novel and following the first 1965 movie, this 2004 remake stars Dennis Quaid and Kirk Jones. The film follows a plane crash that leaves a rag-tag bunch stranded in an uncharted area of the Mongo
lian Gobi desert. Together, they manage to cobble together a new plane from the wreckage and eventually fly it to civilisation – although not everyone makes it back alive.
4. Snakes on a Plane – gaining a huge internet following before its release, this slightly ridiculous film sees a crate of venomous snakes smuggled onto the plane to take out an eyewitness to a murder. The crate opens mid-flight and snakes begin to make their way through the cabin which leads to a serpentine battle at altitude, which blends deadpan comedy and thrills in equal mix.
5. The Terminal – a permanently stranded Tom Hanks cannot fly back to his home nation of Krakozhia due to civil war, but is unable to leave the airport as he has no visa. Inspired by a true story of an Iranian refugee who lived in Charles de Gaulle Airport for an 18 year stay, it’s a touching and amusing tale of how a man makes an airport his home.
6. Planes, Trains and Automobiles – this comedy classic pairs Steve Martin (a highly strung advertising exec) with John Candy (a
n incredibly chatty and accident prone salesman) as they try to make their way from New York to Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. A timeless piece of film humour, the journey of these mismatched travellers remains a firm favourite.
7. Top Gun – starring Tom Cruise as a macho fighter pilot, this ‘80s classic still gets a lot of love today. Following the exploits of Lieutenant “Maverick” Michell and his buddy Nick “Goose” Bradshaw as they train at the top fighter Weapons School, the film combines a love story with tragedy and some impressive (at the time) dogfighting sequences; this is all-American aerial goodness at its best.
8. Air Force One – when Air Force One is high jacked by Soviet terrorists, it’s up to Mr President (played by Harrison Ford) to save the day. A trigger happy Gary Oldman, who plays the lead terrorist, peppers the aircraft cabin with hundreds of rounds of machine gun-fire and Bill Clinton commented that many elements of the plane were not true to life. However, Clinton’s remarks didn’t stop Air Force One from being nominated for two Academy Awards.
9. Up in the Air – George Clooney plays a businessman who perpetually flies around the USA breaking bad news to workers who are being laid off. One day he meets a female version of himself and a love story develops. With an outstanding cast, the movie explores themes of isolation and detachment, but throws in some smart comedy along the way.
10. Die Hard 2 – our favourite hard man hero John McClane (Bruce Willis) is waiting for his wife to arrive at Washington Airport when terrorists take over the air traffic control system. They weren’t counting on encountering McClane though, and he goes on the rampage in order to stop the bad guys and save the day. Whilst not as highly acclaimed that the original Die Hard film, when it comes to plane movies, it definitely deserves a top spot.
