Air Collision (2012) – Review

Where to watch Air Collision

3 Stars

There are two kinds of films released from distribution house The Asylum. They are either low-budget guilty pleasures or wretchedly unwatchable genre schlock, fortunately Air Collision falls into the former category. This is arguably the most polished production yet from The Asylum, but hey; who wants to argue? Air Collision features a few recognizable faces and a well worn storyline, but it is competently told, and showcases decent B-Movie filmmaking. The use of stock footage from other Asylum productions is evident but it helps keep the film aloft through a soggy second act.

The script credited to director Liz Adams is straight out of the disaster movie playbook. The story follows a group of individuals desperately trying to avert a mid-air collision between a passenger airliner and Air Force One. Reginald VelJohnson plays a veteran FAA control operator. During routine training of an intern, the senior operator notices early warning signs that a satellite controlled navigational system is failing. This means the aircrafts are unreachable, and unbeknownst to them are traveling in a direct pattern right towards each other. Jordan Ladd is a stewardess on the commercial airline, she must be the most patient flight attendant of all time. Never losing her cool while dealing with a whining group of passengers, including a man with a bad heart, a medically unbalanced madman, and a woman scared of flying. We are introduced to these characters in short snippets, in a style very reminiscent of those 1970s Airport disaster films.

How can I defend my endorsement of Air Collision? When I was done watching the picture, I had an internal debate between my mind and heart. As a film critic I have to state that the film delivers the goods. Those looking for a film titled Air Collision, presumably understand what they are asking for. The movie doesn’t disappoint on those basic terms. However, I was hesitant to award it three stars, because of the assembly line plot structure. Alas, my head won out and I freely admit that I was entertained. In the end, that is all I can ask for from a direct-to DVD title.

Director: Liz Adams
Stars: Reginald VelJohnson, Jordan Ladd, Gerald Webb