For those brought up on the Airplane/Airport disaster movie subgenre, this extravagant non-stop thrill-a-minute adventure (from Russia, surprisingly) will come as a welcome addition to the grouping that once caught the fancy of every disaster flick aficionado
'The Crew' - Movie Review
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'The Crew'
U/A; Action-Thriller
Director: Nikolay Lebedev
Cast: Vladimir Mashkov, Danila Valerevich Kozlovsky, Agne Grudyte, Sergey Shakurov
Rating: 
For those brought up on the Airplane/Airport disaster movie subgenre, this extravagant non-stop thrill-a-minute adventure (from Russia, surprisingly) will come as a welcome addition to the grouping that once caught the fancy of every disaster flick aficionado.
This latest action offering, a profusely eventful one, The Crew aka Flight Crew ( Ekipazh), by director Nikolay (Legend No.17) Lebedev is a remake of a 1979 film of the same name.
A young male air force pilot Alex (Danila Valerevich Kozlovsky) gets dismissed from the service because of his refusal to follow orders to abandon humanitarian cargo in favor of a wealthy diplomat's haul of luxury cars. So after going through the grind of interviews, he finds himself hired as a co-pilot for a major Russian airline, falls in lust with sexy fellow pilot (Agnes Grudnye) and has many run-ins with senior pilot(Vladimir Mashkov).
His cocky know-it-all arrogance is put to the test in a near mid-air disaster that he averts with impunity before getting set up for the major catastrophe that starts with a routine rescue mission, leads to a volcanic eruption that renders almost the entire runway inaccessible for take-off and then post that gets into a thrilling mid-air rescue that beats all imagination. It's a heroic turn that even superman would have found challenging but hey who are we to complain when the filmmakers make it a thrill-a-minute roller-coaster joyride that careers you into a adrenaline gusher with all the chutzpah of a big ticket Hollywood adventure.
The film of course tries to do too much in terms of relationships as well as disaster events – even so it leads to a better entertainment package. Frayed father-son relationships heal over tragedy, a love affair is put to the test and pilots go all the way down the wire to prove their mettle against natural catastrophe. It's a well knit, interestingly structured genre movie that incorporates all the best genre elements to get to its final high. The special effects as impressive, if not better than any Hollywood blockbuster. This is the second catastrophe film shot in the Russian Federation and is also the second film to be shot in digital 3D IMAX camera.
The visuals are completely engaging, the VFX graphics are top-notch and CGI stunts were rendered with Hollywoodian flourish. The action is laid on thick and fast and you are bound to get immersed in the subsequent rescue theatrics that defies all expectations. The English dubbing may not sit well but the overall affect is unimpaired by it. Thanks to the able performances, cinematography and economical edit, this is one joy ride you might not want to miss.
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