Again within the late ‘90s/early 2000s, I may need been a little bit obsessive about Josh Hartnett. Not in an unhealthy manner or something (except making an attempt to defend Hollywood Murder signifies in any other case), however let’s simply say Blockbuster knew the place its copy of The School was. So nobody has been happier to see him the previous few years making a comeback with Oppenheimer in 2023, Lure final yr, and now on the 2025 film calendar, Battle or Flight.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Battle or Flight, you’re not alone. I hadn’t heard a lot about it and even seen a trailer because it prepares to hit theaters on Could 9, so think about my shock to see that the upcoming motion flick starring Josh Hartnett and Battlestar Galactica vet Katee Sackhoff holds an 88% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
What Is Battle Or Flight About?
So what’s the premise of Battle or Flight, and why is it flying underneath the radar? As for the second a part of that query, I can’t say for positive, however the synopsis appears to explain a fairly fundamental motion film. Josh Harnett performs Lucas Reyes, a mercenary tasked (seemingly by Katee Sackhoff’s Katherine Brunt) with figuring out and defending a wished felony aboard a industrial flight.
Nonetheless, upon viewing the trailer, the film seems something however fundamental. There’s comedy, bloody combat sequences and ridiculously inconceivable motion that positively piques my curiosity. Test it out for your self:
Watch On
Josh Hartnett and Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran appear to be fairly the comedic duo, and my optimism from the trailer is just bolstered by the critiques which have been printed forward of Battle or Flight’s U.S. premiere.
What Are Critics Saying About Battle Or Flight?
What constitutes a vital success within the movie show — a superb story? Massive finances? Complicated characters? Laughs and sobs in equal measure? I couldn’t inform you if Battle or Flight has any of these, however many critics appear to agree that one factor it does have is enjoyable.
There’s positively one thing to be stated for that, too, as John Nugent of Empire offers the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it “joyfully foolish” and saying Josh Hartnett is having a fabulous time enjoying a bleach-blonde drunkard. Nugent writes:
It’s refreshing and enjoyable to see such a gonzo, go-for-broke strategy with the thought, and it’s equally cheering to see Hartnett commit absolutely, with an enjoyably deranged efficiency nearly on a par together with his flip in final yr’s Lure. … What it lacks in polish and panache it makes up for in humour, with an array of inventively amusing kills.
Nick Schager of The Each day Beast calls it “breezy and tacky,” and when he describes it as Looney Tunes meets John Wick, Schager is fast to level out he implies that as excessive reward. The critic writes:
An action-comedy automobile with a pure Looney Tunes spirit that’s embodied by its main man, whose efficiency as a knocked-about bada– would earn him a standing ovation from Bugs and Daffy. Amusing, energetic, and simply intelligent sufficient to maintain its transient runtime, it serves up a boisterous and bruising model of B-movie bedlam.
Kate Sánchez of However Why Tho says Battle or Flight is an “absolute must-see.” It leans into its B-movie standing and Josh Hartnett’s unhinged efficiency, leading to a flick that’s a blast from begin to end. Sánchez continues:
Battle or Flight is absurdist motion violence, making it a prime contender for the yr’s greatest motion film. Josh Hartnett’s electrical physicality and top-notch comedic timing make each second he’s on display screen a raucous pleasure, and the chaos bouncing off the partitions of the two-story aircraft is the correct of excessive.
I’m undecided how I missed the advertising for this film, however after seeing what critics are saying and the way excessive its Rotten Tomatoes rating is, I’m absolutely able to get my Josh Hartnett motion hero on. In case you’re additionally enticed by the motion comedy, Battle or Flight might be in theaters beginning Friday, Could 9.