Mark Wahlberg’sFlight Riskhas been a critical and commercial dud - but his next film could offer redemption by remaking a brutal Mel Gibson thriller.Flight Risk’sendingdidn’t exactly set up a sequel, but the Hitchcockian thriller was still expected to be a much bigger deal than it has proved to be.Flight Riskwas roundly panned by critics, with Wahlberg’s performance as a repellent assassin receiving mixed notices.
The film’s failure marks the latest in a line ofMark Wahlberg action moviesto receive a green splat onRotten Tomatoes, with the likes ofThe UnionandUnchartedalso receiving poor reviews. The film also marked the latest collaboration between Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, with the pair having previously collaborated onDaddy’s Home 2andFather Stu.Flight Riskisn’t a crowning achievement for either, though both Gibson and Wahlberg have plenty of other projects in the works, with Wahlberg’s next being the action thrillerPlay Dirty.
Flight Risk Wasn’t Worth The 30 Year Wait For A Mark Wahlberg Villain Return
Wahlberg hasn’t played a villain since 1996’s Fear
While 1997’sBoogie Nightsis often cited as the film that turned Wahlberg into a movie star,it was the success ofFearthe previous year that really established his career.At the time, Wahlberg was trying to escape from the shadow of his Marky Mark persona, and his scene-chewing turn as a sociopathic stalker inFearmade filmmakers see him in a totally new light. Despite giving such a dynamic villain turn inFear,Flight Riskmarked Wahlberg’s first true antagonist role in almost 30 years.
… Wahlberg spends most ofFlight Riskunconscious and tied up, and isn’t in the film nearly as much as trailers would have viewers believe.
His return to the dark side built some hype forFlight Risk- as didWalhberg shaving his head for the role- but the film just wasn’t worth the wait. Wahlberg is having fun hamming it up and going mega, but his evil pilot character isn’t neither as funny or as scary as he needs to be. In fact, Wahlberg spends most ofFlight Riskunconscious and tied up, and isn’t in the film nearly as much as trailers would have viewers believe.
Flight Riskis (slightly) better than the critical pans it has received, but as Gibson’s first directorial outing in nearly a decade, it’s a big disappointment. The film can’t fully decide if it wants to be campy or serious, and balancing the tones often serves to cancel both out.
Mark Wahlberg’s Play Dirty Can Redeem His Flight Risk Failure
The new Parker movie can wipe the slate clean for Mark Wahlberg
Wahlberg’s next thriller isPlay Dirty, an adaptation of theParkerbooks by Donald E. Westlake (written under the pen name Richard Stark). The film will take elements from several of the novels, includingThe Hunter, and will see Wahlberg’s Parker being shot and left for dead before seeking revenge.If Black’s adaptation is true to the Parker novels, Wahlberg’s thief will be a ruthless, cold-hearted killerwho is essentially a bad guy that audiences are meant to root for.
In terms of personality, Parker and Wahlberg’sFlight Riskcharacters couldn’t be further apart. Parker is a professional and a man of few words who never exposes his emotions;Flight Risk’sBooth, on the other hand, is a hyperactive motormouth who just enjoys torture and killing.Parker will be a different type of villain for Wahlberg, who will need to dial back his natural charisma and tendency to crack gagsto stay true to the pulp anti-hero.
Before Mark Wahlberg signed on up forPlay Dirty, Robert Downey Jr was set to play Parker.
One of the most exciting things aboutPlay Dirtyis that it marks the return of director Shane Blackfor the first time since 2018’sThe Predator. Black is a scholar of the types of pulp paperback thrillers that Parker was born from, asKiss Kiss Bang BangorThe Nice Guysprove.Play Dirtyis a perfect project for Black, who has also assembled a great cast around Wahlberg, including Rosa Salazar, LaKeith Stanfield and Nat Wolff.
Play Dirty Is A Stealth Remake Of Mel Gibson’s Payback
Mel Gibson played “Porter” in this 1999 thriller
Many actors have played Parker onscreen, including Lee Marvin inPoint Blank, Robert Duvall inThe Outfitor Mel Gibson himself inPayback. This issue with these adaptations is that Westlake refused to allow the name Parker to be used unless producers committed to adaptingallthe books. That’s why the character is renamed in each entry, with Marvin portraying “Walker” while Gibson played “Porter.” It should be noted thatbothPoint BlankandPaybackadapted the debut Parker bookThe Hunter, which Black’s new movie will also cover.
An Upcoming Mark Wahlberg Thriller Could Launch The Franchise Jason Statham Failed To 11 Years Ago
Mark Wahlberg is teaming with Shane Black to adapt an iconic book character, which could kick off the franchise that Jason Statham failed to.
That makesPlay Dirtya soft remake of Gibson’sPayback, though the new film is said to take elements from more than one book. For instance, Stanfield will play Parker’s ally Grofield - who doesn’t appear in the original book at all.SinceThe Hunterhas been adapted more than once, Black will likely make changes to the source material, but the nasty beating heart of the book will likely remain.
Paybackwas heavily reworked by Mel Gibson before its release, with a new third act written and shot to make it feel more commercial. In 2006, director Brian Helgeland assembled his director’s cutPayback: Straight Up, which dropped the reshoots and restored the film’s original darker intent.
InThe Hunterand its various adaptations, Parker is shot and left for dead by his wife and accomplices and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake recovering his stolen money.Paybackhas laughs, but it’s one of Gibson’s darker action thrillersas Porter is willing to punch, torture and kill to get what’s his; the poster even came with the tagline “Get ready to root for the bad guy.“Play Dirtymay take a similar approach to Parker, by making him uncompromising and vicious - though still kind of likable.
Mark Wahlberg’s Play Dirty Could Finally Launch A Parker Movie Series
A franchise has eluded Parker so far
The first movie to finally use the name Parker was the fittingly titledParkerfrom 2013. This starred Jason Statham as the titular thief and was very much intended to spawn a series. The Jennifer Lopez co-starring thriller received an overall tepid response though, and while it received a small cult following, sequels didn’t follow.AssumingPlay Dirtylives up to its potential, it could finally launch a series ofParkerfilmsas Westlake always envisioned.
There’s no shortage of great novels to adapt in this regard, fromThe Outfit- which formed the basis for the 1973 Robert Duvall film of the same name - orSlayground,which could be summarized as “Die Hard in an abandoned amusement park.“Play Dirtywill almost certainly make up for the letdown ofFlight Risk; whether it’s popular enough to break the Parker sequel curse is another question entirely.
Flight Risk
Cast
Flight Risk follows a U.S. Marshal tasked with escorting a government witness accused of collusion with a mob boss. Amidst their journey, they uncover that their pilot is a hitman. Facing attempts on their lives, the pair must navigate perilous skies to reach their destination safely.
Play Dirty
Play Dirty is a film adaptation centered on Parker, a professional thief character created by Donald E. Westlake. The movie intricately explores Parker’s criminal pursuits, drawing from Westlake’s renowned literary creation.
Payback
Payback is a 1999 crime thriller film directed by Brian Helgeland, starring Mel Gibson as Porter, a vengeful thief seeking revenge against his ex-wife and former partner, who left him for dead.
