The principal actors did a very good job bringing the story to life. Some of the secondary actors were a little flat. While the story itself was cliché' it at least did not fail to entertain and bring some surface level tension to the dangers faced by the kids. And the scenery of the on-site locations was nothing short of breathtaking.
My only real issue with the movie was the subplot of the wife and children resenting the father for working so much. They live in an enormous lakeside home and have access to company planes to ferry them around. Each child has their own room. The son was even a cub scout (which also costs money). This all means that they have a privileged lifestyle afforded to them by working parents. While the mother seems to have a job where she can work from home, the father has a demanding time consuming job and he is lambasted by spouse and offspring alike for being enthusiastic about providing for his family and daring to enjoy it as well.
The modern theme of the day is that a man's value begins and ends with his paycheck. Yet here the father is chastised for being a provider. Is that the message we should be sharing?
There was another subplot about how the father's company was cheap and did not properly maintain their equipment and how the head boss was callous about the father's need to be with his children. Nothing ever comes of this subplot.
There are also some reviewers blaming the pilot for "crashing" the plane and "stranding" the children. They obviously do not realize that despite it being mentioned numerous times throughout the film that the plane was faulty, it was only the pilot's cool head and skill that kept the plane crash from being a devastating. If he were less skilled the plane would have suffered more damage and the occupants would have more injured, perhaps even fatally so. The pilot himself was knocked unconscious and broke both his legs. Had he been awake he probably would have urged the children not to leave the crash site, but then the movie would not have happened. It is also evident by the fact that practically everyone in the movie from the parents of the children and the S&R team knowing this pilot by his first name that he is a likeable and respected person.
As mentioned previously though, my only real issue with the movie was the divorce subplot. Other than that the movie was typical and cliché but entertaining and 100% family safe. As far as family dramas go, you can't really be wrong with this selection.
My only real issue with the movie was the subplot of the wife and children resenting the father for working so much. They live in an enormous lakeside home and have access to company planes to ferry them around. Each child has their own room. The son was even a cub scout (which also costs money). This all means that they have a privileged lifestyle afforded to them by working parents. While the mother seems to have a job where she can work from home, the father has a demanding time consuming job and he is lambasted by spouse and offspring alike for being enthusiastic about providing for his family and daring to enjoy it as well.
The modern theme of the day is that a man's value begins and ends with his paycheck. Yet here the father is chastised for being a provider. Is that the message we should be sharing?
There was another subplot about how the father's company was cheap and did not properly maintain their equipment and how the head boss was callous about the father's need to be with his children. Nothing ever comes of this subplot.
There are also some reviewers blaming the pilot for "crashing" the plane and "stranding" the children. They obviously do not realize that despite it being mentioned numerous times throughout the film that the plane was faulty, it was only the pilot's cool head and skill that kept the plane crash from being a devastating. If he were less skilled the plane would have suffered more damage and the occupants would have more injured, perhaps even fatally so. The pilot himself was knocked unconscious and broke both his legs. Had he been awake he probably would have urged the children not to leave the crash site, but then the movie would not have happened. It is also evident by the fact that practically everyone in the movie from the parents of the children and the S&R team knowing this pilot by his first name that he is a likeable and respected person.
As mentioned previously though, my only real issue with the movie was the divorce subplot. Other than that the movie was typical and cliché but entertaining and 100% family safe. As far as family dramas go, you can't really be wrong with this selection.