Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Altitude’ (2010)

Written by Scott Edwards

Having overprotective parents can be annoying for many kids growing up, but they do mean well. Not wanting you to make the same mistakes they did, they only want to see you live a long and happy life. While we know this as we get older and have children of our own, we also know that we did not do everything that they wanted us to which was always intended to help us know the consequences of our actions. It is funny to think that we can control our children’s lives after they grow into adults, but many parents constantly attempt to make that happen.
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After getting off of the phone with her father, Sara is ready to meet up with her friends and head to a Cold Play concert. Seeing her best friend Mel, Mel’s boyfriend Sal and her brother Cory arriving at the airport, Sara is planning to fly them to Canada to avoid the traffic. When her boyfriend Bruce shows up, he is a little shaken about getting on the plane with the group, but he will do almost anything for Sara, even wanting to surprise her in the long run when she moves away. With everything stowed away and the plane ready to take off, the group is in for a trip of a lifetime, but little do they know how it will change them.

After flying a while, Sara wants to get Bruce more comfortable with the plane and hands over the controls. Hitting a small patch of turbulence, the plane starts a nosedive and the group is very worried.  Trying to get Bruce to pull up, everyone sees that he is not made out for flying and Sara is forced to take over once again. With some pretty bad feelings towards Bruce, Sal is not afraid to tell him what he thinks and starts to destroy a comic book Sara gave him. Not liking what he is seeing, Bruce is not willing to get in a fight on the plane, but that is the last of his worries when a storm is spotted ahead.

Calling into the tower and getting clearance to fly above the storm, the plane has a malfunction and Sara is not able to level off when she meets her altitude. Continuing to climb higher and higher, the group enters another storm, but there is something hiding in the clouds that nobody has seen before. Freaking out, Sal starts to take his drunken rage out on anyone that will hear him and while he is able to get calmed down, Bruce becomes a problem and is tied down until the group can figure out what they are up against. With the wings starting to ice up and the fear of not having enough oxygen becoming a factor, Cory decides to take matters into his own hands and tries to help in fixing the plane, but that is only the start of a trip plagued with problems.

While I am not a huge fan of flying anymore, mainly because I do not control what is done by the pilot, this movie takes things a step further. While I liked the characters and was disappointed to see a couple go, the twist at the end made me smile. The group’s interaction was mostly fun and the separation that is caused by a monster in the clouds forces decisions to be made that nobody should have to think about. With a malfunctioning plane, a fear of flying, beer, mountain climbing gear, the fear of dying, a monster that is the thing of nightmares, and an interesting little twist when it comes to parenting, this is really a different sort of movie than I expected. While some people love taking up small planes for short trips, I don’t think you will find me in one again, especially if there is a storm. Stay Scared.

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