Hypersonic

HYPERSONIC (2002)

Directed by: Philip Roth
Screenplay: Philip Roth & Sean Wells
Starring: Antonio Sabato Jr, Adam Baldwin & Amandah Reyne

Ace fighter pilots take part in an around the world race at the chance of winning $25 million dollars. Flying state of the art jets they race at high velocity attempting to dodge dangerous weather conditions, the risk of blacking out and smashing into each other. Brothers Grant and Kevin Levine (Sabato Jr & Michael Sutton) are one team taking part in the race trying to make up for a past race that resulted in a mid-air crash and the death of several people. On the ground, the race is being televised by the greedy Bannon (Baldwin) who in the need to boost ratings, ups the risks of the race placing the pilots lives in jeopardy.

Produced by low budget studio UFO (Unified Film Organization), Hypersonic is typical of many of their flicks: crammed with loads of CGI action and cheesy plotting. If you are into aviation action then Hypersonic will give you a kick as there are loads of planes zipping about, crashing into one another and generally blowing up. All realized with CGI, the aircraft action scenes are well constructed, often exciting and the CGI isn’t all that bad. It also lends a kind of sci-fi feel to the flick. The action is often ambitious with jets exploding mid-air and even racing through the streets of big cities. The arial scenes are exciting if never realistic and Hypersonic at least delivers full throttle high-flying action.

The acting and dialogue is serviceable for this type of flick with Baldwin being the best actor onboard. Things inevitably take on a cheesy and gung-ho approach as proceedings progress but, hey, that is the nature of these type of low rent action flicks. If you are not into seeing jets twist, turn and crash then Hypersonic is only going to disappoint as there is no hand-to-hand combat or gunplay. This is strictly for the aviation crowd. UFO has made some fun action flicks, often involving giant snakes or sharks or some other monstrosity, and Hypersonic is overall one of their average efforts. I suggest picking up one their giant shark movies, they’re always good.