There is nothing more disappointing than being enticed by an intriguing movie trailer only to find that the movie itself can’t quite live up to the hype. Portrayed in its ubiquitous trailer as an intense, witty thriller, Flightplan fails on both counts.

Jodie Foster plays Kyle, a widow mourning the questionable death of her husband. She and her 6-year-old daughter, Julia (Marlene Lawston), are flying to New York to bury him. Problems arise when Kyle’s worst fear as a mother is realized: her daughter goes missing inexplicably. Trying desperately to overcome the anxiety spurred by her husband’s death, Kyle begins her frantic search of the plane and an interrogation of its crew. But there are several pieces of the puzzle that just don’t seem to fit, and the audience starts to question the credibility of the paranoid mother.

Flightplan is unpredictable, but not credibly so. The script’s grand solution to the mystery, upon which the movie spends way too much time and effort elaborating, is hardly plausible and presents more questions than answers.

The acting, too, is a major flaw. Although the production boasts an impressive cast – including Peter Sarsgaard, Sean Bean and Erika Christensen – their performances are less than impressive. Foster is particularly over-the-top, huffing, puffing, shrieking and stumbling through the plane and attacking other passengers.

To enhance the drama and intensity of the lackluster movie, Flightplan also relies on its musical score. Too bold and obvious to be disregarded, the musical score is clearly trying to manipulate the audience emotionally, but, like the rest of the film, it fails to deliver a solid result and Flightplan falters again.

So, if you still harbor any interest in Flightplan, I suggest you simply download the trailer. Trust me: It’s better.

– Caitlin Smith