Freeze Frame: “Plane” (R), “Dog Gone” (PG)

With movies like the action trilogy “Olympus Has Fallen,” “London Has Fallen and “Angel Has Fallen,” Scottish actor Gerard Butler is carving out a niche for himself as an action icon in the mold of Chuck Norris and Bruce Willis. His latest effort is “Plane,” but it could just as easily have been called “Plane Has Fallen.” Butler plays a commercial airline pilot whose jet is struck by lightning and forced to land on a remote jungle island in the Philippines. Once he’s managed to land, his troubles truly begin as he and his passengers confront a murderous band of anti-government guerrillas. Gerard must recruit help from a dangerous prisoner, played by Mike Colter, who was being escorted by the Feds on the ill-fated flight. This movie offers nothing new and stretches credibility beyond the limits, but if action is your thing, it delivers. Fasten your seat belts, turn off your brain and enjoy this bumpy “Plane” ride.

Sometimes you gotta be a Grinch. Today’s my day. The Netflix movie “Dog Gone” is a well-intentioned, sweet-natured and family friendly story. But as a movie, it’s a real mongrel. Rob Lowe stars in this opus loosely based on a true story about a Virginia family whose beloved pooch runs off along the Appalachian Trail. The family launches a sweeping search when the dog goes missing and their efforts to find him wind up going viral. Layered over this plot is an awkward and unconvincing subplot about the tensions between the dad and his son and how their search affects their relationship. Even avid dog lovers may squirm at the bumbling emotional manipulations on display. Sadly, “Dog Gone” is a real dog.

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