Gerard Butler returns to what he does best: an action thriller where logic takes a back seat. The Pilot doesn’t aim for realism, nor does it need to. It’s full of impossible scenes and over-the-top moments, but it delivers on its promise: keeping you engaged for nearly two hours with a brisk pace and plenty of intense sequences.
The real strength lies in Butler, once again proving why he still works so well as an old-school action hero. Alongside him, Mike Colter brings the solidity needed to keep things interesting, even when the script leans on clichés we’ve seen countless times. Their chemistry elevates material that, in other hands, might have felt much flatter.
Jean-François Richet directs with fast, straightforward action and no unnecessary frills. Some situations may resolve a bit too easily, but the narrative pulse is strong enough to never lose the viewer. At times, it recalls those 1980s video-club action flicks, where spectacle mattered more than credibility.
This isn’t about deep twists or innovation. The Pilot is “fast food” cinema: quick, straightforward, easy to forget, but effective at what it offers. Explosions, fights, and suspense, with plenty of room for uncomplicated fun.
Ultimately, it may not leave a lasting mark or change perceptions of the genre, but it delivers what it sets out to: escapism and action, Butler-style. And in that sense, it works perfectly.