While investigating a terrorist threat online, Korean authorities discover that a suspect has recently boarded a flight bound for the United States. When a healthy passenger on the same plane suddenly dies, panic erupts both in flight and on the ground. With steadily decreasing fuel and international refusals to offer aid, the captain and crew take unprecedented emergency measures to save the lives of all on board.
In “Emergency Declaration” by writer/director Han Jae-rim, he takes the fear of flying along with the growing threat of mysterious illnesses which continue to ravage the globe and combines them into a primarily entertaining thriller. This big-budget Korean film is a throwback to the ’90s plane-thrillers like “Executive Decision” and “Passenger 57” but with a modern horror twist. Centered on a flight bound for Hawaii from Korea, a sociopathic terrorist onboard wielding a biological weapon sparks an international crisis.
A young man, Jin-seok (K-Pop star Im Si-wan), arrives at the bustling Incheon International Airport. After intimidating a customer service representative, he walks into a restroom stall. While in the stall, Jin-Seok makes an incision under his arm and retrieves a mysterious capsule from the bloody wound. No one notices his concealed contraband, and he boards without detection.
On the plane, Jae-hyuk (the legendary Lee Byung-hun – recently the masked villain on “Squid Game”), a former pilot now conveniently scared of flying, is bringing his daughter for a special medical procedure. Other characters, like head flight attendant Hee-jin (So-jin Kim), are introduced right before the flight gets bumpy. Eventually, Jae-hyuk confronts the suspicious Jin-seok setting off a catastrophe.
Back on the ground, Sergeant In-ho (the iconic Song Kang-ho) is investigating Jin-seok’s plan while worrying for his wife, who just so happens to be a passenger on the plane. His gruff detective is certainly clichéd, but Kang-ho’s talented acting makes any character he plays compelling. Alongside a transport minister (Cannes winner Jeon Do-yeon) who is more concerned with her career than she is over making an important decision – In-ho becomes frustrated by his government’s inaction. With a plane full of potentially infected passengers, the Korean officials consider shooting down the plane or simply allowing it to run out of fuel. As the situation becomes direr, In-ho makes decisions outside the bureaucracy’s limited box.
Interestingly, the viral-centric script for “Emergency Declaration” was written pre-Covid. After a solid first half, the latter portion of the film is a tad far-fetched and chaotic, but seeing toothless government officials standing by incapable of handling a crisis is frighteningly accurate. The screening occasionally felt sluggish at nearly two and a half hours long, but Han Jae-rim’s screenplay and assured direction kept things moving. All the effects are top-notch, particularly during a scene when the plane is nosediving rapidly, and its passengers inside are thrown around like laundry. And while the science of battling the disease seems inaccurate, an imperfect two hours plus with this stellar cast is well worth it.
Available on Blu-ray™, DVD, & Digital November 29th
