Flight of the Phoenix (2004): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2004, Flight of the Phoenix is an action, thriller, drama and adventure film directed by John Moore, running about 113 minutes. “Out of the ashes, hope will rise.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. When an oil rig in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia proves unproductive, an aircraft crew are sent to shut the operation down and fly them out. On the flight out over the desert on the way to Beijing, Capt. Frank Towns and co-pilot A.J. are unable to keep their cargo plane, a C-119 Flying Boxcar, in the air when a violent sandstorm strikes. Crash-landing in a remote uncharted part of the desert, the two pilots and their passengers -- a crew of oil workers and a drifter -- must work together to survive by rebuilding the aircraft. Soon, low supplies and a band of merciless smugglers add even greater urgency to their task.

Who’s in it. Flight of the Phoenix stars Dennis Quaid as Frank Towns, Tyrese Gibson as AJ, Giovanni Ribisi as Elliott and Miranda Otto as Kelly, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Flight of the Phoenix has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $21M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Flight of the Phoenix page.

If you liked it. Fans of Flight of the Phoenix tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.