Fly Old Bird: Escape to the Ark movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Fly Old Bird: Escape to the Ark

This dramedy road trip is now available on Amazon Prime Video.

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 2 hours 27 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: C

SPONSOR of Today’s movie review: https://amzn.to/44Ayq2f

IN A NUTSHELL:

Jon Koski, a 69-year-old battling early dementia and living in a mobile home park in Michigan, flees his children’s attempt to send him to a nursing home. He teams up with a new friend, Miller Gibbs, an endearing 64-year-old with a weak heart, aiming to visit Kentucky’s Ark Encounter, a full-scale replica of Noah’s Ark. As they traverse Ohio, the bantering begins as Gibbs calls out Koski’s paranoia, testing their friendship. They swap cars, license plates, and routes through the countryside to avoid capture. Can they reach the Ark without getting caught? Will clashing morals break their bond, and will Gibbs’ heart hold out as the road to triumph is paved with unexpected challenges?

The film was directed by Shaun Maki. Writing credits go to Alan Maki, who also stars in the movie. Alan and Shaun Maki also produced the film.

THINGS I LIKED:

Although the movie is a low-budget indie flick, there is still a lot of good to be found here.
I had never seen any of the actors in anything before. The cast includes Alan Maki, Dennis McComas, Mikah Scott Carter, and Shaun Maki.
The cinematography by Shaun Maki is really good!
I also really liked the music by Ido Kashi. The musical montages were always a lot of fun. The song during the final credits was sung by Alan Maki.
One thing that caught my attention was the description of the character with Alzheimer’s. A lot of movies have been coming out about the subject, which is no surprise as the Baby Boomers begin to experience Dementia and Alzheimer’s. My mother passed away last year with Alzheimer’s. It was such a difficult decision to move her into an Assisted Living facility. She needed 24/7 care, which my sisters and I couldn’t provide. We set her up with a home healthcare nurse for a couple of years until that wasn’t enough.
Fans of old cars and baseball will get a kick out of some of the scenes that feature those things.
There is a strong Christian vibe in the film, although it’s not the typical Christian movie.
The title of the movie is creative and intriguing.
The movie poster is really fun.
We get to see a lot of beautiful countryside as the two men have their epic road trip.
Even though it felt like a giant commercial for the Ark Encounter, I still want to go see it! We get to see a little bit of it in Act 3. It looks huge! I just learned about it about a year ago! My husband and I are planning on seeing it this year!
Ultimately, the movie is a reminder to live our live to the fullest every day and to trust that God has a plan for each of us.
The ending is really sweet.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

I thought it was odd that the men acted like they were SO old. One of them was only 64 and the other was 69. The older I get, the younger that sounds!
This movie is WAY too long for what it wants to say. A film that is 2 ½ hours long is the mark of either an Avatar movie or a director who hasn’t learned the discipline of editing. There were many scenes or parts of scenes that could have easily been cut without affecting the story at all.
It’s a low-budget film that looks and feels like it in every way. Still, kudos to the cast and crew for making a movie!
At the 1 hour 30-minute mark, the sound effects track became suddenly super loud and distracting.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Kids will be extremely bored. So will some adults.
Talk of death and losing loved ones
No profanity.

THEMES:

Aging
Family
Connection
Friendship
Independence and freedom
Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Living your life to the fullest

FUNNY LINES:

“Tell you what: I’ll play (the drums) if you dance.” – Jon Koski (Alan Maki)
“Look at that sign that says ‘repurposed’. That reminds me of you.” – Jon Koski (Alan Maki)

INTERESTING LINES:

“Aren’t you glad God never takes a break?” – Pastor Darryl Williams (Scott Winstead)
“Is the boa constrictor mandatory? (the seat belt) – Jon Koski (Alan Maki)