Some things I liked some I did not.

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Don't listen to the negative reviews

I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

An incredibly suspenseful, high-excitement motion picture that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Director Richard Howard has done a stunning job of bringing this marvelous film to the screen, capturing the stress, agony, and triumphs of air traffic controllers with cinematic eloquence. The tension is at times overwhelming as a burned-out traffic controller "plugs in" again after a horrific experience a few years previous. Played by Kiefer Sutherland, the character is one of true depth and touching humanity, a tortured soul who rises to the extreme challenges of one crisis filled night in the tower. It is one of Sutherland's greatest performances. In fact, an all-star cast give uniformly superb performances with stand-out work done by Henry Winkler and Robert Sean Leonard. Special mention should be made of the actor who plays the pilot of a troubled airliner,Drew Snyder , a familiar character actor who does what amounts to an Oscar worthy turn in his role. As the older flier who remains calm and courageous, the kind of man we all want in the cockpit, he is brilliant. Intense, intelligent, and terrifically produced, prepare yourself for a story of fragile humanity in extraordinary circumstances. That is the film Ground Control.

Being a former Aviator since soloing at the age of 16, I was going to become an Air Traffic Controller. A stomach condition prevented that, but I maintained my Aviation activities and all of my friends in ATC and Aviation in general. So..... when I recently discovered this movie on Xfinity, I HAD to watch it.A dismal disappointment. To me, and to (probably) many Controllers and Aviators alike.I agree with all of the "goofs" in the summary. For some reason, Hellywood LOVES to use the words "FLIGHT LEVEL" for any reason in an Aviation film. Flight Levels BEGIN at 18,000 ft.Another laugh, to ME, anyway, was when the pilot of a commercial jetliner complains about the cost of making a particular TURN. The female "Controller" tells the pilot to make the turn in the amount of money the pilot said it would cost. An OLD joke. Movie is a poor cliché.

Am not gonna lie, i love this film because it shows Kiefer Sutherland developing the talent he would need for 24- in terms of his emotional acting skills. But the film itself is a small gem. There's just something about that makes me watch it every once in a while & that time was 13/05/2011. Like Jack Harris's struggle to cope with the situation & its just great to see Kiefer act, his voice, perks of the way he acts, things he does- everything just does it. A hard days work & i was in the mood to watch it. There's just a determination inside of the film that you appreciate. But yeah, Kiefer Sutherland and the actors around him did a good job. Its clearly a low budget film but the storyline and how it all takes places more than compensates. This isn't a film about big bangs and special effects: its about showing acting quality and giving great performances. Also there are small touching moments that all add- with a good soundtrack that aids the emotion. This film isn't about any one scene.

General Synopsis of the movie is that after a crash, a top rated Air traffic controller leaves the business. Then 5 years later is brought back for one night due to the facility being understaffed and too many planes coming in....This movie actually should have been pegged as a drama instead of action/adventure...but be that as it may, it was rather good. One could go on and on about how it isn't realistic, but in truth...how many movies really are? The title role of Jack Harris is played by Kiefer Sutherland. This is a key factor to the movies success. His uncanny ability to visibly portray emotions is essential to the role. As usual, he brings the "I'll do anything to make me a human on film" trademark with him. (Anyone for getting sick in the bathroom sink?) This trademark is what has endeared him over the years to so many fans and critics alike.Also Staring were Robert Sean Leonard as the cocky hotshot air traffic controller; Bruce McGill as the overworked supervisor who pleads with Jack to come back, even if just for one night; Kelly McGillis as the politically minded administrator (she ends up being a good guy in the end); Kristy Swanson as the "newbie" air traffic controller fresh out of the academy; and our beloved Henry Winkler as the facility mechanic who keeps everything running, even though the equipment is old and some without replacement.Although the movie is meant to "entertain", the whole crux of the movie is to tell a story about being an Air Traffic Controller and the absolute stress behind that job. This is something they did quite well. All in all, it was a rather good film. It will hold interest up until the end and has a very climatic, edge of your seat, finish.Who will like this movie? 1. Probably air traffic controllers (even though it might not be completely factual) 2. People who like a good human interest story 3. The over 40 crowd. 4. Kiefer fansWho will not like this movie? Those whose mentalities require constant barrages of special effects, action, cussing, sex, violence and/or blood…pass on this one, it won't fill your needs.Ending notes: If you fall into the "who will like this movie" group…definitely give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.