Robert Zemeckis is a blockbuster director at heart. Action has never been an issue for the man behind Back to the Future. When he puts aside the high concept adventures for emotional, human stories — think Forrest Gump or Cast Away — he still goes big. His latest, Flight, continues the trend, revolving the story of one man's fight with alcoholism around a terrifying plane crash. Zemeckis expertly crafts his roaring centerpiece, and while he finds an agile performer in Denzel Washington, the hour-and-a-half of Flight after the shocking moment can't sustain the power.

The ''big'' works. The intimate drowns. Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a reckless airline pilot who balances his days flying jumbo jets with picking up women, snorting lines of cocaine, and drinking himself to sleep. Although drunk for the flight that will change his life forever, that's not the reason the plane goes down — in fact, it may be the reason he thinks up his savvy landing solution in the first place. Writer John Gatins follows Whitaker into the aftermath madness: an investigation of what really happened during the flight, Whitaker's battle to cap his addictions, and budding relationships that, if nurtured, could save his life.

Zemeckis tops his own plane crash in Cast Away with the heart-pounding tailspin sequence (if you've ever been scared of flying before, Flight will push into phobia territory). In the few scenes after the literal destruction, Washington is able to convey an equal amount of power in the moments of mental destruction. Whitaker is obviously crushed by the events, the bottle silently calling for him in every down moment. Flight strives for that level of introspection throughout, eventually pairing Washington with equally distraught junkie Nicole (Kelly Reilly). Their relationship is barely fleshed out, with the script time and time again resorting to obvious, over-the-top depictions of substance abuse (a la Nic Cage's Leaving Las Vegas) and the bickering that follows.

Washington's Whitaker hits is lowest point early, sitting there until the climax of the film. Sharing screentime with the intimate tale is the surprisingly comical attempt by the pilot's airline union buddy (Bruce Greenwood) and the company lawyer (Don Cheadle) to get Whitaker into shape. Prepping him for inquisitions, looking into evidence from the wreckage, and calling upon Whitaker's dealer Harling (John Goodman) to jump start their ''hero'' when the time is right, the two men do everything they can to keep any blame being placed upon Whitaker by the National Transportation Safety Board investigators. The thread doesn't feel relevant to Whitaker's plight, and in turn, feels like unnecessary baggage that pads the runtime. Everything in Fight shoots for the skies — and on purpose.

The music is constantly swelling, the photography glossy and unnatural, and rarely do we breach Washington's wild exterior for a sense of what Whitaker's really grappling with. For Zemeckis, Flight is still a spectacle film, with Washington's ability to emote as the magical special effect. Instead of using it sparingly, he once again goes big. Too big. What do you think? Tell Matt Patches directly on Twitter @misterpatches and read more of his reviews on Rotten Tomatoes! Hollywood.com rated this film 2 stars.-Hollywood.com Staff.