Mel Gibson clearly brought energy to the "Flight Risk" set as director ... emanating the intensity of his iconic character William Wallace in a promo pushing his newest film -- face paint and all.

"Flight Risk," an action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Mel Gibson, was No. 1 in a glacially slow weekend at the box office.

But despite the turbulence, Mel Gibson’s “Flight Risk” managed to open No. 1 at the box office with a modest $12 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. On a quiet weekend, even for the typically frigid movie-going month of January,