Moving and entertaining but full clichés and stereotypes with a strong performance by Kurt Russell . Standard action-packed picture , plenty of action , tension , suspense and fast-moving . The film has frenetic action , shoot'em up and spectacular set pieces and that's why it's fun . This is a straight-forward Action/Adventure/Drama/Thriller movie with full of surprises and plot twists . Terrorists seize control of an airliner , allegedly to effect the release of their leader , but authorities don't negotiate with terrorists , they blow them . A special unit , in Delta Force style , is charged with saving the passengers and intelligence analyst (Kurt Russell) accompanies the commando led by Col. Travis (Steven Seagal) for a midair boarding operation. Fasten your seat belts . Five miles above the earth, an elite team of six men must make an air to air transfer, in order to save 400 lives on board a 747... and 40 million below.
The picture contains thriller , suspense , drama , tense and is quite entertaining although with some flaws and gaps . Exciting and intriguing disaster/action-packed movie about a plane hijacking , starred by an all-star-cast , and , being professionally directed by Stuart Baird . The film is detailing hectic flighty hijacked by dangerous terrorists , the valiant commandos and the scared passengers . All clichéd and stock characters with regurgitation of all usual stereotypical situations from commando films and disaster genre . Dealing with the ordinary plot , a hickjacked plane , as 747 Aircraft jetliner on its way bound from Athens to Washington D. C. is taken over by terrorists , while Kurt Russell gives a nice acting as intelligence expert David Grant , a brave hero who suspects another reason and convinces the military that the 'plane should not be allowed to enter U. S. airspace , along the way , he's helped by a flight attendant finely played by the beautiful Halle Berry. It is tense and exciting , at time bemusing and with quite budget . Uneven picture , however being entertaining , amusing and never tiring . This entry in the spectacular commando series benefits itself from thrilling action sequences , state-of-art special effects and a strong acting by Kurt Russell , bringing conviction to character , being well accompanied by an extraordinary plethora of secondary actors , such as : Steven Seagal , John Leguizamo , Oliver Platt , Joe Morton , B. D. Wong , Len Cariou , Whip Hubley , Andreas Katsulas , Mary Ellen Trainor , Eugene Roche , Charles Hallahan , Dey Young , Richard Riehle and special mention for David Suchet , unforgettable Poirot , here playing a really nasty role as a fanatic terrorist.
Special mention for the moving and stinging musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith , including catching leitmotiv. As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by Alex Thomson who previously photographed Excalibur . The motion picture was competently directed by Stuart Baird . He's a prestigious editor who has edited a lot of notorious films , such as : Superman , Superman II , Maverick , Lady Halcon , Lethal Weapon II , Die Hard II, The last Boy Scout The Legend of Zorro , Salt , Skyfall , Casino Royale and many others . And he did re-cuts on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Mission impossible 2 (2000) for Paramount in order to get the job directing Star Trek: Némesis (2002). Eventually he directed 3 movies and coincidentally, all three films that he has directed Executive decision (1996), U. S. Marshals (1998) and Star Trek: Némesis (2002)) contain a scene in which a flying transport depressurises . Rating : 6.5/10. Better than average . Well worth watching .
The picture contains thriller , suspense , drama , tense and is quite entertaining although with some flaws and gaps . Exciting and intriguing disaster/action-packed movie about a plane hijacking , starred by an all-star-cast , and , being professionally directed by Stuart Baird . The film is detailing hectic flighty hijacked by dangerous terrorists , the valiant commandos and the scared passengers . All clichéd and stock characters with regurgitation of all usual stereotypical situations from commando films and disaster genre . Dealing with the ordinary plot , a hickjacked plane , as 747 Aircraft jetliner on its way bound from Athens to Washington D. C. is taken over by terrorists , while Kurt Russell gives a nice acting as intelligence expert David Grant , a brave hero who suspects another reason and convinces the military that the 'plane should not be allowed to enter U. S. airspace , along the way , he's helped by a flight attendant finely played by the beautiful Halle Berry. It is tense and exciting , at time bemusing and with quite budget . Uneven picture , however being entertaining , amusing and never tiring . This entry in the spectacular commando series benefits itself from thrilling action sequences , state-of-art special effects and a strong acting by Kurt Russell , bringing conviction to character , being well accompanied by an extraordinary plethora of secondary actors , such as : Steven Seagal , John Leguizamo , Oliver Platt , Joe Morton , B. D. Wong , Len Cariou , Whip Hubley , Andreas Katsulas , Mary Ellen Trainor , Eugene Roche , Charles Hallahan , Dey Young , Richard Riehle and special mention for David Suchet , unforgettable Poirot , here playing a really nasty role as a fanatic terrorist.
Special mention for the moving and stinging musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith , including catching leitmotiv. As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by Alex Thomson who previously photographed Excalibur . The motion picture was competently directed by Stuart Baird . He's a prestigious editor who has edited a lot of notorious films , such as : Superman , Superman II , Maverick , Lady Halcon , Lethal Weapon II , Die Hard II, The last Boy Scout The Legend of Zorro , Salt , Skyfall , Casino Royale and many others . And he did re-cuts on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Mission impossible 2 (2000) for Paramount in order to get the job directing Star Trek: Némesis (2002). Eventually he directed 3 movies and coincidentally, all three films that he has directed Executive decision (1996), U. S. Marshals (1998) and Star Trek: Némesis (2002)) contain a scene in which a flying transport depressurises . Rating : 6.5/10. Better than average . Well worth watching .