An infamous terrorist has managed to elude capture for a long time thanks to his great intelligence and ruthlessness. Things get interesting when he hijacks a plane carrying renowned security expert John Cutter, who is not willing to tolerate this kind of thing.
Credits: The movie db.
Cast of the film:
- John Cutter: Wesley Snipes
- Charles Rane: Bruce Payne
- The cunning Delvecchio: Tom Sizemore
- Marti Slayton: Alex Datcher
- Stuart Ramsey: Bruce Greenwood
- Dwight Henderson: Robert Hooks
- Sabrina Ritchie: Elizabeth Hurley
- Forget: Michael Horse
- Vincent: Marc Macaulay
- Chief Biggs: Ernie Lively
- Mrs. Edwards: Duchess Tomasello
- Matthew: William Edward Roberts
- Allen: James Short
- Dr. Bauman: Joel Fogel
- Nurse: Jane McPherson
- Norman’s mother: Lesa Thurman
- Security Assistant: Kareen Germain
- Doctor: Winston Bedford
- Surgical Receptionist: Lori Bedford
- Agent Claflin: Kent Lindsey
- SWAT Commander: Rand MacPherson
- Phillips Attorney: Lou Bedford
- Lisa Cutter: Elena Ayala
- Head Waiter: Mike Speller
- Agent Manning: Michael H. Moss
- Agent Duncan: Jim McDonald
- Norman: Zachary McLemore
- Screaming Woman: Janet Elder
- Flight Attendant: Alicia Allred
- Captain Whitehurst: Frank Causey
- First Officer: Marty Connell
- Flight Engineer: Frank Hart
- Sly’s Assistant: Tom Nowicki
- Receptionist: Linda Vick
- Passenger beaten with pistol: Robert Midden
- Frank Allen: Dennis Letts
- Nora Allen: Janis Benson
- Douglas: Gary Rorman
- Female hostage: Lindsey Diamond
- Helicopter pilot: Dean Carlberg
- Cop #1: Brett Rice
- The Shoplifter: Henry J. McGauley
- FBI Agent: Michael Conner
- Sharpshooter: Carl Cole
- Reporter #1: Jack Gibson
- Reporter #2: Lisa Capriani
Filming crew:
- Producer: Dan Paulson
- Director of Photography: Mark Irwin
- Story: Dan Gordon
- Director: Kevin Hooks
- Screenplay: David Loughery
- Producer: Lee Rich
- Producer: Dylan Sellers
- Original music composer: Stanley Clarke
- Editor: Richard Nord
- Executive Producer: Jonathan Sheinberg
- Co-producer: Robert J. Anderson
- Story: Stewart Raffill
- Production Design: Jaymes Hinkle
- Cast: Shari Rhodes
- Costume Design: Brad R. Loman
- Specialist Coordinator: Glenn R. Wilder
- Stunts: Chick Bernhard
Movie Reviews:
- Per Gunnar Jonsson: This film is passable as a light 85-minute entertainment, but it never rises above mediocrity. The plot lacks imagination and has all the usual elements. The FBI transports a terrorist on a commercial flight, he escapes with the help of an infiltrator on the plane, our hero is arrested by clumsy policemen who mistake him for a criminal, and of course the obligatory jump from or onto the plane while there are moving scenes. Yuck!
- Wesley Snipes’ performance is as good as you’d expect from him, which of course doesn’t help elevate the film above mediocrity. The only character that stands out above the rest is the master terrorist played by Bruce Payne. I quite liked his cool and insane style of portraying his character.
- There are some halfway decent action scenes sprinkled throughout the film, which helps keep the interest just above the “I’ll read a book” level. Otherwise, the film is forgettable. It’s quite passable as 85 minutes of light entertainment, but I’d say its relatively short length is one of its redeeming traits.
- John Chard: Wesley Snipes vs. the race of terror. Or should I say our pain in the face of terror?
- Of all the Die Hard clones there have been – and there have been a lot! – Passenger 57 may be the worst. The story follows airline security expert John Cutter, played by Wesley Snipes, who while on a flight to Los Angeles gets caught up in a hostage situation led by a baddie with a troubled childhood, Charles Rane. Cue death-defying pranks, kicks, and stunts as Cutter pulls a hit for the good guys. Kevin Hooks’ film works well enough on a very basic action level, due mostly to Snipes. Snipes was six years removed from his signature role in Blade, and he’s certainly a bonafide action star. As evidenced here, he’s got the charisma and body moves to carry the film through its ponderous script. It’s a script that smacks of the writers sitting around a table and suggesting they put Snipes in a series of sticky situations and used that as an excuse for him to beat everyone up. Oh, and let’s not forget the forced love story that’s about to happen.
- All in all, it’s a weak film that is the money many realized it was when it was released. Bruce Payne valiantly tries to make the unhinged Charles Rane truly evil, but fails to do so. Liz Hurley, goddess of femininity that she is, looks uncomfortable holding a gun, while protagonist Alex Datcher is hopelessly out of her element. Also featured are Tom Sizemore and Bruce Greenwood, who are boyish looking, but both are throwaway characters that you end up wishing we’d had more of. Stanley Clarke’s score is abysmal, it’s the kind of soundtrack one expects to hear in a softcore porn movie, you know, the kind where the protagonists make love, but still have their underwear on! Yeah, that kind. Bad plot, bad script, and almost bad technical execution. I’m not asking much of the action genre, not really, but at least give the movie some soul with which to entertain the popcorn-munching masses. 3/10 for Snipes’ fight and Liz Hurley’s legs.
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