Passenger 57

Warner | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Al Barnes

Wesley Snipes is one of the better "action heroes" to come around in a while and he doesn't disappoint in Passenger 57. John Cutter (Snipes) is a former airline security specialist on his way to a cushy V.P. job when a FBI prisoner Charles Rane (Bruce Payne) hijacks Cutter's flight. Cutter uses his wits and his fists to battle Rane and his band of terrorists while trying to protect the passengers...needs a little work on this part. Continuing the fight on the ground Rane escapes every attempt to bring him down even as Snipes displays some impressive martial arts...which he is skilled at in real life. With the passengers lives on the line Rane and Cutter come to the final showdown at 30,000 feet.

Compared to some of Snipes other action flicks...Demolition Man...this one lacks some luster but still is worth watching. Well paced from beginning to end the continuous battle between Cutter and Rane is the overwhelming focus leaving little room for the other characters so they become more filler than anything. One character that I did enjoy was the Sheriff who mistakes Snipes for a terrorist and has him arrested. There is even some laughs as Snipes tries to convince this "good ol' boy" he is really a good guy. A running time of only 84 minutes makes for a fast finish compared to most movies...maybe for the best.

Widescreen and Enhanced or Standard if you so desire, both offer a great picture. Difficult shots on location looked great and were filmed at two airports as real flights were coming and going. A better transfer than most adds a lot to this DVD release.

The remastered soundtrack in 5.1 sounds great and the music...Stanley Clarke for you jazz fans...follows the action well. There is a super funky version of Stevie Wonder's "Too High" in the very end and is worth turning up...way up.

Cast/Director bios share some interesting facts on the director (Kevin Hooks) who has some impressive awards for his work even though he is relatively new. His father (Robert Hooks) plays the main FBI agent on the scene at the airport. Robert Hooks was in one of the ground breaking (TV) police dramas...NYPD (about 30 years ago) which set the gritty tone we see now as the standard. There are also facts about airplane movies and real life hijackings.