Passagier 57

Passenger 57 (1992)

*** (out of 4)

An airline security adviser (Wesley Snipes) finds himself on board a plane that gets taken over by a notorious hijacker (Bruce Payne). PASSENGER 57 isn't going to go down in history as one of the greatest action movies ever made but I think it has a limited charm to it. There's no question that this thing shouldn't be confused for an "A" picture but if you go into this expecting a little "B" movie then you might find yourself entertained. This is the type of action film that really dumbs everything down because everything that happens just comes across so easy that you'd think being able to hijack a plane, jump off a plane and then get back on it would be something that anyone could do. If you put too much thought into this picture then you're going to see countless flaws and we won't even go into detail about how the terrorist, no matter what's going on, always gets the final say in what happens. The performances certainly help keep the film moving with Snipes perfectly being able to handle the action scenes, the laid back nature of his character as well as the silly one-liners that all action movies have. Snipes makes for a good lead who works well with the supporting cast around him. This includes Tom Sizemore in his small role, which the actor at least brings some laughs with. Elizabeth Hurley is also extremely good in her limited part as is Alex Datcher. Payne easily steals the picture as the sadistic bad guy who eats up every scene that he's in. You can tell the actor is having a good time playing this villain and we in return have fun watching and rooting against him. Again, if you're looking for a big-budget, lots of stunts action film then you're going to be letdown. This is a pretty small movie but I think for what it is the film works well.

Passenger 57 is an enjoyable and rather underrated action film. Although there is not too much of a storyline, the slick action scenes combined with some very good performances from Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne kept me entertained from start to finish.

While Passenger 57 offers nothing really new to the action genre, it does offer plenty of fast paced chaos and explosions and combined with some entertaining hand-to-hand combat skills by Snipes, it is certainly better than a lot of other standard action fares out there.

Snipes gives a very good performance as the lead and Bruce Payne is brilliant as the mentally unstable villain. The other cast are somewhat overshadowed by Snipes and Payne, but do an adequate enough job.

Overall I was very pleased by Passenger 57, so much so that it proudly belongs in my DVD collection. A very good choice for action fans and a must for Snipes fans. 8/10.

And don't forget...."Always bet on black!"

The tag; "Die Hard" on a plane is pretty much true when describing this uninspired Wesley Snipes action vehicle of the early nineties. A captive terrorist being transported on an aircraft by the FBI is violently freed by his associates and they take the plane hostage. However on board happens to be an airline security specialist who goes about making their life's hell. Durable direction along with Mark Irwin's crisp photography and exhilarating stunt-work (the opening chase sequence). While it might be systematic in its execution (exciting combat where characters get caught, escape, get caught and escape again), but a confident Snipes makes light work of the slight and clichéd material (where we get the usual character/s with a brooding past) to deliver cracking blows taking out the terrorists one-by-one and sharp-one liners ("Always bet on black"). Around this time Snipes had become somewhat of a household name and a Hollywood banker with movie fans. Churning out films like "White Men Can't Jump", "Boiling Point", "Rising Sun", "Demolition Man" and "Drop Zone". This entry might not make much of the dent in Snipes' portfolio, but for the undemanding just wanting some simple action moving at a brisk pace with some venomously psychotic villain performances (led by the exceptional Bruce Payne and an early part for Elizabeth Hurley) and fine support (Tom Sizemore and Ernie Lively). You can't go wrong with the consistently entertaining "Passenger 57".

"I never live in the past"

"Passenger 57" is one of the many films that followed in the wake of the action film that re invented the genre, 1988's "Die Hard" with Bruce Willis in the lead. When I first saw P57, rented on video in the mid nineties, I wasn't expecting a re-run of Die Hard, but i was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable an action flick it was.

Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne spark well off each other as the troubled hero and psychotic villain. They are given competent support by the rest of the cast, although one of my small complaints is how under utilised the other actors are. That said, Ernie Lively does a nice turn as the local police chief and Robert Hooks (father of director Kevin Hooks) is good as an FBI Agent.

Essentially, Passenger 57 is a solid little action movie which is well paced and has enough intriguing characters and good action scenes to keep you interested right through to the finale. The story is perhaps a little thin and the script could have used a bit more depth to develop the characters, but it's very enjoyable none the less.

Don't view this expecting a great movie, but if you have an hour and a half to kill this film is well worth a watch.

OK, I do not recommend this movie unless you have 90 minutes to waste and just want some mindless action in the background while you are doing something else.

I like Jean Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stalone, Steven Seagal, and Wesley Snipes when I want vicarious thrills, loud noise, and furious action. No plots, little dialog to ponder, just action. They all do a good job.

Snipes was his usual self, Bruce Payne made a good terrorist, and Elizabeth Hurley was easy on the eyes.

'Nuff said.