Le secret du vol 353

Sole Survivor is the movie adaptation of a supernatural thriller book by Dean Koontz.

The 3 hour epic teeters on greatness but somehow, someway misses the mark and misses it hard.

It tells the story of man played by the incredibly underrated Billy Zane who lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash. Before he knows it he finds himself embroiled in a supernatural conspiracy that may explain what really happened on that fateful day.

Also starring Scrubs (2001) star John C. McGinley this powerhouse of a movie is one of those that has a great concept but runs out of steam about half way through.

Also starring Timecop (1994) star Gloria Reuben and former child star Jodelle Ferland I was really enjoying Sole Survivor up until the point that it became apparent it really wasn't going anywhere special.

The film is worth watching for Zane & McGinley alone but the heartbreaking thing is how much potential this had. Sole Survivor had limitless potential but Koontz clearly ran out of ideas (Good ones anyway).

A damn fine attempt regardless.

The Good:

Billy Zane and John C. McGinley are excellent

Great first half

Some nice ideas

The Bad:

Plot gets a bit muddled

Too much "God" speak

Finale was a dud

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I hate kids, also likely to be my last words

I have always enjoyed Dean Koontz's miniseries and this is no exception. I saw this with an open mind, and it captured my imagination brilliantly. Everyone was well cast and the filming was very precise. The writing was also excellent and was without flaw. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys fantasy. Although the miniseries has already aired, you can catch it on video whenever it comes out. This is an exceptional miniseries.

Caught this on the UK Sci-Fi channel over two nights and I really enjoyed it. Billy Zane is excellent and playing a more mature and vulnerable character than usual, a very convincing family man. The little girl '21-21' really reminded me of my own daughter so I had a lump in my throat at the end (if you aren't a 'daddy' you won't understand!). The Yates character was certainly over-the-top, but still (just) believable, as he got more and more frustrated in the chase and let's face it, he got all the best lines. I love science-fantasy material rather than horror, and although I haven't read the book, I will be keeping an eye out for it. A first-rate TV mini-series.

A man loses his daughter and wife in a plane crash. He has to cope with the loss, and in the process of finding out why the plane went down he meets a woman who someone wants to kill and subsequently starts being hunted by a few CIA agents. The agents were involved in cloning people with special gifts. There favorite was a boy who could get into the mind of people and influence them to kill people the CIA wanted dead (assassinated). Gloria Reuben's (ER) character is one of the scientists who was cloning people, and cloned this girl with special gifts like healing. The CIA thought the girl was a threat to their project and wanted her dead. They had their boy cause the plane crash in which the man lost his daughter and wife. Gloria Reuben's character and the girl with the special powers survived the plane crash because the girl transported both of them into another dimension. I started watching the series, without realizing what I was really watching. The suspense grabbed me although I make a point of watching nothing that brings fear into my head. This two-part mini series did not bring fear, but was a suspenseful sci-fi type of story that really caught my attention and I enjoyed watching it. Favorite Scenes: The girl healing people. Awesome! Favorite Quote": Thank you for the cookies and for the gun." I recommend the series!

In Seattle, while grieving in the cemetery the lost of his wife and little daughter in a plane crash, the former reporter Joe Carpenter (Billy Zane) is contacted by a strange woman that is being chased by FBI. She makes him understand that his daughter might be alive. Joe decides to investigate deeper what happened with the domestic flight 353 and the causes of the mysterious accident. Meanwhile, the sadistic agent Yates (John C. McGinley) follows Joe, killing and torturing people contacted by Joe, trying to catch Rose. "Sole Survivor" is a too long movie, with lots of unnecessary flashbacks and a disappointing twist. The story has a good beginning as if it were X-Files, and a terrible ending. The stupid and unbelievable character of Yates, with gratuity sadism with people, is the worst in this mini. The accident is explained, but the reason for such lunatic kills and tortures so many persons along the story is simply ridiculous. The reason why Rose contacts Joe is also silly. "Sole Survivor" is only recommended for a rainy day without any other option for killing time. My vote is six. Title (Brazil) "O Sobrevivente" ("The Survival")