Daylight

Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for an non-stop thrill ride that will have you holding your breath from start to finish.

"Daylight" is one of the most intense movies I have seen in a long time. Sylvester Stallone gives one of his best performances in "Daylight" leading a group of civilians to safety after a New York tunnel engulfs in flames. Stallone works his magic as a former EMS chief sent in to save these civilians.

When I heard Stallone's name mentioned as part of the cast of "Daylight," I knew it would be a non-stop thrill ride; however, what I didn't realize it would be a thriller that had depth mixed in with everything else. "Daylight" is a credit to Stallone's ability and this remains one of his best roles to date.

Adding to this awesome film are Stallone's co-stars, which include Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Jay O. Sanders and Stan Shaw. I enjoyed watching this ensemble work together because they seem to need no direction when on screen. It was as if they were really trapped in the tunnel. From the fear to the heroic actions they took, these actors were top notch.

Despite most thrillers, "Daylight" stands out as being the finest assembled film. The casting works like magic, the special effects are magnificent and the script is perfect.

I concede that "Daylight" is predictable. However, I disagree with those who say it hurts the film. My point is it doesn't matter whether a film is predictable, rather how it is presented. "Daylight" is presented with quite unique special effects, a plot with depth and endearing performances.

In addition to the excellent performances, "Daylight" had some of the best special effects I have seen. The explosion at the beginning of the movie was a work of art. I was in awe of how well the special effects were pulled off because I don't believe that "Daylight" would have worked as well as it did if they were done with less than 100 percent effort.

"Daylight" will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you holding your breath hoping these citizens come out alive.

Fasten your seatbelts and brace yourself for an non-stop thrill ride that will have you holding your breath from start to finish.

"Daylight" is one of the most intense movies I have seen in a long time. Sylvester Stallone gives one of his best performances in "Daylight" leading a group of civilians to safety after a New York tunnel engulfs in flames. Stallone works his magic as a former EMS chief sent in to save these civilians.

When I heard Stallone's name mentioned as part of the cast of "Daylight," I knew it would be a non-stop thrill ride; however, what I didn't realize it would be a thriller that had depth mixed in with everything else. "Daylight" is a credit to Stallone's ability and this remains one of his best roles to date.

Adding to this awesome film are Stallone's co-stars, which include Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Jay O. Sanders and Stan Shaw. I enjoyed watching this ensemble work together because they seem to need no direction when on screen. It was as if they were really trapped in the tunnel. From the fear to the heroic actions they took, these actors were top notch.

I concede that "Daylight" is predictable. However, I disagree with those who say it hurts the film. My point is it doesn't matter whether a film is predictable, rather how it is presented. "Daylight" is presented with quite unique special effects, a plot with depth and endearing performances.

In addition to the excellent performances, "Daylight" had some of the best special effects I have seen. The explosion at the beginning of the movie was a work of art. I was in awe of how well the special effects were pulled off because I don't believe that "Daylight" would have worked as well as it did if they were done with less than 100 percent effort.

"Daylight" will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Geez, that cab driver sure knows a lot about rescue procedures. Hey, he's Sylvester Stallone! Sly plays Kit Latura, a disgraced EMS hotshot who was fired for a major men-killing mistake (even though he's still clearly the #1 guy in this particular line of work) and happens upon some major trouble. A couple of thieving imbeciles inadvertently cause an explosion in a tunnel under New York's Hudson River, trapping a multi-culti band of survivors between a rock and an impossible place. Latura volunteers to shimmy into the proverbial hell and lead the bedraggled few to---say it with me---'Daylight'. Would he have been as gung ho if he'd known he'd get so wet?

Label this one 'Die Hard' in a tunnel or 'The Po-Sly-don Adventure'. In fact, director Rob Cohen probably screened 'The Poseidon Adventure' a few times while prepping his film. That's my favourite of the absurd '70s catastrophe flicks and 'Daylight' strikes the same notes, often successfully. There's water and fire, rats and stereotypes, it's dank and dark, and you're never sure which mid-level movie star will die next. And credit where it's due, there's even plenty of pathos in the "we all gotta work together" vein and touching scenes of quiet humanity that stop an inch short of treacle. I was moved more than usual by a Stallone picture.

The movie made squat at the box office back in December '96, but it's worth a DVD rental for its solid craftsmanship. The F/X and sound design are money. As for the acting, the lead characters (Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen) aren't especially memorable, but some of the lower-billed performers (Stan Shaw & Colin Fox, to name two) escape the movie with some dignity. The only real villain is human idiocy---people go where they're not supposed to go and do things they're not supposed to do. 'Daylight' is formulaic, but it's still better than most disaster crap I've seen.

An accidental explosion rips through a tunnel beneath the Hudson river, sealing off both ends trapping the survivors inside. In steps Stallone, a disgraced former emergency services chief, who hopes to save the day in usual hero style.

Daylight has a good blend of interesting characters, suspense, drama, action and special effects that all add towards the entertainment of the movie.

Overall it's good fun to watch, and it does refrain from becoming silly or over-sentimental.

7/10

Not the greatest movie but also not bad. Lots of action by Stallone. Unrealistic as many action films are but entertaining enough. As an animal lover, I loved the dog addition and did not like the "s*** with legs" part. It's a little cheesy but watchable.