This film is bad. Theres almost nothing good about it. The 5 is for its watchability and the fact that it is almost trting to be bad in a funny way. However, the acting is awful. The main hijacker is particulay bad. It isnt funmy either and the special effects are poor even if they are 25 years old. Also I think it would work better without the fairground scene and instead keeping the entire film on the airplane to help create a more claustrophobic atmosphere. The black and white flashback is also unnesseccary as well as very cheesy. This film is neither original nor exciting. Best avoided.

Once upon a time there was "Die Hard" (1988), a film in which a wisecracking hero battled terrorists within the cramped confines of a skyscraper. This formula would lead to "Die Hard" on a boat ("Under Siege", "Speed 2"), "Die Hard" on a train ("Under Siege 2"), "Die Hard" on a bus ("Speed"), "Die Hard" on a mountain ("Cliffhanger"), "Die Hard" in a mall ("Point Blank"), "Die Hard" in a ski resort ("Icebreaker"), "Die Hard" in a school ("Masterminds"), "Die Hard" in a stadium ("Sudden Death"), "Die Hard" in the White House ("Olympus Has Fallen"/"White House Down"), "Die Hard" in the President's personal plane ("Air Force One"), "Die Hard" in a prison ("The Rock"), "Die Hard" in an airport ("Die Hard 2"), "Die Hard" in a city ("Die Hard 3") and "Die Hard" in a plane ("Passeger 57", "Executive Decision").Directed by Kevin Hooks, "Passenger 57" stars Wesley Snipes as John Cutter, a butt kicking law-man who's having the worst damn day of his life. We watch Cutter beat up terrorists, do crazy stunts and wade through a film rife with 1990s mullets, epic Casio keyboard music, zany clothes, gold earrings, giant shoulder pads, Michael Jackson doubles, Arsenio Hall jokes and tons of cheese. Strictly by-the-numbers, Snipes elevates some moments with his real-life martial arts skills. The film co-stars Tom Sizemore as a guy who delivers exposition.6/10 – Worth one viewing.

Although it's a quite well executed show with variety too, where we're not just in the air for a long time, Passenger 57 doesn't achieve all it, sets out to. Snipes is solid, while great British character actor, Brice Payne, is menacingly unforgettable, a guy you don't up close to, or personal with. Also unforgettable as his girlfriend, stewardess, is Hurley who doesn't do a bad job either, playing bad good. The film feels like it's been cut short somewhere, and does share quite a few faults, that de cheapens to it a cheesy level, but the film is a lot of fun. Too is watching Snipes rip into Payne, the fight near the end I would of loved to have been longer. What I liked especially, before take off, is a number of scenes, as too a flashback one, involving Snipes's wife who was killed in a liquor store hold up, hence, why he got into the business of counteract terrorism. An early scene is a great humorous and demonstrative show of plane security. A couple of other scenes, we gain a little knowledge into terrorism. Here's some far fetched scenes: 1. Payne jumping out of a window, from about four stories up, and managing to still get up 2. The plane of passengers not reacting to the sound of sirens outsides, as if they don't exist. 3. Snipes rolling onto the tarmac in the path of one of the wheels but avoiding it. 4. Snipes grabbing a bag of popcorn at the carnival, without paying while in full view of the proprietor. Want me to go on. And why the hell would you have a carnival with rides and that, next to a frickin' airport. And how they got away at the end, when back on the ground, telling the news, it was all a safety anti terrorism experiment I couldn't believe. But hey, lets avoid all that, and just get caught up, watching Snipes kick arse, in this not badly made, by very cheesy flick. An addictive cheese at that.

"Passenger 57" is pretty much a "Die hard" on a plane. It's another one of those movies that were trying to cash in on the formula that worked so well in Bruce Willis movie. It's not the only or the best "Die hard" on plane movie (" Die hard 2" , "Air force one" , "Executive decision" and "Non stop" are better) , but it's still a fun movie for viewer just wanting some simple action moving at a brisk pace. Enjoyable trashy entertainment.The biggest problem of this movie is the screenplay. The plot is highly predictable and full of clichés. There is not too much of a storyline and the basic premise of this movie is absurd . In today's post 9/11 world this movie looks VERY silly. The movie has zero credibility . There is plenty of plot holes and logical errors. On the other hands the dialogues feel very natural , they are witty and the one liners are great and very quotable. Who could forget "Always bet on black" or "Charles Rane is not insane".The characters here are paper thin and basically stereotypes .Wesley Snipes makes a good action hero in style of Axel Foley from "Beverly Hills cop". Bruce Payne as the cold blooded British terrorist is very chilling and memorable. Tom Sizemore is wasted . Alex Datcher and Elizabeth Hurley (ridiculously miscast ) are both good eye candies , but nothing more.An interesting aspect of the film is the not so subtle theme of Black empowerment. The main hero is black and is proud of it. He has to fight with racial prejudice and eventually wins over police officers from south.There isn't anything great or memorable about action scenes. The fights are really well done. Snipes makes the martial arts his own , he has his own style of fighting , elegance and rhythm. Director Kevin Hooks directs everything wit rather bland style , with not much excitement or tension. "Passenger 57" feels like a TV movie.Mark Irwin's photography is crisp. I like the score by Stanley Clarke (of "Boyz n the hood" fame). It's funky , sometimes jazzy and has a nice hint of 80's feel to it."Passenger 57" feels like a lazy cash in made very quickly and without much effort. The plot makes little sense , the action isn't anything special and the whole thing is simply forgettable. I give it 4/10.