First there was ``Die Hard,'' a thriller about a gritty cop trapped in a skyscraper with a bunch of terrorists, then there was ``Die Hard II,'' which took place at an airport, then there was ``Under Siege,'' which was like Die Hard on a ship, now there's ``Passenger 57'' which is essentially Die Hard on a jet airliner. Hollywood loves to wear a formula to death.

Wesley Snipes (White Men Can't Jump, New Jack City) stars as a top security consultant for airlines who gets mixed up in an airplane hijacking with the most dangerous terrorist in the world.

The terrorist, Charles Rane, well-played by Bruce Payne is very nasty and clever. Snipes is the typical indestructible adversary (he can jump out of a speeding plane without being hurt).

Director Kevin Hooks keeps the energy level high. Writers David Loughery and Dan Gordon keep things interesting, with a lot of action on the ground as well as in the air. All of the minor characters are interesting too. Mark Irwin's photography is very good and the stunts and special effects are excellent.

The film is probably too violent for children, hence the ``R'' rating, but is O.K. for adults who just want some light entertainment. Just don't take it seriously.

this is one of my favorite air plane movies of the 90s and i am a big airplane fan i love flying on an airplane looking at the window watching the clouds go by flying in the airplane looking at the window up so very high wesley was one of the top leading action men of the 90s this is almost like a die hard film in the sky the movie goes all over the place the ground, sky, and carnival area this is not ur typical airplane movie folks passenger 57 also has the man who co star on saving private ryan he is not a bad actor it was this pretty airplane lady who wesley fell in love with she reminded him of his wife who passed on this movie was not only action pack but deliever a couple of laughs and cries moments also well wesley snips imo was one of the coolest actors because all the ladies use to like him he even went out with the most beautiful actess at the time and still one of the beautiful actresses of our time halle berry so check this movie out it may help u to enjoy flying on an airplane more jb

Passenger 57 dates back to the days when Tom Sizemore still had hair, a chin and a career outside homemade porn and when all you needed to get an action movie made was to bill it as Die Hard on a plane/train/bus/ice rink/ostrich farm. Wesley Snipes is the ex-cop on the wrong plane at the wrong time and you'll have no trouble spotting the baddies because, as with all 90s films, they're Brits (in this case Julian Sands wannabe Bruce Payne and Elizabeth Hurley). At a lean 83 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome and while no classic, as dumb fun action movies go, it's pretty dumb good.

This is definitely the worst movie I have ever seen. The acting by everyone in this movie sucks, and they all looked pathetic! The aircraft is hijacked and landed into the small town's non-commercial airport, the hijackers have just dropped dead bodies from the plane and asking for fuel or else they will kill more people, and the chief officer of sheriff dept. reacts by asking the old lady at the ATC tower "Can you fix me that coffee of yours?" ?? I mean the direction in this movie is best example of how bad a direction can be. As rightly pointed by one of the reviewers (P. Sullivan) here, another stupid example is that old lady passenger doing woo-hoo after the plane was landed with dead people everywhere. Again, don't expect anything on any front of direction, acting, scripts, storyline, and dialogues.

If you like movies based on aircrafts/actions, then watch Executive Decision, a lot better than this. I bought this DVD when it was available for $14.99, and I always felt that I wasted those few bucks. A waste of time and money!

Wesley Snipes in the guise of a smart as tacks airline security agent? And he just happens to be on the same plane as a sicko terrorist jerk in transport to prison? Heh, sure, why not. Up to that point Hollywood had tried just about every other viable and non viable plot device known to action movies. Truth is, implausibly stupid as it is at times, Passenger 57 does deliver on some pretty lofty thrills. There are lots of cunning and tricky twists thanks to Snipes trying to outwit the baddies. And the baddies themselves, well lets just say they all pale in comparison to their leader, a man who could give fantasy superspy James Bond a serious run for his money let alone Snipes' all too humanly real airline agent. Bottom line: Passenger 57 is a bit hokey at times, yes, but a far better movie than most in this overpopulated genre. 3.25 stars

A plane just landed after a mid air, open-hatch struggle, while dead people lie all over the place, and an 85 year old lady is smiling, doing an Arsenio Hall "Woo woo" impression. This kind of camp would be great if you were watching the Batman TV series, but not a movie that was marketing as a serious action/drama.

Snipes and the main villian put in decent performances, but for most of the cast (especially the local cops), the acting was weak. The formulaic plot wasn't much better.

This is one of the good movie/film from Westley Snipes's series which I could say is a good recommendation to those whom are interested in this genre of movie/film.

There are some other films that could be screening around the world if any. They are:-

Films
Luan xing hao qing, du buo xia chang, kong bu feng zhi, xie xu qing wang, laei huo wang huen, love tomb, sex obsession, Japanese army, nan nui sha ren quang, tennage problem, sexual fantasy, 1046, du jun hao tu, hao sher zhi tu, sleeping beauty, qi ying an, secret society, life of two woman, the fate of vignette's life, gong ye chang an, gu piao da feng buo, out of justice 2, hooker's tragic loss, out of justice 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 and 11, credit card case, pirate organization, sex police officer, sex doctor, Kenneth and keith, laurel levor, crook's work, office tragedy, workholic, mafia, illegal business, caught head on, illicit internet business, illicit internet business 2, internet misuse, quick death, ship building tragedy, sea pirates, Diary of Richard Rills (war violence, Imax), nuclear coverup, follow me up, Johnny, illegal betting, illegal trading, Mrs white, Elaine riggs, swimming pool, bacterial war, society problem, tragic death, road accident, wu shu tiao zhan (kong fu, Imax), dictatorship, high risk, mechanic woes, sybil, sense of guilt, skallagrig, Lorene kerry, john levor, school life, crayon of life, lawfully abandoned, dark days, blink of death 1, 2 & 3, danger zone 1 & 2 and blood ranger, pathetic state, wet market woes, katherine soval, sabotage, broadcasting station scandal, wally's case, sex killer, I `love' you, childhood embroilment, child killer, wreck, publishing tragedy (Imax), floodgate, greed, dolf (Imax) and ed weils glory.

enjoy...

PASSENGER 57 takes off like a looney tunes cartoon filled with some great action scenes, a quiet stalwart hero, and a particularly vile terrorist. Although I can't believe the FBI would be stupid enough to take a convicted terrorist bomber onto a commercial airliner, we wouldn't have had a movie if they had acted with common sense. Nonetheless, the stony Wesley Snipes is not about to let the terrorists take over his plane without a fight. Bruce Payne steals the movie as Rane, the terrorist. He's been vile in many movies since, but this is one of his most perfectly evil roles. Real life substance abuser Tom Sizemore does a nice second banana role to Snipes and Hugh's Elizabeth Hurley pulls a surprise when she offers Payne his steak. Ernie Lively is a riot as the redneck sheriff, replete with his wife's gun; and director Kevin Hooks gives his father Robert (remember NYPD) a juicy role too. It's all a Die Hard wannabe, and while it's not quite up to snuff in that regard, for an 84 minute movie, it moves and gives you what you want from this type of fare!

Most of this explosive joyride is highly implausible even while you are sitting through it (one wonders if the art of Hijacking has come a long way) but it's an enjoyable diversion.

As an action hero Snipes belongs to the school that plays it cool and cracks jokes and kung-fu kicks when the going gets rough, all with a nonchalant glint in the eye, as if he were fully aware that the film is really a live-action cartoon.

Payne as his villainous and unabashedly racist counterpart brings a similar comic-book audacity to the psychopathic fiend.

I was particularly surprised to see a very young version of a face I was certain I recognized, but couldn't put a name to. Elizabeth Hurley! Male chromosomes take note.

To its credit, the film doesn't dilly-dally in going about its pulpy routine, with some very decent action scenes for its time. You know what's going to happen, but it's interesting to see how.

Director: Kevin Hooks
Cast: Wesley Snipes, Bruce Payne, Tom Sizemore, Bruce Greenwood, Robert Hooks, Michael Horse.
Running Time: 86 minutes.
Rated R for violence and language.

As an up-and-coming action star in the world of Hollywood, Wesley Snipes's "Passenger 57" is the film that put him on the map. The film opens with an introduction to the madman played by Bruce Payne, a terrorist who is about to be transported to a maximum security prison on an airplane. Our hero Snipes plays an airline security expert who makes most of his living doing snazzy airline videos and cracking a few jokes. It just so happens to both Snipes and Payne are passengers on the same flight (what a shocker!).

The evil terrorist miraculously gets out of his security devices and holds the plane hostage, tormenting and murdering passengers left and right. Snipes pulls his best John McClane from "Die Hard" act, running around like a madman in order to save all of the innocent passengers from the gun-wielding maniac and land the plane correctly. An exciting, funny, and mesmerizing little gem that is certainly overlooked by action film buffs, but packs a huge punch none-the-less. Snipes gives a very solid performance in the lead role, proving that he is a formidable action star and that he is here to stay. Payne is equally creepy as the villian, while goofball friend Tom Sizemore is always a likable character. Director Kevin Hooks does a fine job cutting through the nonsense that often inhibits other action films and gives the audience a full 85 minutes of pure action. One stellar action-adventure.

Synopsis:
John Cutter (Wesley Snipes) is an airline security expert who is just getting back into his groove after the tragic murder of his wife. On his way to a meeting with airline executives in Los Angeles, the plane he is on is also occupied by international terrorist Charles Rane (Bruce Payne), escorted by the FBI. But things don't go as planned as Rane escapes and hijacks the plane. Cutter, along with an unsuspecting stewardess (Alex Datcher) must try to stop him before more people die.

About the Movie:
This is a movie that I initially really enjoyed, but after seeing it a second time a number of years later, I'm not so certain about any more. It's definitely nothing original as far as airplane disaster movies go, especially compared to the host of airplane hijacking movies that have come out in the past decade.

One of the main problems is that it needed to be better composed as far as its main characters. The movie makes great pains to reveal to the viewer that Cutter's wife was murdered and he is gun shy about working in counter-terrorism. I rather liked this element of the film because it made him less of a paper cutout action hero. Unfortunately, apart from one or two short sequences, the movie doesn't follow up on this background all that well and chances to develop the tension between him and the female lead are missed completely.

The movie is 84 minutes long. For the expense of an extra 10 minutes a lot could have been done to follow up on all that character development later in the film. It's a real shame that they didn't, because the female lead in this film fares rather poorly, existing mainly as an eye-pleaser and a woman to squeal when harassed by the terrorists.

On the acting side, Wesley Snipes is his usual self, manly and in charge. He does nothing new here. The villain, played by British actor Bruce Payne, comes of exactly like he's supposed to be, psychotic. Payne does a decent job in the role, though in all honesty, he really isn't given much to work with to make him stand out. The same goes with the female lead, played by Alex Datcher. Her character as Snipe's love interest, as mentioned earlier, is hardly fleshed out at all, leaving the actress with very little to make her memorable.

Interestingly, this movie happens to have Elisabeth Hurley in it in a role you wouldn't expect her to play. It's a shame that her role wasn't fleshed out more because a more dynamic character to work with in such an atypical role for her might have been entertaining. As it is, she's totally unexciting.

On the action side, Passenger 57 has everything you'd expect in a Wesley Snipes film, from cheesy one-liners to gratuitous action sequences. There are some pretty good action sequences in this film, including one where Snipes climbs from a speeding car onto the landing gear of an airplane that's taking off.

Of course, there are some cheesy and clichéd sequences too, like the confrontation he has with a couple of redneck sheriff's deputies. It makes it seem like they're discriminating against him because he's black, a plot element that has been so over used in movies as to make one's eyes roll. There are a number of bits like this.

All in all, this isn't a terrible movie. It could have been better written, but the action scenes can be entertaining. It won't stand up against some of the other airplane hijacking movies out there (Executive Decision and Airforce One, to name two), but it does have it's high points.

About the DVD:
Passenger 57 comes in a cardboard snap case on a double-sided DVD with both fullscreen and Widescreen versions of the film in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The image and sound are about average for a budget DVD such as this one. The movie is translated into French and has English, French and Spanish subtitles.

As far as special features, this one has what appears to be something that is becoming standard on Warner Brothers budget DVD releases. They include 9 theatrical trailer for other films and a series of textual production notes that provide background on the movie, cast bios and notes on the airplane hijacking movie genre. They're interesting to read, but not nearly as nice as real special features like documentaries would have been.

Bottom line is that this is an average movie on an average DVD release. 3 stars.

If you thought the terrorists on Air Force One (starring Harrison Ford) were nasty, check out Mr. Charles Rane as he boards an aircraft intent on murder and mayhem as much as "necessary". This movie vividly portrays action hero Wesley Snipes as the good guy, but it won't be so easy for Wesley (playing as John Cutter) to be the good guy this time. Charles Rane a.k.a. "The Rane of Terror" will freeze your heart, and everyone else's on board too. There's not a moment in this movie when your eyes are not glued to the screen, and, unlike other terror filled dramas, you can root for the good guys all you want, but the outcome on this one is not predictable. Mr. Rane cares for no one, and so cares not whom he murders, maims, or tortures. I've yet to see a hardened criminal played so excellently on any movie. Mr. Rane (Bruce Payne) has already been the brilliant mastermind behind four other terrorist attacks, and this one promises to have you holding your breath.

Wesley Snipes has been fortunate enough to be in some excellent movies -- "Money Train", "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar", "U.S. Marshals" (read cousinpaco's review) and "Drop Zone", to name a few. Even with such an impressive list of movies, "Passenger 57" is by far his best work.

Snipes plays John Cutter, an ex-cop / terrorism expert, with a rather large chip on his shoulder. When Cutter takes his seat (as passenger 57) on flight 163, he has no idea what's in store. Also on board flight 163 is Charles Rane, a psychotic terrorist being transferred to a high-security prison. Rane, in cahoots with someone else on board, manages to free himself from the restraints, and take flight 163 and its passengers hostage.

Rane is a convincing and sinister bad guy that likes his steaks "bloody", and doesn't have time for Cutter's attempts to foil his hijacking plans. The movie loses its edge once the plane lands, but Snipes' one-liners keep the movie fresh.

While formulaic at times, "Passenger 57" should be cherished by the Wesley Snipes fan in all of us.

"Have you ever played roulette?"
"On occasion."
"Yeah, well here's a word of advice for you--ALWAYS BET ON BLACK!!!"

--Wesley Snipes as Atlantic International Airlines Head of Security John Cutter to Bruce Payne as terrorist Charles Rane in PASSENGER 57.

Not only is PASSENGER 57 a sensational action movie, not only does PASSENGER 57 feature a sensational villain--Bruce Payne in the ROLE OF HIS LIFE as terrorist Charles Rane!!!--not only does Wesley Snipes do a fantastic job of playing a black man trying to succeed in corporate white America, but PASSENGER 57 has excellent music, great photography, and a solid supporting cast anchored by Tom Sizemore, Bruce Greenwood, and Elizabeth Hurley as Payne's English henchwoman, Sabrina Ritchie.

And the script is pretty good, too, as Snipes plays the BLACK MAN OF ACTION to the hilt, with just the right mix of awareness, bravery, and humor--with his own interests in meditation and martial arts thrown in--as he rolls with the subplot of race in America throughout the script--highlighted by one scene where Snipes tries to convince some a sherriff and some redneck southern cops that he's one of the good guys, and the sherriff responds, "And I'm the Governor of Louisiana!"

But as good as Snipes is, Bruce Payne nearly steals the show, because from the time he appears in the film's opening scene, Payne turns Charles Rane's every line into Shakespeare, and Rane's every act of violence into a threat of something worse, and before you know it you've got one of the greatest screen movie battles ever: black, spontaneous, hotheaded good guy American airline security chief John Cutter trying to protect a plane and its passengers versus blonde, blue eyed methodical coldblooded English terrorist Charles Rane who wants to hijack it! And Rane has a lot of friends in high places!!!

PASSENGER 57 IS WESLEY SNIPES' BEST MOVIE!!!

Chari Krishnan RESEARCHKING

first, alex datcher and liz hurley make the movie worth watching. notice the aircraft call letters are backwards as if flies across the screen? or how about when the terrorist shoot the guy and throw him out of the plane on the airfield? if you look closely at the under side of the passenger plane, which is silver, you can see the guy land on a blue air mattress. such realism. that, and a carnival ground? pa-leezzz! ahh, but liz and alex

Some called it a Die-Hard Wannabe, but i think this is great.
Westly Snipes is a great actor in my opinion, but this is one of his best. It's about a Security Officer who boards on a airplane
and suddenly it gets highjacked by Criminals, it's very entertaining and great stuff.

If you like Executive Descision, Broken Arrow and Con Air, rent this one.

A former security expert, John Cutter (Wesley Snipes), unwillingly gets aboard a plane that will soon be hijacked by one of the most dangerous terrorists around, Rane (Bruce Payne). Rane and his colleagues will do what it takes to keep Rane out of trouble and to kill as many innocent people as they please. However, even though he didn't know what he was getting into, Cutter would want to be the one in this situation because if anyone can stop Rane and minimize the fatalities, it's John Cutter.

I've seen just about all of Wesley Snipes's movies and I like almost all of them. But I can say without a doubt, that of the ones I've seen, "Passenger 57" is definitely my favorite. Action movies are my favorites, and great fighting sequences just make them better. As with most Wesley Snipes movies, you will see a lot of fighting in this one. In my opinion, "Passenger 57" features one of Snipes's best acting jobs, his best and most exciting fighting, and his best overall movie. Everybody else in the movie, especially Bruce Payne as the main terrorist, also do a good job of acting to make this movie seem real.

If you like action movies, don't let "Passenger 57" fly away without you at least giving it a try!

Elizabeth acted as a beautiful air stewards on a plane. Her first few scenes were extremely friendly, charming, sweet and warm. With absolute professionalism, she directed her men to the seats. Then she started to seduce a black steward thinking that this will help her plan later. The way she talk, smile makes her the favorite among the stewards on the plane. Then she started to explore the people in the plane and discovered there was a security personnel in the plane. For a moment, she was shocked and feared that this guy may ruin her plans. Later, she thinks that all her bodyguards will ensure her safety and the execution of the plan. Later, she saw a little boy. The boy likes her so much. With full confidence, she pinch the face of the boy while showing her pretty look. When everything was perfect, she approach the man with handcuff for food and everything started.

I just wanted to say that I love watching this DVD. It is a great action movie. Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne deliver outstanding perfomances. I love the fight sequences. If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend you do. It's well worth the money!

GREAT PERFORMANCE BY BRUCE PAYNE AS CHARLES RANE, I GUARANTEE THE ACTION. DVD VERSION INCLUDE TRAILERS: OF THE MOVIE ITSELF, "DEMOLITION MAN", "THE RIGHT STUFF", "U.S. MARSHALS", AND SO ON. FULL AND WIDESCREEN VERSIONS. GREAT SOUND.

this movie was pretty cool, the action was cool, and the story line was ok but what i didnt get was the title PASSENGER 57 what did the fact that wesley snipes was passenger 57 have to do with anything?

This movie is filled with suspense. Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne delivery excellent lines and are very convincing in their roles. The actions scenes are just totally extreme. I just love the way Wesley Snipes boards the plane from underneath. This movie is very to the point as there are few dull and wasted moments. Not quite perfect due to a couple of unbeleivablle happenings but overall a winner in my book.

This film has nothing new to offer but is quite appealing. I can't decide whether Bruce Payne is hammy or believable as the villain. He plays Charles Rayne (or the Rayne of terror) a notorious airplane hijacker who is being transported to LA from Miami for trial. But as soon as his plane is in the air his band of nameless crooks (including a crazily miscast Liz Hurley) set him free. But not to worry because John Cutter (Wesley Snipes) is on board. And he just happens to be head of security for the airline. It's his job to round up the crooks and save the passengers from the evil intentions of Rayne. And he's only got 80 minutes to do it in.

I'm not kidding. This movie is 84 minutes long. The credits roll at the 80-minute mark. Minus 2 minutes for the opening sequence and another 20 (of tedious character building) for the action to begin. You're left with a 60-minute slice of entertainment. It makes you wonder why they bothered. If Warner wanted to make a great hijack movie why did they bother with the Passenger 57 script? It's too short and too clichéd. A couple of brief moments of action make it barely worthwhile, but watch on it TV. Don't rent it or buy the DVD.

La película no muestra un argumento demasiado original, pero rebosa acción y con esto cumple su objetivo. Tenemos delante nuestro un producto que lo podemos decretar como "Fast-cine", con un protagonista astuto, sobervio e instruido en kcikcboxer, quien se las tendrá que ver contra un peligroso terrorista que ha secuestrado un descomunal boeing 747, y con este coctel empieza la lucha.Todo el mundo sabe que el malo morirá y el bueno se quedará con la chica. ¿Alguna vez ha sucedido lo contrario en el cine de aventuras?Muchas obras maestras parten de tramas similares.Para ver esta simple película no es necesario que seas un tarugo; pero debo añadir que básicamente contiene:patadas,cabriolas,explosiones,tiros y algún que otro chiste(carece de sexo).Con esto ya la tenemos lista. La recomiendo a los amantes al género de acción.

In my opinion, this film is a 99.9% success. The favourite has to be the icy-cool role of Bruce Payne (Charles Rane; infamous international terrorist) who fits into the character perfectly using dialogue and facial features. Wesley Snipes' part sunk a little in this movie, yet judging by several of his other films, he took a break for this one in particular! Some of the scenes were predictable, yet 8/10 films are, the plot is of an ex-secret-service agent, John Cutter (Snipes) who quits his job after his wife Lisa is killed in a robbery incident which he tries to prevent, as he is offered back a higher standard job than that of which he is in now, training flight attendents and night watchmen, he takes a flight to Los Angeles on the 163 Airline International plane, which, purely by coincidence, Charles Rane (Bruce Payne) is travelling on. The FBI failed to tell the airline before Rane boards and so when his trusty henchmen shoot his guards, he escapes and holds hostage all 200 passengers on board...that is excepting the man in seat 57, who is the only one who can rescue the unfortunate passengers on the flight...if you haven't seen the film I highly reccomend you do, and seeing as i'd hate to ruin the end for you, i'll leave it here! Please e-mail me on Luceharvey@talk21.com for further information on the film, ratings or details. Just one last thing...BRUCE PAYNE IS GORGEOUS!

Mindless action Snipes looks, moves, acts and projects the image of an ex con. Action sequences are not at all convincing. Waste your money on something else.

Wesley Snipes saves a highjacked plane, and saves tons of lives, then can still catch the bad guy. The attendent says, "How would you like your steak"? Then the mad man says"Bloody" and the attendant pulls out a gun! As soon as the opportunity knocks Snipes flies into action, and saves the day.

This is pretty good movie! Wesley Snipes is probably one of the best actors ever, as shown in U.S. Marshals. I just loved when the bad guys gets killed. I like the part when a guy falls off a ferris wheel.

Passenger 57 is one of those slick action films that is best enjoyed when the viewer checks his brains at the video counter. Don't mull over how ridiculous it is for the feds to put a terrorist (who blows up planes)aboard a plane for extradition. Don't calculate how Wesley Snipes can defy every law of physics in an effort to "sneak onboard [the plane] without a ticket" as it is literally in flight. Don't think about those and many other hangar-sized logic holes in Passenger 57 and you'll be good to go. Just sit back and enjoy the action (which is first rate) and the view (which is first rate too with the lovely Elizabeth Hurley as one of the terrorists and the equally beautiful Alex Datcher as the heroine). Whatever you do, just don't think!

This is a fully action film. John Cutter (played by Snipes) is just great. The action of this film keeps you at the edge of your seat during the entire film. A must see movie...

An infamous terrorist has evaded capture for a long time by being extremely clever and ruthless. Things get interesting when he hijacks a plane carrying famous security expert John Cutter, who isn't about to stand this sort of thing. END