Ray Liotta, Lauren Holly
A luminous Holly turns in a strenuous performance that, at times, redeems the monumental banality of this tale, which amounts to Airport 1975 meets Passenger 57. She plays a flight attendant working a Christmas Eve, New York City to L.A. flight that is nearly empty except for two federal marshals en route to a California penitentiary with their prisoners, armed robber Brendan Gleeson and serial rapist-murderer Liotta (though there is some question as to his guilt).
Liotta runs amok after both the pilot and copilot are killed in a flurry of gunfire just as the 747 is about to enter a serious storm front. While threatening Holly, he also flirts with her, and she must evaluate his guilt even as she is being taught via radio to fly the pilotless plane. Plausibility is at a premium and predictability at an all-time high. Still, if you sit back, buckle up and suspend disbelief, you're in for the kind of wild ride you'll remember just as you're boarding your next flight. (R)
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