It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I watched this movie in a hotel room so was kind of a captive audience. Action movies on a train work, much better than any other kind of transport in my opinion. But why, why, why would you put a shed load of convicts on a passenger train in the first place? Roy Scheider was actually quite convincing as a hard man, it's just the movie is seriously flawed. The plot is ludicrous, the script poor, the acting average and what the hell ever happened to the film quote loving nutter and the little girl? There were so many people running across the roof of the train, they needed traffic signals. But in the right place at the right time, as I was, this is watchable and just made me laugh. My movie quote "We're going to need a bigger boat" No shark in their right mind would go anywhere near this version of Roy Scheider.

For me, the best part of this runaway train disaster, was the closing credits, where you get to understand just how many interesting character actors are totally wasted by the ridiculous script. Let's start with Roy Scheider, as a Mafia boss. Then there is Don Swaze, Clint Howard, Ed O'Ross, and Ray Wise, all lost in the cartoon-like goings on. You have a train. You have the bad guys taking over the train. You have the train eventually crashing into Los Angeles Union Station, yet everyone in the station seems oblivious to the fact that a locomotive has just torn through half the terminal. Hero, Dorian Harewood, jumps off the speeding train with no ill effects, steals a dirt bike, and somehow gets back on the train without a misstep. The weak attempts at levity, especially with the control room operator, are pathetic. Then there is the damaged helicopter, which somehow manages to get a cop onto the roof of the train, before disappearing behind a hill in flames. I could go on and on. The intriguing cast is absolutely the only reason to see this, but only if you are prepared for the ridiculous script. - MERK

How desperate must Roy Scheider have become to accept a role in this straight-to-video offering from Jerry P. Jacobs, who must be some incestuously close relative of Alan Smithee. It is sad indeed when a quality actor is forced to prostitute his art in this way...and I thought I'd seen it all with Raul Julia's swan-song as General Bison in the frivolous STREETFIGHTER! Total CON AIR clone without the budget, stars, script or direction. I particularly liked the character played by Clint Howard.."Hector the Director!" Have producers no shame! I saw this a few weeks ago after a friend lobbed in from South East Asia with a VHS copy. Stuck it for 40 minutes then put on CON AIR to finish it! Avoid.

This mess of movie is just a big Con Air Rip Off. The Story, The Names, The End. Like, Clint Howards character is named Hector "The Director" and his bald compare with Malkovich character the balded Cyrus "The Virus". Don't bother watch this movie unless you are like me fan of direct-to-video movies. And at last Don Swayze looks like a Ostrich in the movie.