When I was watching this film, something felt off. I could never place what it was. I was too distracted by the fact that an awesome cast was giving mediocre performances. Patrick Stewart, Peirce Brosnan and Christopher Lee should not leave me feeling bored (I suspect it was definitely a situation of "wanting a paycheck" rather than a role in the film). It wasn't until I went to Imdb that the truth became evident - it was a made for TV movie.
Granted, there's no rule that says that such films are guaranteed to be lackluster. "Gargoyles" and "Trilogy of Terror" both stand out in my mind as excellent films. However, the action scenes in this film feel like fledged out segments from episodes of "MacGuyver" that were never aired. There's no characteristic style to the camerawork, the score is forgettable, the plot is so-so...in short, the film could be best summed up in one word: conventional. It's not that the film is intolerable - the concept of smuggling a nuclear bomb across continental Europe in a hijacked train is a lot of fun (though it does feel like an unnecessary rip-off of "The Taking of Pelham 123" at certain parts). I just think it was in the wrong hands when it came to direction.
Watch the Trailer
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