The usual Denzel performance, with a strong, subordinate, supporting cast

Rating: 6/10 (8 December 2006)

As an exciting, involving, thought provoking thriller, this film was an excellent example, and a great addition to the many other exciting thrillers of its type. It had the formula, the gimmicks, the characters, story, and the personalities.
Unfortunately, the formula of this movie was also based on the same character that the very competent Denzel always plays. Look closely, and you can see the same persona, same acting and reacting, and same influences and events in this movie that you see in almost everything else Denzel is in. He is the star, up against an incalculable amount of adversity and stress, including most of the other characters around him. But, as always, his character's ego is big enough to take care of the problem.
In every hi-tech, or not so hi-tech, story line our hero is in, the script demands that he manually manages the rest of the cast. This management is accomplished by the innuendo of shaming all of the others into their proper places, so that Denzel can accomplish his super hero mission and goal in the plot. A closer look might even suggest a very carefully concealed bias, or even racism, in Carlin, Denzel's character. This character always seems to find it necessary to put all of the others in their places, because all of the other character's explanations of technical conditions don't match what Carlin expects to hear? Presumably, this lecturing, or boisterous act of holding the rest of the cast accountable for every word they utter, sort of shows a little bit of self-infatuation. And, for further food for thought, could we picture Carlin behaving the same way toward a room full of black computer/time warp whizzes, as opposed to the white ones he seems to try to belittle? As a further bemusement, isn't this all too common necessity of the cynical trademark lecture to the subordinates or supporting cast getting a little dry? From a very middle of the road, neutral standpoint, and with an open mind, one can see that though he, Denzel, is the one doing the lecturing, it would be infinitely more logical if he were the one being lectured to. Or even belittled? The nonsense of his scolding the rest of his accomplices for not being clear in their explanations of technical conditions is strictly theatrical, and wouldn't hold any water at all in the real world of science and research.
Other than character flaws of this type, that are generally inherent in most ensemble settings, this movie has merit. The unbelievable plot is almost believable, and the film has enough going for it that it should be entertaining to a wide audience. The terrorism theme hits home, since almost everyone is familiar with it to some degree, and there is enough intrigue to hold most audience's attention. Also, as always, Denzel is the perfect and charming gentleman towards the opposite sex. After all, the hero should always be charming and magnetic to help form that hero and rescued girl combination.
From the standpoint of story telling, this one is good. From the super hero character standpoint, it is mildly flawed. For an escape, the story is definitely recommended. Just don't pay to watch it hoping to attach any credibility to it.