Poor acting, poor plot, poor script - but some good screenplay

Rating: 4/10 (8 April 2009)

I wasn't expecting much from this film and it turned out to be pretty much as I had anticipated. While it will keep you reasonably occupied for a couple of hours, the plot line is dubious, the characters are one dimensional and the acting is poor. The script in places is laughable, in particular the painfully clichéd interactions between bereaved father and son were enough to make me consider leaving the theatre. The film carries the theme of a man having his faith redeemed as a subplot. This idea has been explored in a much more interesting and less cringe-worthy way in many other films: Signs springs to mind amongst others.
There is a redeeming feature of this movie. The direction and screenplay of the disaster scenes is superb. The portrayal of the plane crash and the derailed train and the horrible fate of the passengers is harrowing but gripping.
Sadly, apart from those two exceptionally well shot scenes, there is little to recommend in this film, unless unlike me you find the poor acting and silly plot entertainment enough to keep you going through the duration of the movie.