No Story, unbelievable Action

Rating: 5/10 (4 April 2007)

For a movie that claims to be based on reality there are too much things that don't work in reality! I will only point out the two major flaws of the movie in this respect:
1) Tom Cruise falling with a fast pace towards a sensitive alarm wired floor! Yes he doesn't touch the floor, but the movie made us believe that this alarm that is installed in the floor is very sensitive ... well if it was, why didn't it go off? The pressure of the wind alone that Cruise's falling caused, should have triggered it (and I won't consider the fact, that a normal human being would be sweating like a pig, especially hanging like that ... any drop on the floor would have been the end of this heist/scam or whatever you want to call it)
2) The helicopter scene. Even people who like the movie more than me, do agree that this is totally bananas! Not only the fact that the helicopter goes into the tunnel or they used bad CGI (by today standards even more so), but for the fact that it literally stopped right in front of Mr. Cruise ... Again for a movie that tries to be real, a big suspension of disbelief isn't working here ...
And then of course you have the BS plot, that anyone who has seen more than three thrillers can smell 10 miles against the wind ... Seriously it's so obvious and plain that there really is no suspense (oh and the fish tank explosion in the restaurant? What was that all about? Whatever!) Still the movie is shot and edited in a very professional way (you shouldn't expect otherwise from De Palma, the director here). And it has some action highlights (just not those I mentioned before!)