Director: Rob Cohen
Writer: Leslie Bohem (Screenplay)
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Dan Hedaya, Jay O Sanders, Karen Young, Claire Bloom, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Renoly Santiago, Danielle Harris
Plot: Disaster in a New York tunnel as explosions collapse both ends of it. One hero tries to help the people inside find their way to safety.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Classic 90s
Story: Daylight starts as we see a busy New York evening filled with rush hour traffic piling into the tunnel which connects Manhattan and New Jersey. The normal night turns into a nightmare when illegal toxic waste is being transported and ends up exploding causing both sides of the bridge to become blocked.
When taxi driver and former emergency response analysist Kit Latura (Stallone) brings all his experience to the situation enters the tunnel to find a way to rescue the survivors before their air runs out or the people making the decisions make the wrong ones.
Daylight gives us what we saw a plenty during the 90s, a good enjoyable disaster film. This time we find our survivors trapped in a tunnel after an explosion blocking both ends. When it comes to disaster films you really don’t need the deepest stories going on and this doesn’t give us too much to think of either. The hero is a fallen hero looking for redemption, the leading lady is struggling with her own life and the string of genetic supporting character could go on for a while. The thing that makes this good that we don’t see many bad decisions being made only panicking ones which work for the character designs so by the end of the film you do root for all of the survivors to make it. This film sums up the 90s action disaster craze nearly perfectly.
Actor Review
Sylvester Stallone: Kit Latura is now a taxi driver but used to work with the emergency services finding as many possible mistakes or correct decisions when dealing with disaster like situations. When he sees the tunnel get closed he jumps into action as he has studied this tunnel for years. Kit must lead the survivors to safety against all the odds. Sylvester does a good job in this leading role which you would expect from Stallone in the 90s.
Amy Brenneman: Madelyne is a struggling theater writer who finds herself stuck inside the tunnel when cover a friend’s work shift. She can analysis a problem which comes into great help during the struggle within the tunnel. Amy is good as this leading lady in the action film.
Viggo Mortensen: Roy is a rich businessman about to make a deal of his career and he has never back away from a challenge in his life. Roy is quickly thrust into the human villain in this story but unlike most we don’t have him hanging around long. Viggo is good but doesn’t get enough time for this character’s purpose.
Dan Hedaya: Frank Kraft is the former friend and partner of Kit who has to make the right decisions from the outside but can his former friendship cloud his judgment. Dan is a solid supporting performance in this role.
Support Cast: Daylight has a supporting cast that do all have the genetic stories to make you care for the good characters against the ones who are outside the tunnel who we are not meant to like as much. This all helps when the battle for survival continues.
Director Review: Rob Cohen – Rob gives us an action disaster we saw plenty of during the 90s and this is one that gets everything correct.
Action: Daylight has plenty of action with the actual explosion being the highlight of the action side of the film.
Adventure: Daylight puts us into a story where the adventure is survival against the odds after a disaster.
Settings: Daylight has most of the film set inside the tunnel as we see how the survivors will make it through the disaster.
Special Effects: Daylight has great effects for the time it was made that haven’t really dated with the only negative being able to see the dolls in the cars during the explosions.
Suggestion: Daylight is one for all the action fans out there to enjoy and if you like a disaster film you will also love this one. (Action Disaster Fans Watch)
Best Part: Explosion.
Worst Part: While I could see it being a good thing but the Roy character isn’t involved enough.
Favourite Quote: Chief Dennis Wilson ‘The person who says it can’t be done is always interrupted by the one who just did it!’
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: Nominated for 1 Oscar
Budget: $80 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 54 Minutes
Tagline: On December 6th, Universal Pictures dares you to take on the tunnel
Trivia: One reason Sylvester Stallone agreed to act in this movie was to help him overcome his fear of confined spaces. He’d agreed to appear in Cliffhanger (1993) to help him overcome his fear of heights.
Overall: Classic 90s action disaster movie.
Rating
