The Fast and the Fierce

'The Fast and the Fierce' - seriously? The title is a total misnomer, there's nothing remotely related to the 'Fast & Furious' franchise in this logic defying bomb on a plane ride. Benji (Steffi) is a no-hoper husband to hottie Donna (Davila) whose aboard a flight that's been rigged to explode unless he can obtain a computer code for seductive terrorist (Swain, who isn't bad) after the confident criminal makes him an offer he simply can't refuse (although he doesn't really show any sense of urgency until it's almost too late).

Veteran actor Paul co-stars as the Homeland Security agent trying his best to engineer a safe landing for the hijacked plane, and his character has the best of the banal dialogue on offer, the other actors having to contend with word drivel which they patiently deliver in some absurd situations - the more heavy handed flight attendant basically has the same cliched conversation with multiple passengers at regular intervals, warning them that their behaviour will not be tolerated and that they risk humiliation if they don't return to their seats. Yawn.

You wouldn't bet the house on a slacker like Benji pulling through, although the gravity of his perilous situation starts to sink-in when he discovers he wasn't the hijacker's first choice (although that doesn't really reconcile with the rest of the plot as you'll discover).

Heroes and villains are cleverly disguised and there's a few unexpected twists, but in the end the many ruses & red herrings cease to make sense and this cheap 'Speed' / 'Executive Decision' imitation loses the plot altogether.