Daylight

Daylight is damned failure with lapses in logic and a lack of originality, but it’s pleasantly surprising in the end. It was pleasing that Sylvester Stallone didn’t play just another action hero in it, but a likable flesh-and-blood rescuer. It was also pleasing to see that the whole film is not just another action flick, but a decently built-up thriller about overcoming obstacles in finding the way out of hell. And in technical terms, it’s excellent (the bombastic explosion at the beginning!). In short, it’s a small, unassuming but satisfying disaster movie that offered more than I had expected from it. (18/08/2002)

A failed disaster thriller in which the tons of oppressive clichés are perhaps even worse than the fiery explosion and the deadly threat of drowning. Rob Cohen is an expert at unpretentious entertainment, but while I had at least a moderate amount of fun with The Fast and the Furious and xXx, this film bored me to death. Stallone as a redeeming angel, I just can’t buy it. And Aragorn fans won’t enjoy it much, either, Viggo is not given a lot of space. (11/05/2003)

This 1990s VCR classic is not that bad. Technically, it is very well done and nobody really expects a breathtaking performance from Stallone. He fulfills his role flawlessly, a traditional hero through and through. And there are several times when the depressing atmosphere and solid thriller elements hit the right note. (22/06/2014)