I have been a big fan of Sean Connery's films for decades so I was intrigued by the two different titles to this movie on FXM Retro. The opening scenes were confusing with only music over the chaotic fires and explosions.
The way the story was constructed left an underlying conflict: The British Government didn't trust Colonel Tahlvik enough to tell him what was really happening on the airplane, even after he nearly screwed up their complicated undercover operation the first time, but they left him in charge unchecked? It wasn't explained why the British didn't trust Tahlvik but it seems to me there is a greater risk NOT telling him the truth. If the British had informed Tahlvik that Petrie was working undercover to capture Shepherd, the only real terrorist, they could have devised a plan right away. Not that it would have been easy but Tahlvik ended up working against the British but only because they didn't tell him the truth, ever.
I did like the way they showed how Tahlvik figured out what was really happening. Too many times there are big leaps right to the dramatic conclusion. I also call B. S. on selling the fact that anyone would have believed at that time that a bomb could be remotely detonated with a wristwatch that had no battery. If Tahlvik or anyone else had figured out that there was no bomb on the airplane it would have changed everything.
The way the story was constructed left an underlying conflict: The British Government didn't trust Colonel Tahlvik enough to tell him what was really happening on the airplane, even after he nearly screwed up their complicated undercover operation the first time, but they left him in charge unchecked? It wasn't explained why the British didn't trust Tahlvik but it seems to me there is a greater risk NOT telling him the truth. If the British had informed Tahlvik that Petrie was working undercover to capture Shepherd, the only real terrorist, they could have devised a plan right away. Not that it would have been easy but Tahlvik ended up working against the British but only because they didn't tell him the truth, ever.
I did like the way they showed how Tahlvik figured out what was really happening. Too many times there are big leaps right to the dramatic conclusion. I also call B. S. on selling the fact that anyone would have believed at that time that a bomb could be remotely detonated with a wristwatch that had no battery. If Tahlvik or anyone else had figured out that there was no bomb on the airplane it would have changed everything.