Die Hard provided such a perfectly structured action-movie template that Hollywood has been reluctant to leave the idea alone; cue this silly but hugely enjoyable airborne thriller. Wesley Snipes plays the security expert who finds himself on the same aeroplane as obligatory British master criminal Bruce Payne, temporarily in police custody. Of course, Payne's henchmen have hitched a lift as well and when they duly free him, it's up to Snipes to save the day. Despite the hand-me-down plot and dialogue, director Kevin Hooks manages to wring the requisite suspense out of some expertly staged action set pieces. He is helped enormously by charismatic turns from Snipes and Payne, and a solid supporting cast that includes Tom Sizemore, Bruce Greenwood and a then little-known Elizabeth Hurley.

Airline security specialist John Cutter, finally returning to the job after his wife's death, finds himself stuck on a flight being hijacked by notorious terrorist Charles Rane. Unfortunately for the terrorists, they're also stuck with him.