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Daylight has had its fair share of criticism, and at specific points in the story it's understandable to see why, but it's actually a pretty engaging piece of action/disaster cinema with Sly Stallone at its forefront, expressing signs of the kind of emoting he did in Rocky and even Lock Up.

Stallone stars as Kit Latura, a disgraced former head of Emergency Medical Services, who happens to be on hand when the Manhattan tunnel to New Jersey collapses from an explosion of toxic waste trucks. Survivors are trapped somewhere in the middle of the wreckage, and it becomes a race against time for Kit to save those people before the icy waters of the Hudson River flood inwards from above.

It's all pretty much predictable with the usual clichéd characters, all of whom become increasingly annoying as the story develops. To be honest, there are some really cringeworthy moments: I mean, Stallone (a real nice guy), is busting his balls to save all the trapped people in the tunnel for a majority of the film, and all they seem to do is pick fault with what he is doing. Because of such, it's very difficult to care whether the other characters live or die (personally, I would've much preferred the latter).

That said, Stallone is much more believable and inspirational in his character than the others appear to be, and holds the film together pretty well. He refuses to give up, despite all the obstacles and criticism facing him, relying primarily on heart and raw determination to get everyone through. There's no tough guy persona (which may disappoint some of his die-hard fans), but there's still a huge screen presence that captivates our attention and makes us admire and cheer for him from beginning to end. Assisted by Leslie Bohem's script, Stallone is able to exercise the underdog mythos once again, and prove that he does it better than most.

Daylight's effects are also impressive, which allow for a few exhilarating moments of action. The pick of the bunch involves Sly having to go through a series of four giant ventilation fans to get to the people below. Each fan is on a thirty-second limit, and the hero has to time his jumps between the fans perfectly, otherwise he'll end up being sliced into various pieces. Cohen directs this scene with simplicity and punch, choosing to focus on Stallone's angst-ridden facial expressions and his perspective of the fans from above and below, which allows for a considerable amount of suspense and tension.

Granted, Daylight didn't win any Oscars, but that's not to say it isn't not enjoyable. The film definitely has some entertainment value, if only Stallone and its various well-staged action scenes are the only elements considered.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.