Hijacked: Flight 285 (1996 TV Movie) User Reviews (15)

Remember That This Is A TV Movie And Set Your Expectations Accordingly

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 29 October 2018]

Do keep in mind that this isn't a big budget Hollywood production. It was a made for TV movie intended to give a couple of hours of entertainment while you sit on the couch watching the tube in the days before Netflix and Amazon, etc. It needs to be judged by that standard. And looked at it in that way, it's passable. It's reasonably suspenseful, although not especially original. It's another hijack movie that depends on all sorts of things: somehow the prisoner being escorted on a commercial flight managed to get word out to his accomplices of exactly which flight he was going to be on. And it depends on the FBI agents guarding him being complete dunces who seem far too easily overcome. But you have to accept all that or you won't have a movie. Somehow the hijackers have to take over the plane, after all. So - OK. I thought the performances here were just a little bit bland - there seemed to be surprisingly little emotion from those portraying the passengers, who you'd think would be a little more panicky at the presence of three hijackers, all of whom have guns and one of whom has a bomb? But there's intrigue in how this is all going to play out that was sufficiently interesting to keep me watching.

Now, I've found that every TV movie of this type has some sort of sub-theme going on. Here, there were a whole lot of variations on what you might call the complexities of male-female relationships. One of the passengers has a tense relationship with his wife. The head FBI agent on the ground has a complicated relationship with the female hostage negotiator. The leader of the hijackers has his lover among his accomplices, and she's a little too kind for his tastes every now and then. The female pilot and male co-pilot of the plane are former lovers who find sharing the cockpit a bit awkward. There was just a lot of this - and it was very noticeable and even a little bit funny.

I didn't find this to be a bad movie; I didn't feel at all as if I had wasted my time by watching it. (6/10)

Not Bad, But....

[mandagrammy · 5/10 · 3 March 2019]

This film is not bad, but it had a lot of cliche characters and cliche events, making it fairly predictable through most of it. However, it was interesting enough that I was able to stay with it even though I doubt I'll remember it for long.

Decent take on a often told story

[steeleronaldr · 5/10 · 9 March 2020]

With several faces from the 80's this movie doesn't lack star power. What it does lack is chemistry between the star's. James Brolin is actually wasted here as he plays a pilot with little to do or say. Anthony Michael Hall to me just can't shake the nerd character trait that made him famous. Ally Sheedy doesn't get a lot to do but does a good job with the part she has. Even Michael Gross is almost wasted here. The story isn't rock solid but somehow keeps your attention. In short a typical TV movie, one that throws in all the ingredients needed, the good guy, the bad guy, the whimp, the obnoxious and hero. They throw in the bomb, the gun and the badass chick. What this doesn't add is a interesting character and that alone is a minus. In all it's a ok movie that can fill a boring night. I've seen better takes on this but I've also seen far worse. The biggest treat is seeing Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy together in a movie again.

What's it about, a killer (Anthony Michael Hall) is being transported via a full flight and with his tiny group of hinch men hijack the jet wanting 20 million in savings bonds using all the passengers as ransom. A. Could have been told better movie that again somehow managed to keep your attention.

Excellent Performance By An Ensemble Cast Saves This Hijack Film From Being Just Another Made For Television Dud

[bob wolf · 23 November 1999]

When I initially sat down to watch Hijacked: Flight 285, I figured it would be just another boring Hijack movie with the usual predictable ending. Instead I found myself completely enthralled with both the story and the characters.

Hall is a prisoner being transported by the FBI on a passenger airline much to the dissatisfaction of pilot, Brolin. Of course, Hall breaks free of his restraints with the help of two of his cronies and manages to hijack the plane. Ally Sheedy is the detective familiar with Hall and his activities, from the ground she attempts to reason with Hall to free the passengers.

What I adored most about this film is the characters, the good and especially the bad. Anthony Michael Hall offers a multi-layered bad guy whose struggle with his inner principles presents itself when he is forced to kill one of the passengers. It is a powerful moment that I have never forgotten nor probably ever will.

The other actors are also good including a wheelchair bound, Michael Gross, James Brolin in a bit part, Ally Sheedy, as the cop and Casey Sander (Grace Under Fire) as the hero. David Graf, who made a career out of playing the tough-guy, Tackleberry, in the Police Academy movies does an excellent job playing the coward who puts himself and the other passengers at risk.

Captivating performances that won't let you down. A must see!

These schemes always work!

[Aaron1375 · 2/10 · 30 November 2020]

This is one of those films that feature an airplane hijacking where the terrorist want money, lots of money! Of course, pretty sure the only place this scenario happens is in movies or in this case television movies because what would be the point of murdering people to get your point across when all that is going to do is make you more wanted and hunted than if you like embezzle some money or go through the backdoor in a computer program to steal some money. Like all films of this type we get stars that are billed higher in the cast than others and the ones at the top literally do nothing compared to those lower on the cast list!

The story, a convicted murder is put on a plane of people just wanting to head to their locale. He is deadly, a known killer so lets assign two people to guard him and lets put him in the same cabin as everyone else. Well he has friends, because murders always work together so they can hold people hostage and so he is freed and he wants to head to Dallas and he wants 20 million in bonds for the lives of the people. Just give him the damn things, not like they are untraceable assets, I think you can even render them useless if you want. No, they just have elaborate plans, besides the terrorist is an idiot and literally lets a passenger talk him into releasing half the passengers. Should of offered him muffins, he may have let the whole lot of them go!

The casting is what you would expect. We have James Brolin looking quite disinterested and Michael Grossman who looks only mildly more interested than Charles. You get the gun toting lunatic of the Police Academy films playing a lunatic Vietnam vet afraid of flying, you have Anthony Michael Hall playing the terrorist in a very unconvincing manner and Ally Sheedy is a gym teacher who also is a hostage negotiator or something...

The film is your standard television movie fare where there is not enough in the budget to have a standard plane crash, plus you had to pay those stars to kind of just sit there! Then you have the terrorist who really are dumb and obviously don't think things through. Ask yourself, have you ever seen anyone get away with a crime like this? Well, they did in the movie Quick Change, but that group was led by Bill Murry, not the geeky member of the brat pack!

Don't believe them. Its dreadful.

[Gez_Medinger · 1/10 · 31 August 2001]

First of all, completely ignore the other comments here. This film is BAD. Trust me. The direction is limp, the script embarrassing, the sets flimsy, and I haven't even got to the actors yet. Anthony Michael Hall will always be remembered for The Breakfast Club and Weird Science - he's OK at being a geeky teen, but a menacing hijacker? He's about as intimidating as my pants. And then there's Ally Sheedy. Perhaps she's had more of a career than Anthony, but that doesn't mean she's a good actor. To be fair though, its not like she has much to work with here.

OK, the film. Its like Turbulence v Passenger 57, except made for £2.50. If you want to watch a cheesy Hollywood airplane film that actually creates some tension, go and watch Executive Decision. At least you get to see Steven Seagal get creamed.

Seriously bad

[lynvidal · 3/10 · 28 January 2024]

This movie was probably the worst hijack movie I've ever seen.

Firstly the flight deck on the aircraft was too small and not how it would look in an actual aircraft.

The first officer wouldn't be flying the aircraft with his jacket on.

The captain and first officer didn't have any stripes on the shoulders of their shirts. They also didn't have their seat belts on during takeoff and landing.

Very sloppy movie. So unrealistic as far as the flight deck scenes go Surely these things could have been researched?

The rest of the movie was ok. I've seen better. The acting was mediocre, better than the movie itself lol.

Flaccid

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 14 May 2018]

There were a surprising number of plane hijacking thrillers made during the 1990s and HIJACKED: FLIGHT 285 is a TV movie reworking of the format. Sadly, it turns out to be an overly familiar and largely tedious affair, one bogged down by long-winded conversations and a real lack of suspense. It doesn't help that the camerawork is very static and the dark backdrop of the film makes it look cheap more than anything else. The one thing this has going for it is the cast, with appearances from many '80s stars including Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, James Brolin, Perry King and Michael Gross, but even all those actors can't breathe life into a flaccid script.

What not to do in real life

[drystyx · 1/10 · 25 September 2021]

This pre 2001 hijacking movie is one of the reasons the rules were so stupid before 2001.

This was always what not to do in hijacking situations.

Complying with control freaks gets one nowhere. Those of us who lived in the hood knew this long ago. The nineties saw the growth of a generation of Generation Xenophobe control freaks who never relented, never negotiated, never were reasonable. This was evident by 1990. This movie was made in 1996, but then the people in authority and Hollywood were always at least 10 years behind the reality that those of us in lower places were quite aware of.

For instance, I don't think it's a spoiler to tell you about one bit of stupidity. There's a point where the plane lands and two men take a dead body off the plane and lay it on the ground, told not to do anything rash by the main crazy hijacker. One runs, as one should, and the other purposely catches him and makes him return to be killed. The guy who ran would normally rip the other guy's face off before returning to the plane. The idea that the streetwise guy is overpowered by the human monster is not only unreal, but it just can't be believed even by Hollywood standards. The man who gets him killed is viewed as some kind of hero. I guarantee that any brother or relative of the man who was killed would exact justice on the monster who got him killed.

Like I said, this is so much the opposite of any conceivable credibility that it boggles the mind. It's also dangerous misinformation.

A surprising 30,000 feet treat

[RogerBorg · 8/10 · 14 March 2000]

Slick, well paced and sharply played, H:F285 is a competent and satisfying romp. Yes, it's just a re-hash of the Airport genre, but it manages to look and feel fresh thanks to a cast of actual actors (remember them?) and restrained direction that never attempts to overstep the modest budget.

The vast majority of the action takes place in the "forty feet long, thirty feet wide" cinema variety plane interior, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing as it induces mild viewer cabin fever after an hour or so.

If you enjoy watching sweaty balding A list actors stripping down to their vests and and blowing up, well, everything, then this isn't for you. However, if you enjoy character interplay, building tension that actually gets you involved in the story, and restrained - by Hollywood standards - resolution, give it a spin.

Not even worth it for laughs

[kagarrett-61983 · 1/10 · 28 February 2022]

I watched this with Rifftrax commentary. I love Rifftrax but even with them I need a movie with a semblance of a plot and halfway invested actors. This movie had neither and wasn't even fun to watch to laugh at.

I'm really surprised by the positive reviews below. The acting is extremely wooden. Ally Sheedy doesn't change expression once in the entire movie. I'm not exaggerating. The lady who plays the pilot is almost just as bad. James Brolin is phoning it in. The one we're supposed to be afraid of, Anthony Michael Hall, was not intimidating at all. And I usually like his acting! It's like the director filled the set with Chloroform gas prior to each take.

Add to that the ridiculous premise and actions taken by the characters and this is an big stinky turd of a movie. No other way to say it. Even my pals at Rifftrax couldn't make it entertaining and that's unheard of! Avoid unless you're into punishing yourself.

Not1/2 bad

[Giggles82 · 6 June 2002]

I originally watched this movie because I'm a HUGE Breakfast club fan and I wanted to see Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy work together. I'm very glad I watched, it is a great tv movie and Anthony and Ally did wonderful. Anthony in my opinion did a good job as a bad guy and you could tell he had fun doing it, although at first all I seen him as is Sweet Brian from Breakfast club so at times it was hard seeing him be mean to others and to Ally's character. So if this movie is ever on I recommend watching.

Great made for TV movie...

[hannah-13696 · 8/10 · 9 June 2020]

James Brolin, Aley Sheeny, Perry King, Michael Gross & Anthony Michael Hall as the EVIL Hijacker! Not bad & cring worthy moments! Watch it & enjoy!

Tight little made-for-TV thriller

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 26 February 2018]

Ruthless convicted murderer Peter Cronin (well played with lipsmacking wicked relish by Anthony Michael Hall) is being transported to prison on a commercial airliner. Trouble ensues when Cronin hijacks the plane and demands twenty million in bail bonds. It's up to FBI negotiator Deni Patton (a sturdy performance by Ally Sheedy) to keep things under control.

Director Charles Correll, working from a compact script by David Peckinpah, keeps the enjoyable and engrossing story moving along at a snappy pace, generates a good deal of tension, and stages some exciting last reel action with skill and flair. The sound acting by the able cast helps a lot: Michael Gross as good-hearted disabled Vietnam veteran Ben Horner, Casey Sander as the brave Steve Paulsen, Barbara Stock as gutsy captain Veronica Mitchell, Perry Lang as hard-nosed fed Frank Layton, Hudson Leick as Cronin's loyal accomplice Shayna Loring, David Graf as an obnoxious cowardly drunk, and James Brolin as easygoing copilot Ron Showman. Moreover, Hall has a ball portraying a real evil and dangerous bad guy. Worth a watch.