ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, December 7, 1996             TAG: 9612090105
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 12   EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: MOVIE REVIEW
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT 

`DAYLIGHT' IS SILLY, SENSELESS, BUT IT SURE LOOKS GOOD

In a purely technical sense, "Daylight" looks terrific. The sets are impressive; the stereo sound effects are spooky; the explosions loud, bright and numerous. In every other sense, though, the movie's a total mess - the worst big-budget disaster picture since "Beyond the Poseidon Adventure."

The central problem is obvious from the opening shot: Leslie Boehm's script stinks. It follows the disaster formula by introducing a diverse group of characters - in this case New Yorkers heading for a tunnel to New Jersey - but they're sketched in so thinly and quickly that they have no recognizable personalities.

After the cataclysmic explosion traps them in the tunnel, they scream at each other a lot. As luck would have it, Kit Latura (Sylvester Stallone), recently disgraced Emergency Services Chief, is on hand to leap into action and perform any feats of derring-do that need to be daringly done, or something to that effect.

That, however, is where the second problem appears. Director Rob Cohen never really defines what the situation is. A truck full of nameless hazardous chemicals explodes somewhere in the tunnel, causing visually spectacular walls of flame to sweep across the cars, and then, somehow, to collapse both the entrance and exit. How? Why? Don't ask; it just does, OK.

Latura cleverly deduces that instead of opening up the tunnel, they need to blow it up some more to save everybody. (Again, don't ask.) To that end, he has to crawl through these huge fans which can be turned off for only a few seconds before they turn themselves back on. Once more, don't ask; it's one of those grandly silly movie moments that makes no sense whatsoever.

In any case, about the time Kit makes it to the survivors, the tunnel begins to explode or to spring leaks every few minutes. That continuous random destruction is meant to pass for a plot, but nothing about it involves the viewer.

Realism doesn't count for much in good thrillers. The best ones, like "Die Hard" and "Speed," use style, pace and interesting characters to keep audiences from wondering about their inherent illogic. Lacking those qualities, "Daylight" sputters along slowly and attractively enough until it reaches the obligatory no-surprises ending.

Daylight

* 1/2

A Universal release playing at the Salem Valley 8 and Valley View 6. 109 min. Rated PG-13 for violence, strong language.

LENGTH: Medium:   52 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Sylvester Stallone plays our hero in ``Daylight.''