Apparently the director/writer Peter Hyams found the first version of The Narrow Margin, lacking. He decided to remake it by opening it up. We have expansive scenes of the train traveling through British Columbia and some action scenes not set in the train. What Hyams lost by doing this was the sense of claustrophobia and tension that the original version captured so well.
The film has Gene Hackman who does his usual fine job as an assistant district attorney attempting to bring a star witness played by Anne Archer, back to Los Angeles in order for her to testify against a crime lord played by Harris Yulin who's part is way to small.
Another problem with this film is the casting of Hackman who was a major Hollywood star. The viewer knows that nothing is going to happen to him unlike the first version where the cast was played by character actors and their survival was in serious doubt.
The film is watchable enough but rather uninspired, this is just another example of remaking an old film that didn't need remaking in the first place. Unfortunately as long as there is a movie making business there will always be a "movie remaking business," apparently it's just a lot of work to find original ideas.
The running time is 97 minutes.
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