SKYJACKED (1972) *1/2 They cleverly changed the name from the novel "Hijacked," which is a general indication of the creativity involved. Charlton Heston plays at the level of his co-stars for the most part, all refugees from substandard American television faire ("The Most Deadly Game," "Hotel," "The Adventures of Sheriff Lobo," "B.J. and the Bear," "The Partridge Family," "L.A. Law," "The White Shadow," "One Life to Live," "M-G-M Parade," "Love Boat," et al.). Amongs the second group James Brolin stands out slightly as the drunk, psychotic and otherwise mentally challenged soldier. In his best moments Heston expresses a great deal as images flicker through his face, at his more common worst he appears as a cro-magnon cartoon from Mad magazine trying to fly a plane and smoke a pipe at the same time. The peripheral plots are unnecessary and annoying, stupid and trite and stillborn, but they do distract slightly from the reality that very little of interest appears to be going on in an airliner that will ultimately be accosted by Soviet jetfighters. No points for originality or aesthetics, but the bottom never entirely falls out either, so it might do for a rainy Saturday afternoon.
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