This was a really enjoyable thriller. They spent a decent amount of time giving us character development and although, to a degree, a bit clichéd (hero/unfulfilled ambition/minor childhood trauma/supportive but ambitious girlfriend etc. etc.) The hero Ethan came across as a decent real person, not a mega-hero in the Die Hard sense.
I liked the way that the second ‘thread’ with the Police/FBI involvement was brought in and the two strands coincided and supported each other; good writing and structuring. It made everything more plausible, so more involving, and not simply one slightly unreal, mega-hero.
The setting was very effective as, on the surface e, it’s a very familiar one but we saw it from a different perspective. But I did feel the final scene, in the cargo hold was perhaps a little too much; not enough to spoil everything but I did find myself thinking occasionally ‘Er…really?’.
And there was one magical, very brief shot of a golden rising sun as we approached the airport at dawn which was magnificent.