The cast was what really makes this movie. I just found out where I recognized Chae (John Billingsley) from! He played (plays? I stopped watching after the first season) Dr. Phlox on Enterprise! I knew I recognized that voice! Anyway, he was great! Seriously great; the character and the performance.
But it didn't stop there: Ann (Sanaa Lathan) gave an excellent performance... I see some of the user comments on IMDB label this movie predictable, but her twists completely caught me by surprise. And that DEA agent, Stark (Terry Loughlin)? What a ball buster! Awesome! Supporting roles don't get more memorable than that. :-)
And, last but not least, Chief Whitlock (Denzel Washington). Denzel says so much with a look; you know how panicked the man is, without a word being spoken. And when he's freakin' out near the end of the flick... I was so impressed. Here's a man who's trained to fire a gun, has probably had more than a few guns pointed at him in his career, and now he's defenseless and convinced he's going to die. Truly. I believed it, looking in Denzel's eyes, listening to the hysterical tone of his voice. This is the same man who played a CIA assassin in Man on Fire (2004). His range is just awesome.
