Life on the Line

John Travolta is as weak as the scripting in Saw V director David Hackl's poorly written, if well-intentioned tribute to America's brave electrical linemen - "the fourth most dangerous job in the US". Purportedly based on actual events, the Texas-set tale resembles a second-rate TV movie, with an overstuffed mess of human clichés thrown together in a failed attempt to create drama. PTSD, pregnancy and infidelity are among the insubstantially handled issues, as Travolta's heroic foreman and his waitress niece (Kate Bosworth) lead a cast of barely fleshed-out stereotypes causing friction in the countdown to a supposedly mighty storm. Simplistic dialogue clogged with factoids constantly reminds viewers of the riskiness of Travolta's high-wire profession, however there's little visually to support this or, indeed, generate any emotion, urgency or tension. Ultimately, every element seems like padding in preparation for the disappointing whimper of a climax, robbing the predictable feature of impact even in its key moments.