There are the makings of a good thriller here, if only the characters had other lines to say.

There's a plot to assassinate the US president and the members of the think-tank who've latched onto it are wiped out - leaving only one member, who runs straight to his former pupil Bobby Bishop (Charlie Sheen), now a presidential adviser.

For a top man, Sheen's not too bright: it takes two calls and two near misses from death for him to realise his mobile phone's being monitored. But then whom can he trust?

Back at the White House, chief of staff Donald Sutherland and vice-president Ben Gazzara are only two of those looking foxy enough to earn our suspicions. Joined by reporter Linda Hamilton, Sheen has only his wits and a sloppy script to combat the bad guys' armoury of technology.

Action scenes are well orchestrated by the director and the piece is thunderingly well scored by Bruce Broughton and has excitement a-plenty, including a careering subway chase. Sheen runs and runs but he just can't get away from that damned screenplay.