A master criminal takes over the Eiffel Tower, holding the mother of the President of the United States hostage. The criminal demands a $30 million ransom or the tower will be blasted into oblivion Smith threatens to blow the tower and First Mum up if they don't pay 30 million. Smith doesn't realise that Sabrina Carver (maud Adams) and CW Whitlock (Williams) are undercover agents for a peacekeeping organisation called UNACO led by Malcolm Philpott (Douglas Fairbanks Junior) who have been tracking the villain for years and they begin to sabotage the heist.
A more lighthearted UNACO thriller ( based on Alistair Maclean's story idea) when compared with the ones starring Pierce Brosnan, which were more serious and intense and action-packed. Hostage Tower doesn't have much bullets flying, but it's more of a caper, and is too leisurely in pace and casual in attitude. It's not a great adaptation of a solid book, but it isn't entirely bad. It features some exciting climbing down the tower sequences and good villainy by Keith Dullea. Billy Dee Williams as CW Whitlock is good, so is Maud Adams as Sabrina Carver, however Peter Fonda looks a bit ill at ease and looks like he doesn't know why he's there. Douglas Fairbanks jnr adds a dash of style as the UNACO leader.
