At John F Kennedy International Airport people of all nationalities, races, religions and classes cross paths in a maze of shops, restaurants and offices.

There are laughter and tears, frustration and anger, fond farewells and excited reunions.

Into this vast, bustling melting pot steps Viktor Navorski (Hanks), a traveller from the fictitious Eastern European country of Krakozhia who arrives on American soil just as his homeland erupts in a bloody coup.

Viktor is denied entry to the country because he literally has a passport from nowhere - his homeland is no longer recognised by the US government.

Stranded in the terminal's international transit lounge, unable to enter or leave the country, Viktor fills his days by befriending the various members of staff, including baggage handler Joe Mulroy (McBride), food service worker Enrique Cruz (Luna) and cranky janitor Gupta (Pallana).

Viktor also becomes a firm favourite with US Customs and Immigrations officers Ray Thurman (Henley) and Dolores Torres (Saldana), who sympathise with the traveller's plight.

A pretty United Airlines flight attendant named Amelia (Zeta-Jones), whose love-life is in permanent free-fall, also catches Viktor's eye. Unfortunately, he quickly makes an enemy in airport official Frank Dixon (Tucci) who will do anything to get rid of Viktor - the sooner, the better.

Hanks portrays another likeable everyman whose old-fashioned decency, innocence and generosity towards total strangers endears him to everyone he meets.

This is Spielberg at his most sentimental and saccharine -- if you don't have a sweet tooth then don't bother touching down with The Terminal.