Air Force One

Happy President’s Day everyone! I think I will review a movie that I just finished watching last night, “Air Force One,” released in 1997.

Despite that it stars Harrison Ford and it’s also an action-thriller with political scheming, “Air Force One” is not a Tom Clancy thriller. To tell you the truth, it might have worked if it used Clancy’s help on the story.

Obviously, I’m not saying that this film is unwatchable. Actually, Ford and director Wolfgang Petersen (ironic that I’m reviewing another one of his movies on President’s Day, the other being “In the Line of Fire”) manage to put together some great work with one of the most comical plots in all of movie history. However, the plot is also tediously thin and idiotic at parts.

Jeff Vice stated in his review, “What's even more bizarre is that the story swipes bits of "Airport '75," "Star Wars," "Top Gun" and "Die Hard" — as well as a dated anti-Communism sentiment that's straight out of the John Wayne propaganda flick "The Green Berets" — and somehow makes it all work.”

Vice adds on, “In the end, how the film does financially may depend on whether Americans will buy Ford as a tough-talking, butt-kicking president — although, given the amount of lies and deception we've had to suffer through in the past 30 years, maybe we need a man of action in the White House.”

Action is all what Ford’s character, President James Marshall, is everything. When the film starts, this Medal of Honor-winning former GI is on TV giving an anti-terrorism speech in Russia. As you might have guessed, the speech makes him the primary target, along with some of Marshall’s Cabinet, who wanted him to do an easier way.

On the flight back – on board of his high-security personal plane – that speech comes back to hurt him, as the plane is hijacked by a team of Russian terrorists, led by Ivan Korshunov, played by Gary Oldman. The terrorists are wanting to trade President Marshall for their jailed leader General Radek, played by Jurgen Prochnow.

At first, you think that their kidnapping plan was a flop, as he manages to launch the plane’s escape pod. However, we find out that the president actually stayed on the plane, wanting to save his wife (Wendy Crewson) and daughter (Liesel Matthews) and everyone else.

He also has a surprise trick up his sleeve, though he doesn’t have much time – during negotiations with the vice president, played by Glenn Close, the terrorists have threatened to kill one hostage every 30 minutes until what they want is given.

Vice said, “As mentioned, both Ford and Petersen, who can craft as suspenseful a film as any director in the business today, have a heyday with the loopy tale. Petersen has given things a creepy, claustrophobic feel that only heightens the tension. After all, how many directors can make a scene about an unread fax message seem so dramatic?”

What could have helped first-time screenwriter Andrew W Marlowe’s script was really good. Not only is the dialogue as cheesy as you could expect, there are some reasonable conflicts – especially the comfort when the terrorists have captured the jet – which aren’t completely impossible.

Fortunately, the film has Ford, who’s just as awesome like he can be. There are also a pack of great supporting performances, especially from Crewson and Close – two of the more believable and strong female characters in recent film history – as well as Dean Stockwell and William H. Macy.

Vice mentioned, “As Korshunov, Oldman is a little problematic, since his Russian accent is every bit as corny as the jingoistic dialogue spoken by some of the characters. However, he does manage to be menacing nonetheless.”

The special effects team on the film is top notch, under the guidance of Richard Edlund. What is really convincing are the flight sequences and some amazing aviated fight scenes.

In case anyone didn’t know, this had the famous Ford line, “Get off my plane!” If you haven’t seen this film, and you’re a patriotic person, see it. This is actually a good movie, if you can believe that, and is also the right film to watch on President's Day. I give it a recommendation, especially to those who are fans of Harrison Ford. How can anyone not like him, he’s one of the best actors of his time. For every Harrison Ford fan, see it, if you haven’t.

Alright everyone, watch out for this coming Friday when I conclude this month with the last “Barbershop” movie.