Air Force One (1997)

Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen

Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, and Glenn Close

James Marshall (Harrison Ford), the President of the United States, visits Moscow to give a speech to highlight the success of a joint special operations mission between the US and Russia in which a notorious Soviet terrorist was captured.  While President Marshall prepares to depart Russia, Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman) and several other Soviet nationalist terrorists who are loyal to the captured terrorist board the President’s aircraft, Air Force One.  After the plane takes off, Korshunov and his team hijack the aircraft and take nearly everyone on board hostage.  The only exception to this is President Marshall himself, whose military experience helps him to avoid capture.  The President then begins to raise hell for the terrorists to save his family, friends, and colleagues on board Air Force One.  Meanwhile, tough choices have to be made at the White House in the absence of the President, and Vice President Kathryn Bennett (Glenn Close) takes command.

Air Force One is one of those rare thrill rides in which the highs are so much better than the lows.  Some parts are so good that you can overlook the film’s flaws.  How often do you really get to see the President kick some terrorists’ asses?  And we have the perfect person to do it—the iconic Harrison Ford whose countless roles as action heroes have made him legendary on the big screen.  Gary Oldman, an actor who can master any accent, is a convincing and chilling Russian terrorist.  Together, Ford and Oldman put on one good show.  As good as this film is, it is considered a guilty pleasure because of its flaws.  Parts of this flick are hard to swallow, while others are altogether implausible.  Also, the film dates itself with its special effects.  At times, the CGI looks like something I could develop on my phone.  Nonetheless, Air Force One is an enjoyable action flick worth watching when you have some spare time.