Anthony's Film Review - Air Force One (1997)

A probable scenario portrayed well with edge-of-your-seat thrills...

What would happen if the President of the United States were to be trapped in a hostage situation? Or, at least, in the vicinity of one? To make matters worse, what if this took place on an airplane so that reaching the hostages and the terrorists becomes a monumental challenge? In real life, anything is possible. What is as frightening as the situation itself are the possible consequences. Could a successful outcome for the terrorists lead to chaos for the United States and the rest of the world? And would anyone taking over the President's duties in the event of his death do just as good of a job?

Harrison Ford plays President James Marshall in this scary scenario. The other characters include Glenn Close as the Vice President and Gary Oldman as a Russian terrorist. The setup is simple. The President and his family get on the plane along with other individuals, Oldman included. Things go well until several people on board are held at gunpoint. The Russian terrorist promises to kill each one until his demands are met.

Because the President had previously fought in Vietnam, he has the ability to physically fight back. There are some really good action scenes, especially at the end of the film. But what makes the film good is not just the action but the suspense. As hostages are killed one by one, the clock ticks faster. In addition, the aircraft itself slowly seems to deteriorate inside and out.

Don't forget the agony faced by those in the ground. Everyone, from the Vice President to people watching the events unfold in the news, are praying that everyone on Air Force One would be saved. It's such a dramatic scenario that you can't help but imagine similar fears in real life. If the situations in the movie Air Force One were to actually occur, what could we do?

I'll sum up my review with how I felt at the very end. I was on the edge of my seat, and I applauded afterwards. It was that breathtakingly exciting. Air Force One is one of those action movies that I wouldn't mind seeing again. It's neither unconvincing nor over the top. It has just enough realism to suck you right in.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Air Force One, visit the Internet Movie Database.