Air Force One-1997
Director Wolfgang Petersen
Starring Harrison Ford
Scott’s Review #1,085
Reviewed November 21, 2020
Grade: B+
If ever a straight-ahead, summer blockbuster, popcorn flick existed, Air Force One (1997) is it.
Surprisingly, this is not a bad thing. It’s not cerebral, but it’s never dull.
The film has hooks and muscle and assembles a thrill ride, edge-of-your-seat action fest. Some would say this is just what the doctor ordered, and they’d be right, provided the mood is for a mind-escaping, meat-and-potatoes affair.
Air Force One is pure Americana.
With a patriotic musical score and a clear hero and villain, it’s easy to know who to root for. Suspension of disbelief is mandatory since some scenes are as implausible as Santa Claus shimmying down a chimney on Christmas Eve, but the film is entertaining.
The action is non-stop.
At the tail end of his prime action-star years (the 1980s and 1990s), Harrison Ford plays James Marshall, the president of the United States of America.
After making a bombastic speech in Moscow vowing never to negotiate with terrorists, a group of them led by the dastardly Ivan (Gary Oldman) hijacked Air Force One with the president and his family on board.
Marshall, a former soldier, hides in the cabin of the plane and races against time to save his family and those aboard the flight from the terrorists.
The plot is implausible and hokey, and it reeks of plot points meant to carry the story along, but surprisingly, the film works. There is no way a president would ever race around performing stunts aboard an airplane, conquering the villains like clockwork.
But Ford has the charisma to make us believe it could happen, and his character is a family man, a Vietnam veteran, and a Medal of Honor recipient.
Can this guy be any more perfect?
Oldman, always reliable as a villain, is perfectly cast. His character’s motivations are simplistic and nationalistic. Ivan believes that the collapse of the Soviet Union has ruined his country, and somehow it’s the fault of the United States.
The reasoning is silly, but it’s in keeping with the patriotic nature of Air Force One- the ‘us versus them’ mentality. The United States is good; Russia is bad.
It’s what middle America wants, and the target audience of this film is clear, back to the Cold War.
Wolfgang Petersen, who directs the film, knows his way around the action genre. After all, he crafted the memorable Das Boot (1981) and Outbreak (1995). The film has a Tom Clancy-Patriot Games meets Die Hard (1988) style.
Petersen meshes the score with the quick editing style to layer the film with more action than slowed-down conversational scenes. We know how it’s going to end, but enjoy the ride.
On closer inspection, the film is not just for the guys.
Glenn Close is cast as a female Vice President and a strong gender-twisting presence. Kathryn Bennett is a bold, careful woman, and the implication is that she is more than capable of taking over should anything happen to the president.
Her scenes mostly take place in the White House Situation Room and provide a nice calm as she is pressured by the Defense Secretary (Dean Stockwell) to declare the president incapable.
The scenes between Stockwell and Close are very strong.
Air Force One (1997) is a cliché-riddled and mainstream Hollywood creation to the max. Both the pacing and the pulsating style make the film a guilty pleasure and quite enjoyable.
When the mood strikes to kick back and relax with a fun, action-packed affair, this one is your choice. Just don’t dissect the details too much or expect real-life to mimic art.
Oscar Nominations: Best Sound, Best Film Editing
