AIR FORCE ONE
Dr T. White
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen
Written by: Andrew W. Marlowe
Cast: Harrison Ford (President James Marshall), Gary Oldman (Egor Korshunov), Glenn Close, (Vice President Kathryn Bennett), Wendy Crewson (Grace Marshall), Paul Guilfoyle (Chief of Staff Lloyd Shepherd), William H. Macy (Major Caldwell), Liesel Matthews (Alice Marshall), Dean Stockwell (Defense Secretary Walter Dean), and Xander Berkeley (Agent Gibbs)
Produced by: Armyan Bernstein, Wolfgang Petersen, Gail Katz, and Jon Shestack
Running Time: 124 min
Rating : ****
Production Co: Beacon Pictures
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures / Sony Pictures Entertainment
Official Website: Air Force One.
Harrison Ford as the president of the United States? Well, it's plausible; after all, we had a bad actor as president, why not a good actor? That's about all that's plausible about Air Force One, but who insists that movies be believable? Certainly not me! And that's just one of the reasons I enjoyed this movie more than I have any action flick since, let me see...CONAIR. OK, it wasn't that long ago, but you get the point.
AIR FORCE ONE is about the hijacking of the president's jet by Russian radicals, as he is returning from Moscow and the ouster (by covert operation) and imprisonment of General Alexander Radek, a Red renegade seeking to overthrow the legitimate (but largely ineffective) government of Russia. It seems that Radek and his followers are determined to return "Mother Russia" to her rightful place as the leader of the glorious Soviet Union (which, unfortunately for them, doesn't exist anymore). Sickened by the graft, prostitution, and organized crime that have come along with democracy (well, they do have a point here), they hope to trade Air Force One, along with the president's family, for their leader.
All of this occurs in the context of President Marshall's new "get tough" policy regarding international terrorists and uppity military dictators: no longer will the US wait while hundreds of thousands die; no longer will the world's mightiest superpower look the other way until its own self-interests are at stake; and under no circumstances will the US ever negotiate with these slimy bastards, with their weird accents and bad haircuts. Ah, but what if these unsavoury bastards have the president's wife and daughter held hostage, along with about fifty other members of the presidential party...who are being murdered at a rate of one every thirty minutes? And...just where is the president himself, and why are the terrorists being killed off one by one aboard Air Force One?? You'll find out.
It's not hard to see why President Bill Clinton likes this movie so much. If Reagan's idea of a macho American hero was Sly Stallone's Rambo, Clinton's is the more intellectual (and articulate) Harrison Ford as President Marshall (hey, Bill, I like you, but let's face it...you aren't exactly Indiana Jones material!). In the grand scheme of things, this movie is much more realistic than the Rambo movies, or even Independence Day, in which the president flies a jet fighter and shoots down alien squid people. But even if we can forgive Air Force One for the unlikely plot device of making the president of the US into an action hero (and, of course, we do), it's a little more difficult to swallow such lines as "I know what I'm doing may not be popular, but it's the right thing to do!" In a political speech maybe, but in private, from the president to his wife? Without either of them cracking up?? I don't think so...
But what the hell. This movie is a damn good action film that generally avoids insulting the intelligence of the viewer. And it has more than its share of excellent performances. Ford, of course, is the president we all would love to have running our country (I'd vote for him, provided he ran as a Democrat). Gary Oldman's terrorist has just the right combination of determination, passion, belief in himself, hatred and sheer barbarism to serve as a counterpoint to the similar convictions of Ford's President Marshall. And unlike most terrorists in action movies (you know, the "mad Arab" types), Oldman's Korshunov actually has some valid points, and at times it is difficult not to buy his argument that the two men are not really all that different beneath the surface. Glen Close - second only to Meryl Streep among my least favorite actresses - is also excellent as Vice President Bennett, struggling to do what is right for the country, but at the same time what she knows her boss - and friend - President Marshall, wants and needs her to do. She has never convinced me as a love interest, but I'd vote for her too.
Director Wolfgang Petersen has created a potent combination of tension, intensity, and claustrophobia in this film, similar to the atmosphere he established in the film that brought him international recognition, DAS BOOT. Go see this movie, and be prepared for two plus hours of excitement as Harrison Ford shows just how much ass an American president can kick (in the movies, at least).
* Wait for the TV2 broadcast. ** A little creaky, but still better than staying at home with Gotcha! *** Pretty good, bring a friend. **** Amazing, potent stuff. ***** Perfection. See it twice.
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