Air Force One
3.5/4
Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews, Dean Stockwell, Paul Guilfoyle, William H. Macy
Rated R for Violence
"Air Force One" is an example of how top notch acting and energetic direction can elevate an average screenplay. This movie is almost wall-to-wall suspense with some very exciting action sequences and some truly sensational air battles. But the dialogue is at times phony and the plot isn't airtight. For summer action movie standards, it's perfectly acceptable. It comes up short when matched to its contemporaries like "Speed" and "The Rock," which had more intelligence and wit.
Under the orders of President James Marshall (Ford), Kazakhstani dictator Ivan Radek (Jurgen Prochnow) has been captured in a daring nighttime raid. When congratulated by the Russian president, Marshall announces that the US will no longer tolerate terrorism under any circumstances and will intervene on the basis of morality, rather than political survival. While this was already his personal policy, it displeases his aides that he made it public.
On the way home, the unthinkable happens. A group of Radek loyalists, led by Egor Korushnov (Oldman), has seized control of the plane. They demand that Vice President Kathryn Bennet (Close) release Radek. If she refuses, Korushnov will execute a hostage every half an hour until she does. Unbeknownst to anyone, Marshall has not fled in his escape pod. He's still on board, and as an ex-pilot and Medal of Honor winner, he is willing and able to fight back.
"Air Force One" tells two stories in tandem that feed off each other. One is obviously the struggle to for control of the plane. What makes this compelling is that both Marshall and the terrorists are evenly matched. Korushnov and his fellow fanatics have the guns and manpower, but they don't know the plane. Or that Marshall is on board, for that matter. Korushnov is forced to bluff and uses violence to force Bennett's hand. But neither she nor Marshall are the weak quarry he believes them to be. Marshall is also smart, using stealth and his knowledge of the plane and its capabilities to even the odds.
The second story is takes place in the command room, where the crisis has turned political. Bennett has a huge decision to make: save the hostages (including the first family) and release Radek (with "assurances" that the terrorists will eventually free them), or stick to her guns and condemn everyone on board to death. It's a tough call because, like Marshall and Korushnov, she doesn't have all the facts. She's forced to guess what is going on and make an impossible choice. However, members of her staff, like her Defense Secretary (Stockwell), don't agree with her, which causes further tension.
To the film's credit, these two storylines aren't just told in tandem. They are inextricably linked, and the actions of one affects the other. It adds another dimension to the story, which in essence is a standard order action story. This is a three way battle of wills where the players can only anticipate the other's moves. Sometimes they guess right and win, other times they lie and lose.
It goes without saying that this story is completely preposterous. But that doesn't matter in a movie like this as long as its done well (for a counterexample, look no further than "Turbulence" which was released earlier in 1997). This is an action movie, not a David Mamet play about the human condition or a comment on society. Movies like this are, and always should be, held to a different standard than an arthouse flick. Its appeal is mostly visceral. Food for thought it always appreciated, but the bottom line is that it must keep the energy and adrenaline level high.
For that to happen, the actors have to be at the top of their game. No one can sleepwalk through their part. And with experienced and dedicated actors like Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Glenn Close, one can be rest assured that the film is in capable hands in that department. Harrison Ford may not be the most expressive or versatile actor, but in the right role he can be perfect. As Marshall, he plays a man who is pushed to the brink on multiple fronts. His plane is in enemy hands, his wife and daughter are held hostage, and he held at every disadvantage. He is also challenged on an ideological level. Marshall is clearly a morally upright idealist, but how much can he take before he cracks? And, if he does, will that be enough to save his family and everyone else on board? Ford is really good here, emphasizing Marshall's ability to think quickly and take advantage of any opportunity he has to gain the upper hand yet still retain his vulnerability. He can hold his own in a fight, but he's not superhero. Ford also has a nice, understated chemistry with Wendy Crewson, who plays his devoted and strong-willed wife Grace.
Glenn Close is as reliable as they come. With one exception ("Mary Reilly"), she always delivers, even in crappy movies like "Father Figures." She is absolutely compelling as a woman trying to remain calm and do the right thing in an impossible situation. There is a close and unspoken bond that she and Ford create that suggests they know each other very well and are in simpatico. But she is forced to make a difficult choice with each outcome being equally terrible.
Then there's Gary Oldman. Oldman is one of those actors who can do just about anything. The actor has played his share of frightening villains, but this easily his most chilling. Korushnov is the most terrifying fanatic: fiercely loyal to his cause and willing to kill or die to get what he wants. He is a mixture of rage and desperation, which makes him unpredictable and dangerous. The famously friendly Oldman was nicknamed "Scary Gary" during filming, and boy, did he earn it.
The skill of Wolfgang Peterson cannot be ignored. The German director creates a constant sense of claustrophobia, whether it's on the plane, in the command room or even in the air. Everyone is trapped in an intense life or death struggle from which there is no escape. Peterson is careful to highlight this by showing lots of shots of cluttered corridors that take up half the screen, small spaces and entrances, and lots of close quarters combat. It makes enhances the desperation and immediacy of the situation. He is helped by the legendary cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, the exciting score by the equally legendary Jerry Goldsmith (who was a last minute replacement and composed the score in 12 days with assistance by Joel McNeely based on his compositions. It was an experience so stressful that he swore he would never compose a replacement score again), and the almost perfect editing by Richard Francis-Bruce (there is a plot development involving a fax machine that is inadequately handled).
This film is hyper violent. Two sequences in particular, the hijacking and one of the executions, are extremely intense. In fact, it's so intense that I wonder why the studio even bothered trying to appeal its R rating. In a rare display of common sense, the MPAA correctly refused to give it the more box-office friendly PG-13 rating. Even after Harrison Ford himself showed up. This is as hard an R as can be found.
The successes of the acting and the direction do not, unfortunately, extend to the dialogue. In general, it's solid (Ford and Crewson have a wonderfully written scene about his speech in Russia), but there are more than a few purple lines that not even actors such as these can save. And while Marshall's devotion to his family is admirable and palpable, he doesn't need to restate his loyalty to them at every turn. I also think that more of a backstory about Radek's regime could have enhanced the political aspect of the film and given it more tension. Still, it's hard to imagine room for it in this tightly made film, and Jurgen Prochnow's body language tells us plenty about Radek without a single line of dialogue.
"Air Force One" is in the top echelon of action thrillers. Rarely are there movies like this that have so much tension and energy. It's one of the rare ones that works on more than one level, and it manages to both surprise and raise the stakes. It grips the audience from the opening moment of the score and keeps them there until they're about halfway through the end credits. It's tremendously exciting and is guaranteed to leave you completely worn out by the end of it.
Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews, Dean Stockwell, Paul Guilfoyle, William H. Macy
Rated R for Violence
"Air Force One" is an example of how top notch acting and energetic direction can elevate an average screenplay. This movie is almost wall-to-wall suspense with some very exciting action sequences and some truly sensational air battles. But the dialogue is at times phony and the plot isn't airtight. For summer action movie standards, it's perfectly acceptable. It comes up short when matched to its contemporaries like "Speed" and "The Rock," which had more intelligence and wit.
Under the orders of President James Marshall (Ford), Kazakhstani dictator Ivan Radek (Jurgen Prochnow) has been captured in a daring nighttime raid. When congratulated by the Russian president, Marshall announces that the US will no longer tolerate terrorism under any circumstances and will intervene on the basis of morality, rather than political survival. While this was already his personal policy, it displeases his aides that he made it public.
On the way home, the unthinkable happens. A group of Radek loyalists, led by Egor Korushnov (Oldman), has seized control of the plane. They demand that Vice President Kathryn Bennet (Close) release Radek. If she refuses, Korushnov will execute a hostage every half an hour until she does. Unbeknownst to anyone, Marshall has not fled in his escape pod. He's still on board, and as an ex-pilot and Medal of Honor winner, he is willing and able to fight back.
"Air Force One" tells two stories in tandem that feed off each other. One is obviously the struggle to for control of the plane. What makes this compelling is that both Marshall and the terrorists are evenly matched. Korushnov and his fellow fanatics have the guns and manpower, but they don't know the plane. Or that Marshall is on board, for that matter. Korushnov is forced to bluff and uses violence to force Bennett's hand. But neither she nor Marshall are the weak quarry he believes them to be. Marshall is also smart, using stealth and his knowledge of the plane and its capabilities to even the odds.
The second story is takes place in the command room, where the crisis has turned political. Bennett has a huge decision to make: save the hostages (including the first family) and release Radek (with "assurances" that the terrorists will eventually free them), or stick to her guns and condemn everyone on board to death. It's a tough call because, like Marshall and Korushnov, she doesn't have all the facts. She's forced to guess what is going on and make an impossible choice. However, members of her staff, like her Defense Secretary (Stockwell), don't agree with her, which causes further tension.
To the film's credit, these two storylines aren't just told in tandem. They are inextricably linked, and the actions of one affects the other. It adds another dimension to the story, which in essence is a standard order action story. This is a three way battle of wills where the players can only anticipate the other's moves. Sometimes they guess right and win, other times they lie and lose.
It goes without saying that this story is completely preposterous. But that doesn't matter in a movie like this as long as its done well (for a counterexample, look no further than "Turbulence" which was released earlier in 1997). This is an action movie, not a David Mamet play about the human condition or a comment on society. Movies like this are, and always should be, held to a different standard than an arthouse flick. Its appeal is mostly visceral. Food for thought it always appreciated, but the bottom line is that it must keep the energy and adrenaline level high.
For that to happen, the actors have to be at the top of their game. No one can sleepwalk through their part. And with experienced and dedicated actors like Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Glenn Close, one can be rest assured that the film is in capable hands in that department. Harrison Ford may not be the most expressive or versatile actor, but in the right role he can be perfect. As Marshall, he plays a man who is pushed to the brink on multiple fronts. His plane is in enemy hands, his wife and daughter are held hostage, and he held at every disadvantage. He is also challenged on an ideological level. Marshall is clearly a morally upright idealist, but how much can he take before he cracks? And, if he does, will that be enough to save his family and everyone else on board? Ford is really good here, emphasizing Marshall's ability to think quickly and take advantage of any opportunity he has to gain the upper hand yet still retain his vulnerability. He can hold his own in a fight, but he's not superhero. Ford also has a nice, understated chemistry with Wendy Crewson, who plays his devoted and strong-willed wife Grace.
Glenn Close is as reliable as they come. With one exception ("Mary Reilly"), she always delivers, even in crappy movies like "Father Figures." She is absolutely compelling as a woman trying to remain calm and do the right thing in an impossible situation. There is a close and unspoken bond that she and Ford create that suggests they know each other very well and are in simpatico. But she is forced to make a difficult choice with each outcome being equally terrible.
Then there's Gary Oldman. Oldman is one of those actors who can do just about anything. The actor has played his share of frightening villains, but this easily his most chilling. Korushnov is the most terrifying fanatic: fiercely loyal to his cause and willing to kill or die to get what he wants. He is a mixture of rage and desperation, which makes him unpredictable and dangerous. The famously friendly Oldman was nicknamed "Scary Gary" during filming, and boy, did he earn it.
The skill of Wolfgang Peterson cannot be ignored. The German director creates a constant sense of claustrophobia, whether it's on the plane, in the command room or even in the air. Everyone is trapped in an intense life or death struggle from which there is no escape. Peterson is careful to highlight this by showing lots of shots of cluttered corridors that take up half the screen, small spaces and entrances, and lots of close quarters combat. It makes enhances the desperation and immediacy of the situation. He is helped by the legendary cinematographer Michael Ballhaus, the exciting score by the equally legendary Jerry Goldsmith (who was a last minute replacement and composed the score in 12 days with assistance by Joel McNeely based on his compositions. It was an experience so stressful that he swore he would never compose a replacement score again), and the almost perfect editing by Richard Francis-Bruce (there is a plot development involving a fax machine that is inadequately handled).
This film is hyper violent. Two sequences in particular, the hijacking and one of the executions, are extremely intense. In fact, it's so intense that I wonder why the studio even bothered trying to appeal its R rating. In a rare display of common sense, the MPAA correctly refused to give it the more box-office friendly PG-13 rating. Even after Harrison Ford himself showed up. This is as hard an R as can be found.
The successes of the acting and the direction do not, unfortunately, extend to the dialogue. In general, it's solid (Ford and Crewson have a wonderfully written scene about his speech in Russia), but there are more than a few purple lines that not even actors such as these can save. And while Marshall's devotion to his family is admirable and palpable, he doesn't need to restate his loyalty to them at every turn. I also think that more of a backstory about Radek's regime could have enhanced the political aspect of the film and given it more tension. Still, it's hard to imagine room for it in this tightly made film, and Jurgen Prochnow's body language tells us plenty about Radek without a single line of dialogue.
"Air Force One" is in the top echelon of action thrillers. Rarely are there movies like this that have so much tension and energy. It's one of the rare ones that works on more than one level, and it manages to both surprise and raise the stakes. It grips the audience from the opening moment of the score and keeps them there until they're about halfway through the end credits. It's tremendously exciting and is guaranteed to leave you completely worn out by the end of it.
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