Movie Review – Air Force One with Harrison Ford (1997)

A friend recommended the movie Air Force One to me. Never having seen it before, I was impressed with the nail-biting suspense engendered throughout the entire movie.

Harrison Ford, as President James Marshall, gives his usual low-key character portrayal as he is escorted from Moscow on the presidential plane, Air Force One. He is accompanied by his wife and daughter and several of his entourage which includes, unknown to him, a traitor who has sided with the enemy. The plane also carries Ivan Korshunov, played so well by Gary Oldman, who substituted himself and others for legitimate newspaper correspondents from several countries.

The plane is hi-jacked by these men amidst violent threats and killing as Ivan seeks to have President Marshall negotiate for the release of General Ivan Radek. If he does not have his way, the hi-jacker promises to kill one hostage every half hour.

The scenes within the supposed Air Force One are remarkable. The plane is so huge and so lavishly decorated that it seems more like a hotel. The movie was released in 1997, with Russia supposedly in a cold war with the United States.

The President’s protectors, the Secret Service, attempt to save the President through releasing a secret escape pod. When the escape pod lands, it is empty as the President chose to stay on board with his wife and daughter. He works secretly behind the scenes to thwart the hi-jackers who now have the upper hand.

Through a series of supposed negotiations with the hi-jackers, who discover that it is possible to refuel in midair, the Secret Service leads the hi-jackers to believe this can only be done if the plane descends to 15,000 feet from its present 30,000 feet and traveling at 200 knots. In reality, these are the calculations whereby the Secret Servicemen can enable the hostages to don parachutes and jump for their lives.

All of these events occur with threats to the lives of the hostages, some of whom have already been killed, increasing the tension of the audience. When the plane becomes so disabled that it is impossible to land without crashing, the only option is to have the remaining passengers transferred one by one in midair to a plane flying at its side. Of course, the President, a former pilot, heroically takes charge and seeks to be the last one off the disabled plane.

Viewers should be warned that if you have heart or blood pressure problems, it might be best to forego this movie which may tend to exacerbate your symptoms. As for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the thrills I received from watching this film.

Sources:

Movie – Air Force One (1997)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118571


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *