AIR FORCE ONE
SYNOPSIS:
Terrorists hijack Air Force One and the President must stop them
and save his wife and daughter who are also on board. A U.S. led
commando raid in Kazakhstan captures a renegade Russian leader,
General Radek (Jurgen Prochnow), and James Marshall (Harrison
Ford), the President of the U.S., declares that the U.S. will no
longer tolerate nor negotiate with any terrorist group. No sooner
does he make that statement then a group of Radek supporters, led
by Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman) and assisted by secret service
agent Gibbs (Xander Berkeley), hijack Air Force One. Their
demands are that Radek be released from prison or else they'll
execute a prisoner every half hour. What they didn't count on is
that Marshall didn't leave the plane in the jettisoned escape
pod, but instead remained on board. Back in Washington, Vice
President Kathryn Bennett (Glenn Close) must decide whether to
deal with Korshunov's demands while thwarting Secretary of
Defence Walter Dean's (Dean Stockwell) attempts at usurping
executive power. As Marshall makes his way through the plane
taking out the terrorists, he must deal with saving the lives of
his wife Grace (Wendy Crewson), twelve- year-old daughter Alice
(Liesel Matthews), other White House workers, and with the
damaged executive plane that's heading for a crash.
"You may well enjoy an extended adrenalin attack watching
this action packed and tension topped Hollywood-at-its-best
entertainment, with Jerry Goldsmith composing suitable trumpets
rampant and timpani-toting orchestrations. Ford’s the right
guy to give this action hero President the depth for credibility,
his morals and his jumbo-flying abilities all being well flagged
as plausible. Petersen’s direction and his team’s
stunt, effects and design work are outstanding; as is depth of
casting. We suggest you ask for a discount on your ticket,
‘cause you won’t be using all your seat, sitting on the
edge. However, there may be a touch too much patriotic
Americanism in a couple of scenes for blokes and sheilas, but the
jingoism is, by jingo, what this film is really about: a
‘YOU WISH!’ President of the US with morals that stand
upright; with the guts to put human rights and peace before
political opportunism; with family values that sparkle (and a
likeable, under-cute, pre-pubescent 12 year old); with a sense of
humour; with the ability to land a punch; with the ability to
think on his feet in a crisis - by golly, this film will sell the
Presidency for the Australian Republic Movement single handed.
AND with the US model as model of choice. I mean, can you imagine
Prime Minister John Howard in Harrison Ford mode? You need an
action man – a President. And another thing: he has a female
Vice President (Glenn Close). No contest."
Andrew L. Urban
"Air Force One is one of those star-powered action
thrillers that Hollywood does so well. Harrison Ford is in top
form as the super-hero President who is idealistic, patriotic and
above all, human. I agree with Andrew: this is the President we
all WISH we had. Ford is charismatic and every bit the mega-star
who drives this exciting ride in the clouds. There is even a
small reminder of Star Wars, as we see Ford in the cockpit of the
jumbo jet, accomplishing the impossible. Wolfgang Peterson has
made a riveting film that is all-involving from the start. The
anticipation and build up of tension is masterful and greatly
aided by Jerry Goldsmith’s magnificent soundtrack which
combines influences of military precision together with soaring
artistry. Music and sound together squeeze the excitement from
the action sequences, which are as well paced as the script.
While there is no question that Ford carries the film, he is
supported by a stellar cast. Glenn Close is solid as the Vice
President, delivering a calm, controlled performance hinting at
hidden turbulence; Gary Oldman is convincing as the baddie of the
piece. So what if it’s a bit far-fetched? The outcome is
never in any doubt, but it’s great to jump aboard for the
exciting ride and enjoy a couple of hours of top entertainment
with Hollywood’s most charismatic star."
Louise Keller
"Harrison Ford is the perfect US President, the very
antithesis of Bill Clinton, after all, this bloke fought in
Vietnam, knows how to handle himself, and if anyone can get out
of a pickle, Harrison is your man. Air Force One is rah, rah
jingoism at its best, but putting that aside, it's also a nifty
thriller that keeps viewers well and truly glued to the screen.
This is the kind of film that director Wolfgang Peterson knows
how to create with masterful precision. His films deal with
authority figures under pressure, and some, in confined spaces.
While this film lacks the wit or intelligence of In the Line of
Fire, Peterson has taken a routine star vehicle and still managed
to give it added depth and clarity. Ford is the perfect
embodiment of American heroism, and he creates another
interesting character, only to be matched by Gary Oldman as the
villainous Russian who relishes this kind of scenery-chewing part
and gobbles it for all it's worth. This is a well-staged, cat and
mouse thriller, no profundities but classic good guy/bad guy
entertainment. Peterson keeps his action moving briskly to the
film's inevitable conclusion. Apart from one silly sequence
towards the end, and some undue nationalistic speeches, Air Force
One is a good yarn, a piece of Hollywood entertainment which
truly soars."
Paul Fischer
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AIR FORCE ONE (M)
(US)
CAST: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson,
Paul Guilfoyle, William H. Macy, Liesel Matthews, Dean Stockwell,
Xander Berkeley, Bill Smitrovich, Elaya Baskin David Vadim, Tom
Everett, Splencer Garrett, Philip Baker Hall, Donna Bullock,
David Gianopolous, Don R. McManus, Glenn Morshower, Jurgen
Prochnow
DIRECTOR: Wolfgang Petersen
PRODUCERS: Wolfgang Petersen, Gail Katz, Armyan Bernstein, Jon
Shestack
SCRIPT: Andrew W. Marlowe
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Ballhaus
EDITOR: Richard Francis-Bruce
MUSIC: Jerry Goldsmith, additional music by Joel McNeely
PRODUCTION DESIGN: William Sandell
RUNNING TIME: 124 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Roadshow
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: November 20, 1997
Video Release: March 3, 1999
Video Distributor: Buena Vista
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