spoilers
I’m not going to lie & please don’t judge me but this is one of my favourite films of all time. Maybe because it was one of the first films I ever saw with real actors in it & not animation. Good choice parents for letting me watch this one well done.
Yes not only the delights of just one Hollywood hero to change a young girls life but 3 plus a man who i didnt know i could cry so much over in a tv show. Yes Air Force One has the making of a classic full blooded american action hero movie involving the president.
Brief synopsis, USA & Russia ( i think yea must be they go to the ballet) capture a war criminal only for his followers to get on to Air Force One high jack it & take the staff hostage, until he is released. They believe the president is dead & so does the government but hes actually still on the plane, trying to save everyone & get make sure the criminal isnt released. Standard film really.
Harrison Ford makes an epic president, he really does. I believe hes not going to negotiate with terrorist. I believe hes the kinda guy who would stay behind to find & help people. He just seems like the right kinda president. Ok hes no David Palmer ( we will get to that later) but his performance is brilliant.
That being said if anyone ever acts opposite Gary Oldman, they raise there game. Even though they dont have too many scenes together, they are perfect. Gary Oldman is always the man, hes our equivalent of Tom Hanks iv not seen him an anything bad ever. He never doesnt perform & this just cements him as a great actor, not just villain. Even the accent is good.
Then Vice President Glenn Close just turns it up again. As a child she was probably why i wanted to watch this film as she was in 101 Dalmatians. Im glad i was swayed as a child into these films early. It was also brave for Hollywood to make her president, the first real time this could have happened was about 8 years ago when Obama beat Hillary, and this was being made in the early 90s. i remember at the time TV show 24 got a load of stick for having a female president when she was first up for it, and they said well weve already had 2 black presidents so its about time we had a female.
Which brings me back to my David Palmer reference… ( my president always) the man who made me weep like a baby for 3 hours whos death i still havent gotten over on tv, Xander Berkeley. He has about 7 words in this film but his double cross of the president & the staff to then help defeat the Russians to then want to kill the president again is brilliant. Sinister, yet mesmerising. What a way to go. Unless of course he is George Masson ( im not crying as i type this i promise)
I like all the generic old american actors who always play the chiefs of staff in the white house, is that all they have on there cv when they turn up for a job… so what are your skill? I play a good defence minister & an ok home secretary general,.. fine your in… is that how the casting goes for these guys as its always the same 8 from 1985 to 2000 check these films you will see its true.
The lowering of the plane & getting everyone to leap out its cool for the time that must have cost a lot of money to film. Same with the attempted landing bit oh god even when i watch that today knowing what happens i tense up and try to put my foot on the breaks.
The first guy Gary Oldman kills the negotiator is brilliant. The girl i dont really care about, not as cool.
When his daughter says shes old enough for life experiences & is told know should have known that after saying that all shit was going to go down your in a Harrison Ford film girl seriously.
When the plane does crash it takes a fucking age to actually completely fall apart in the water, it would explode a lot sooner than that.
The bit when he is on hold to the white house. First how big of a brick was that phone, Two how stupid was that woman that she didnt recognise it was the president, Three why didnt the guy attempting to kill him not hear the cheer from the other end of the phone.
Why do all these men in 90s action films have too big heart & guilt trip seriously all of them. It always saving the injured or wife & kids first for fuck sake. Your president get the fuck out of there.
Its a bloody good action film that you know what ending your going to get, never are you worried for the president. Its in safe hands with Harrison who nails it. Im not ashamed to say that this film is a all time great, and without it our action films today wouldnt have a good story without this one.