Review of Air Force One

AIR FORCE ONE is one of the last wave of 'DIE HARD IN A...' Hollywood flicks inspired by the Bruce Willis blockbuster, although DIE HARD rip-offs would continue in B-movie cinema for years to come (and are still being made, in fact). This film has Harrison Ford's everyman US president tackling a gang of murderous Russian terrorists who have stormed Air Force One and are willing to sacrifice the hostages for their political ends. The film is dated and more than a little cheesy in some of the sentimental scenes (the black woman on the parachute is one of the most unintentionally hilarious scenes you'll find here) and the CGI effects haven't dated too well either. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it. Wolfgang Petersen brings some of the same claustrophobia as he mined in DAS BOOT and even manages to fit Jurgen Prochnow into a little role. Ford and Michael Douglas were my favourite Hollywood thriller stars of the 1980s and 1990s and Ford does well here as the tough yet believable character. There's plenty of suspense and action throughout and the latter scenes are well staged and exciting. Gary Oldman reprises his volatile villain role from LEON to strong effect and as a whole this is an entertaining package where you can just switch off and enjoy.