Air Force One
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Movie Reviews of Air Force One
Movie Review: Exceeded Expectations
Summary: 5 Stars
Air Force One is the very first DVD that I viewed after setting up the viewing software on my PC. I have to admit that I'm a Harrison Ford fan, and I'm not picky about looking for "subtext" or a deep message within a film. This is an action film, and it delivers, with the usual fine performance from Harrison Ford, a reasonable performance from Glenn Close, and a Gary Oldman-esque performance from Gary Oldman (those who've seen The Fifth Element will know what I mean).As a DVD demo, Air Force One couldn't be better. In widescreen mode, the video is rich in detail--especially the night scenes, and my eyes kept panning back and forth to try to drink it all in. The effects are what you would expect, and are rendered flawlessly on my Pentium II-350 w/8MB ATI Rage Pro video card. The MPEG decoding was in software, but the ATI board provides motion correction; even the stills seen when I clicked "pause" didn't suffer from hardware motion-blur or interlacing.
An unexpected bonus: all of the firearms-handling was by-the-book: finger OFF the trigger when not actually shooting, good muzzle discipline, etc. No child is going to learn bad habits from *this* movie (certainly no young child should be watching it anyway due to the graphic violent content), and it's very refreshing to see, after the usual spate of know-nothing miseducation-through-idiocy that comes out of Hollywood.
The Director's Commentary version of the film is a nice feature. Unfortunately, I had to have the disc back to the rental store (as it was, it was a day late), so I didn't have time to watch it very far. The theater trailer is also on the disc, as are multilingual subtitles and multiple choices for audio. The sound quality is very good, and pointed up the need for me to get better speakers for this setup (or spring for a DVD player, appropriate--yet affordable--widescreen TV, and better speakers for the living room).
At my earliest possible convenience, I'll be buying this DVD.
Movie Review: A Great Action Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an action movie that captivated me the first time I saw it and still keeps me from changing the channel whenever I come across it. It has all of the essential elements of a great action movie; great script, good directing, above-average acting, a reasonable amount of special effects, plenty of twists, and lots of action. "Air Force One" takes but a few minutes to set the stage, introduce the main characters, and let the events begin to come together.
Harrison Ford is the president, with a solid military past, whose plane is taken over by Russian reactionary militants. The concept that the events of this struggle would primarily take place on a jumbo jet adds to the excitement; there's no running away (although it may, at times, seem that there is). I won't go over the plot because, if you haven't seen "Air Force One" yet, you won't want to know what's next.
I noticed that some previous reviews had a few objections about various technical and political aspects of the movie. Yes, there are plenty of bullets flying around while everyone is flying around. However, I dismissed that as an aspect of the latest in aviation technology as would exist on Air Force One. Ironically, the idea of terrorists hijacking Air Force One is more believable today than when the movie came out. My pet peeve with the movie has to do with the failure to properly explain how an inside member of the President's circle could be the one to aid and abet this takeover. In the several times I've seen the movie, this matter has never satisfactorily been explained. However, these are mere anomalies when compared to all of the thrilling, action-packed adventure that is the essence of "Air Force One". It is truly one of the great action movies of the 1990's.
Movie Review: "Get off my plane!"
Summary: 5 Stars
DVD was made for movies like Air Force One.It is definately the the best DVD I know, not meaning the best movie, but the best DVD. It's maximum impact! The sound, the images, so crisp and clear, as close to theater quality as humanly possible! The DVD I think will even have a chance of surpassing it is Jurassic Park, but we'll have to wait a see if that's true.
Of course the movie itself is nothing to sneeze at, it's fantastic! Wolfgang Peterson is a brilliant director, only he, mabye John McTiernan (director of Die Hard) could make an action movie this well. The sound is incredible, the special effects are superb (except for in the last scene) the score is rich and patriotic (hats off to Jerry Goldsmith) and the acting, well let me tell you about the acting.
Harrison Ford, finaly a president you can like! His acting is unsurpassed as always, heck we even finaly get to see Harrison Ford cry in this film! And who makes him cry? Only the 2nd craziest actor in hollywood, Gary Oldman (Christopher Walken being the first) His portrayel of a Neo-Russian Radical is believable and terrifying. The other actors are fair in their roles.
I had one problem with the film though, parts of it were kind of confusing. You find out right in the beginning who let the terrorists on the plane, yet the guy always seems to be on the good guys side even when he's fighting the terrorists, and oh, it's just too confusing to think about. The action of the film is so intense though that you'll hardly notice the first time, but once you've watched the film as many times as I have, you might notice.
Once again this was the type of movie DVDs were made for, great action that makes for a great sound and video, without throwing away plot.
Movie Review: Testosterone for All!
Summary: 5 Stars
What happens when the leader of the free world gets hijacked on his own airplane? A damn fine movie!
I like it when the good guys win. I like it when the bad guys get their @$$'s kicked in a big way. I like it when people do the right things for the right reasons and the results are good. I guess I'm old fashioned that way. That is what this film is like.
Harrison Ford plays the president. He is not just any US president; he is a former war hero and he means what he says. He stands up for what is right. While returning from a state visit to Russia, his plane gets hijacked by terrorists. The secret service manages to get the president to an escape pod and get the pod launched. When it is recovered, the president is not on board. He is still on Air Force One with the bad guys and his family and staff. He's hacked off and goes about taking care of business. For him, that means taking care of his people.
The bad guys are as bad and vicious as they can be. The good guys are scared but, mostly, they are honorable and try to do the right thing. I wish real life was like that.
The film is filled with twists and turns. It is also filled with unexpected "cliffhanger" moments. To relieve the tension, it also has some great light moments.
Watch this one when you have time to sit through the whole thing. You won't want to stop for anything.
Movie Review: Ford's Best Work Since "Clear And Present Danger"
Summary: 5 Stars
Harrison Ford has certainly become the quintessential action hero. He started off in the mid - 1970s' as Han Solo in the "Star Wars" series. Then, his starpower went through the roof with the "Indiana Jones" trilogy. After a dry spell, he bounced back as CIA agent Jack Ryan in 1992's "Patriot Games" and its sequel "Clear And Present Danger". In the interim between these two films, he starred as Richard Kimble in "The Fugitive". In the 1997 vehicle "Air Force One", he played an unlikely action hero - The President Of The United States".Ford is President James Marshall. He seems to be the embodyment of the American dream. He has a loving family, and seems to be the leader in the upcoming election now that he's captured a Russian general responsible for the death of millions. But that all changes when he announces that the United States will no longer negotiate with terrorists at a convention in Moscow. But that all changes on the flight back to Washington. A group of Russian terrorists led by Gary Oldman hijack Air Force One. When they threaten to kill, Ford is forced to choose between going against his policy or sacrifying lives of the passangers on board - including his wife and daughter. Nonstop action combines with convincing acting, especially by Ford, Oldman and Glenn Close as the vice president. In fact, Ford is so convincing, it makes you wish he was really president. Great film.