MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 72 this week

Executive Decision (1996)

6.3
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.3/10 from 29,697 users  
Reviews: 130 user | 60 critic

When terrorists seize control of an airliner, an intelligence analyst accompanies a commando unit for a midair boarding operation.

Director:

Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 10000 titles created 2 months ago
 
a list of 2652 titles created 11 months ago
 
a list of 30 titles created 28 Jun 2011
 
a list of 2695 titles created 3 months ago
 
a list of 5225 titles created 19 Apr 2012
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Executive Decision (1996)

Executive Decision (1996) on IMDb 6.3/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Executive Decision.
2 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Cliffhanger (1993)
Action | Adventure | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

A botched mid-air heist results in suitcases full of cash being searched for by various groups throughout the Rocky Mountains.

Director: Renny Harlin
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker
The Rock (1996)
Action | Adventure | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A renegade general and his group of U.S. Marines take over Alcatraz and threaten San Francisco Bay with biological weapons. A chemical weapons specialist and the only man to have ever escaped from the Rock attempt to prevent chaos.

Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris
Broken Arrow (1996)
Action | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

Terrorists steal nuclear warheads from the US military but don't count on a pilot and park ranger spoiling their plans.

Director: John Woo
Stars: John Travolta, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis
Action | Adventure | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.4/10 X  

James Bond heads to stop a media mogul's plan to induce war between China and the UK in order to obtain exclusive global media coverage.

Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh
Action | Adventure
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.3/10 X  

When Dr. Henry Jones Sr. suddenly goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, eminent archaeologist Indiana Jones must follow in his father's footsteps and stop the Nazis.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott
Action | Adventure | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

Ethan Hunt comes face to face with a dangerous and sadistic arms dealer while trying to keep his identity secret in order to protect his girlfriend.

Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames
Action | Adventure | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.3/10 X  

James Bond uncovers a nuclear plot when he protects an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.

Director: Michael Apted
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle
Action | Adventure | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

In 1984, the USSR's best submarine captain in their newest sub violates orders and heads for the USA. Is he trying to defect, or to start a war?

Director: John McTiernan
Stars: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn
Action | Adventure | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.5/10 X  

A vengeful British spy goes rogue and sets off to unleash vengeance on a drug lord who tortured his best friend, a CIA agent, and left him for dead and murdered his bride after he helped capture him.

Director: John Glen
Stars: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi
Action | Adventure | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

James Bond is living on the edge to stop an evil arms dealer from starting another world war. Bond crosses all seven continents in order to stop the evil Whitaker and General Koskov.

Director: John Glen
Stars: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo, Jeroen Krabbé
Daylight (1996)
Action | Adventure | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.6/10 X  

Disaster in a New York tunnel as explosions collapse both ends of it. One hero tries to help the people inside find their way to safety.

Director: Rob Cohen
Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen
Dante's Peak (1997)
Action | Adventure | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.7/10 X  

A vulcanologist arrives at a countryside named Dante's Peak after a long dormant volcano, which has recently been named the second most desirable place to live in America, and discovers that Dante's Peak, may wake up at any moment.

Director: Roger Donaldson
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Linda Hamilton, Jamie Renée Smith
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Jean, Flight Attendant
...
Rat
...
...
...
...
Secretary of Defense Charles White
...
...
El Sayed Jaffa
...
Allison, Flight Attendant
...
Nancy, Flight Attendant (as Marla Maples Trump)
...
...
Doc
William James Jones ...
Edit

Storyline

Terrorists take over a 747 bound from Athens to Washington D.C., supposedly to effect the release of their leader. Intelligence expert David Grant suspects another reason and convinces the military that the 'plane should not be allowed to enter U.S. airspace. An assault mission is devised, using a specially equipped 'plane designed for mid-air crew transfers, and Grant finds himself aboard the 747 with a team of military anti-terrorists who have to defuse a bomb and overpower the terrorists. Written by Ron Kerrigan <mvg@whidbey.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Five miles above the earth, an elite team of six men must make an air to air transfer, in order to save 400 lives on board a 747... and 40 million below. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and brief language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

15 March 1996 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Critical Decision  »

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

JPY 320,462,900 (Japan) (15 November 1996)

Gross:

JPY 153,472,300 (Japan) (29 November 1996)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

,  »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

The face of Steven Seagal was added on German cinema posters/VHS covers to attract more viewers, as he is quite popular there. See more »

Goofs

The AN/PVS-7 night vision goggles used by Cahill to see the lasers guarding the bomb detonator do offer extremely limited depth perception due to it's two-into-one design. While experience with the system can help overcome this deficiency, it is doubtful that Cahill would have had the experience necessary. Without depth perception, it would have been nearly impossible to defuse the bomb. See more »

Quotes

[as Jean shows a seat number to the hidden camera]
Dr. David GrantSergeant Baker: 2, 1, K... 21K!
See more »

Connections

Featured in Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006) See more »

Soundtracks

"IT'S NICE TO GO TRAV'LING"
Written by Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen
Performed by Frank Sinatra
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under Licence from CEMA Special Markets
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Skillfully crafted, and exciting
30 July 2009 | by (Canada) – See all my reviews

I am curious to know how many Steven Seagal fans walked out of the theater after the first twenty minutes demanding their money back. It is a good thing that Exectutive Decision does not direct its attention towards Seagal. Instead it chooses to focus on suspense and thrills which is exactly what it offers. It is slow and ominous, even claustrophobic at times. The plot stays consistent, never getting too thick, and it keeps you focused, Which is good enough for me.

It will be hard to watch Executive Decision today and not think about 9/11. Islamic terrorists from Algeria highjack a 747 flying from Athens to D.C. they have loaded a nuclear weapon on board, and they are giving the US government until landing time to free one of the leading Islamic terrorist they have in custody, or they blow Washington. A small team of soldiers are sent out in a small aircraft, which will latch on to the jet and allow them to board in secret. With them is intelligence consultant David Grant, who knows that there is a bomb on board and what it is capable of. confined to the labyrinth of tiny corridors and storage cabins, our heroes have only a few hours, to find the bomb, defuse it and take out the terrorists, without being seen.

This is the directorial debut for Oscar nominated editor Stuart Baird, and he does a sensational job of crafting tension. It is not until the climactic twenty minutes where Executive Decision lets out all its energy. Baird really takes his time, and just occasionally it feels like the story could use a little tightening, but not too much.

The movie is not meant to be mind enriching, but in a way it does make you realize, how much we took freedom and safety for granted, before 9/11 occurred. If that disturbs you, than perhaps you should not see this movie. Anyone else who wants to be thrilled and on the edge of their seat should watch this one for sure


11 of 11 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
The Commando Team tritonff
Other big stars that die early winstonam
Is this the only Seagal death? nucleer
Special Forces? sygoneboi
ONLY 6.3! MovieMaster95
Steven Seagal's death is ironic. drazuw2-1
Discuss Executive Decision (1996) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?