Executive Decision (1996)

Director:

Stuart Baird

Writers (WGA):

Jim Thomas (written by) &
John Thomas (written by)

Release Date:

15 March 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Fasten your seat belts

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Airplane Hijack | Interracial Romance | Dead Stewardess | High Heels | Washington D.C.

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Kurt Russell	...	Dr. Phil. David Grant
Steven Seagal	...	Lt. Colonel Austin Travis
Halle Berry	...	Jean, Flight Attendant
John Leguizamo	...	Captain Rat
Oliver Platt	...	Dennis Cahill
Joe Morton	...	Sergeant 'Cappy' Matheny
B.D. Wong	...	Sergeant Louie
Len Cariou	...	Secretary of Defense Charles White
Whip Hubley	...	Sergeant Baker
Andreas Katsulas	...	El Sayed Jaffa
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Allison, Flight Attendant
Marla Maples	...	Nancy, Flight Attendant (as Marla Maples Trump)
J.T. Walsh	...	Senator Mavros
Ingo Neuhaus	...	Doc
William James Jones	...	Catman

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Malaysia:(Banned) | USA:R (certificate #34433) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Germany:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Chino Airport, Chino, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The passenger manifest that is seen by Halle Berry is an American Airlines manifest.

Goofs:

Continuity: If it's sunset in some part of Europe it should be early afternoon in Washington, but we now see a clock labeled "WASHINGTON, DC" and showing 6:38. This is followed by a scene at Andrews Air Force Base where the short shadows are correct for early afternoon. All the action described so far in relation to the hijacking is supposed to occur within a couple of hours.

Quotes:

Rat: I hope there's a good movie on this flight.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Murphy Brown: Executive Decision (#9.1)" (1996)

Morally dubious, but mindlessly entertaining

EXECUTIVE DECISION

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS

Normally, the name Steven Seagal would be enough to send any self-respecting movie fan screaming from theaters in a state of advanced colonic distress, but he makes only a brief appearance in this barnstorming blockbuster as the leader of a crack commando unit who is unceremoniously dumped (literally) from a great height during a botched rescue mission, leaving terrorist expert Kurt Russell to save the day for Humanity and the American Way. David Suchet (Hercule Poirot himself!) is the villain this time out, a fanatical Arab assassin who hijacks a passenger plane and threatens all manner of unpleasantness if the US doesn't release a fellow terrorist from custody. Russell manages to sneak on board the plane with Seagal's commando unit (now led by John Leguizamo), but they find themselves sharing space with a deadly nerve bomb, which Suchet intends to detonate over Washington DC, come what may...

Former editor Stuart Baird (THE OMEN, SUPERMAN) makes his directorial debut with this gung ho potboiler, which looks decidedly hammy post-9/11, and which could never be accused of enriching our understanding of the Human Condition. But the melodramatic script (by Jim and John Thomas) twists the screws for its papier-mâché characters before reaching a frenzied boiling point during the climactic confrontation between slimy foreign upstarts (mown down like skittles, without a second thought) and All-American good guys (invincible in triumph, martyred in defeat). Baird directs with sure-footed economy (the film doesn't feel padded at all, despite the 132 minute running time), and while some of the early scenes threaten to submerge viewers beneath a wave of unbridled testosterone, matters improve when Russell takes center-stage, playing the Everyman hero who proves every bit as resourceful as his militaristic companions. Halle Berry plays a terrified stewardess who helps save the day, while the main cast is bolstered by dependable talent in secondary roles (B.D. Wong, Joe Morton, George Coe, Len Cariou, etc.). Overblown stuff, and morally dubious to boot, but mindlessly entertaining nonetheless.