Air Force One (1997)

Director:

Wolfgang Petersen

Writer (WGA):

Andrew W. Marlowe (written by)

Release Date:

25 July 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Harrison Ford is the President of the United States.

Plot:

Hijackers seize the plane carrying the President of the United States and his family, but he (an ex-soldier) works from hiding to defeat them.

Plot Keywords:

Terrorist | Hostage | General | Terrorism | U.S. President

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Harrison Ford	...	President James Marshall
Gary Oldman	...	Ivan Korshunov
Glenn Close	...	Vice President Kathryn Bennett
Wendy Crewson	...	Grace Marshall
Liesel Matthews	...	Alice Marshall
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Chief of Staff Lloyd 'Shep' Shepherd
Xander Berkeley	...	Secret Service Agent Gibbs
William H. Macy	...	Major Caldwell
Dean Stockwell	...	Defense Secretary Walter Dean
Tom Everett	...	National Security Advisor Jack Doherty
Jürgen Prochnow	...	General Ivan Radek
Donna Bullock	...	Deputy Press Secretary Melanie Mitchel
Michael Ray Miller	...	Colonel Axelrod
Carl Weintraub	...	Lt. Colonel Ingraham
Elester Latham	...	AFO Navigator

Also Known As:

AFO
Air Force One (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta) | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Mexico:B | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34790)

Filming Locations:

Beverly Hills, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The final sequence where a cable is extended from an MC-130 to the 747 was filmed near California's Channel Islands. Paul Bishop flew the 747 in formation within a few feet of the MC-130. The camera plane, a modified B-25, had a top speed of about 230 mph, so the sequence was filmed at about 200 mph and the 747 had to be flown with flaps extended. This sequence is a nearly a shot-for-shot copy of a similar air to air rescue involving an MC-130 and a Boeing 747 in Airport 1975 (1974).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Bullets fired by the President rip through the Kevlar vests with ease. This could be because they are firing armor-piercing rounds.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Major Perkins: [after landing in Kazakstan] Quick head count! One, two, three, four, five. Move out!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "I Love the '90s: Part Deux" (2005)

Soundtrack:

L'Internationale

Exciting! Exciting! Exciting!

"Air Force One" is an action picture so full of excitement that it had me on the edge of my seat when I first saw it on the big screen back in 1997. This movie is one heck of a ride. Harrison Ford gives one of the best performances of his career as one U.S. President not to mess with. There are also terrific performances turned in by Glenn Close as the Vice President who deals with the terrorist's demands, and Gary Oldman in a scary piece of acting as the lead terrorist. The other actors in the movie do a good job also. In addition to the performances, there are two other big elements that make "Air Force One" a great movie: the special effects and action scenes; and the presence of the plane itself. The action scenes are some of the best I've ever seen. And when we first see the plane from the inside, it looks as if were on a tour of the actual Air Force One itself and it's fascinating. Suspenseful, thrilling, and just downright exciting, "Air Force One" is a definite must-see.

**** (out of four)