Executive Decision (1996)

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

Director:

Stuart Baird

Writers:

Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Halle Berry, Steven Seagal

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	David Grant
Steven Seagal	...	Lt. Col. Austin Travis
Halle Berry	...	Jean
John Leguizamo	...	Capt. Carlos 'Rat' Lopez
Oliver Platt	...	Dennis Cahill
Joe Morton	...	Sgt. Campbell 'Cappy' Matheny
David Suchet	...	Nagi Hassan
BD Wong	...	Sgt. Louie Jung (as B. D. Wong)
Len Cariou	...	Secretary of Defense Charles White
Whip Hubley	...	Sgt. Michael Baker
Andreas Katsulas	...	El-Sayed Jaffa
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Allison
Marla Maples	...	Nancy (as Marla Maples Trump)
J.T. Walsh	...	Senator Jason Mavros
Ingo Neuhaus	...	Doc

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.

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Plot Keywords:

panic | survival | stealth plane | mission | disaster film | 

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Taglines:

Fasten your seat belts

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The London hostess, credited as "Jayne Walter" is also known as adult film star Magdalene St. Michaels.

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Goofs

It has been claimed that a barometric trigger would not work, because the trigger was in the pressurized section of the hold. The pressure inside an aircraft's cabin does decrease as the plane increases in altitude, although at a slower rate than the pressure outside the plane decreases.

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Quotes

Allison: [getting into the plane elevator to the lower deck] I'm going to the Pit. See you in DC!

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Alternate Versions

The version shown on American television (as of 2014) has had many politically correct changes dubbed into its soundtrack, presumably to avoid offending any Muslim anywhere. The words "Allah" and "infidel" have been replaced by "God" and "enemy" respectively, as just 2 examples. The Algerian terrorist also no longer has his country of origin specified. This is even true when the film is shown on dedicated movie channels without commercials (such as Encore), which do not usually cut or edit content of any kind.

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Connections

References Die Hard 2 (1990)

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Soundtracks

Snakes
(uncredited)
Written and Performed By No Doubt

User Reviews

Different After 9/11

Like my review of "Air Force One", the counterpart of this movie which came out the following year, this movie takes on a whole new element in the post 9/11 world. When released, a terrorist taking control of an airplane and using it against American Citezens as a bomb seemed the stuff Hollywood would make up and produce. After those shocking events, however, the movie takes on a quality of realism that it didn't before, and unlike the aforementioned "Air Force One", is superior in many ways.

First off, the cast: Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, and the star-to-be Halle Berry star. Russell proves himself as a versatile Character Actor. Afterall, his previous role was that of a Special Operations Soldier in the Sci-Fi hit "Stargate", and in this movie he plays an intelligence analyst whom Special Operations Soldiers despise, and pulls it off well. Seagal completely convinces you he is the Soldiers Soldier that he is supposed to be. And Halle Berry, well, she deserves that Oscar she later won, and her abilities are showcased here. She was not the star then that she is today, and this is perhaps one of her many breakout appearances.

Second, all branches of the Armed Forces (save the Marine Corps) have a chance to shine in this movie. It shows a true devotion among the men who serve the United States. The Special Ops guys are Army, the delivery pilot is Air Force and the Tomcat Pilots are Naval Aviators along the lines of Maverick from "Top Gun".

In conclusion, this is a good movie that is under-rated, and in the wake of 9/11, seems that much more real.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

15 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Executive Action

Filming Locations:

Alverno High School - 200 North Michillinda Avenue, Sierra Madre, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$55,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,069,780, 17 March 1996

Gross USA:

$56,569,216

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$121,969,216

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1