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. Colonel Austin Travis
Halle Berry	...	Jean
John Leguizamo	...	Rat
Oliver Platt	...	Cahill
Joe Morton	...	Cappy
David Suchet	...	Nagi Hassan
BD Wong	...	Louie (as B. D. Wong)
Len Cariou	...	Secretary of Defense Charles White
Whip Hubley	...	Baker
Andreas Katsulas	...	Jaffa
Mary Ellen Trainor	...	Allison
Marla Maples	...	Nancy (as Marla Maples Trump)
J.T. Walsh	...	Senator 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:

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.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and brief language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

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)

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 Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The plane used by Special Forces is a modified F-117-type, with a mating tube to a 747.

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Goofs

In the beginning of the movie, a graphic announces that the date of the Counter-terrorist Strike Team is May 17, 1995, and the time is 05:00 Zulu time. As the attack is done in Trieste, Italy, the time there would be 06:00 local time. However, the scene is shown to be completely dark, even though the sunrise in that region in mid-May would have been 30 minutes earlier.

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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 Warner Bros. U.S. Blu-ray July 2011 release contains a notice that material has been altered from its original incarnation.

• Shots showing the suicide bomber as he enters the restaurant holding the Qur'an have been removed.
• During the scene when Halle Berry is covering for Kurt Russell in the elevator, when Nagi Hassan says "Just be patient it will all be over very soon.", he is no longer shown placing his hand on the Qur'an that was in his jacket pocket. Also, seconds later, the shot of him slightly opening the Qur'an and rifling his fingers through it is gone.
• The entire shot of Nagi Hassan on his knees praying followed by the shot of the two pilots in the cockpit is gone. It cuts from B.D. Wong's character saying "He's blocked by the seats, there's passengers all around him." to the exterior shot of the F-14s arriving. And again, moments later, the scene is edited differently to hide the fact that Nagi is still on his knees in prayer before answering the phone call from the cockpit alerting him of the F14s arrival.

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Connections

Features Born to Be Wild (1995)

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Soundtracks

It's Nice to Go Trav'ling
Written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen (as James Van Heusen)
Performed by Frank Sinatra
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under Licence from CEMA Special Markets

User Reviews

The Pentagon is gonna shoot us down.

Terrorists hijack a jumbo jet with the apparent intention of getting an incarcerated comrade released from captivity. The American government are quick to react, and using a stealth plane, smuggle a crack team of commandos on board the mid-air jet. However, all does not go to plan as the terrorists motives come to light and the commandos are severely hampered by ill fortune and their resourceful foe.

Forget common sense or any semblance of probability, and just accept that Executive Decision is mindless, unadulterated fun. Every hostage/hijack cliché in the book is used by first time director Stuart Baird. From the roll call of character staples-the hero in waiting out of his depth- nerdy electronics geek-heroine trolley-dolly and Gung-Ho soldiers, to the by the numbers set of complications that come our intrepid heroes way. This is simple stuff that, although obviously given added emotional impetus post 9/11, remains a whole slice of tension pie laced with a disaster movie sauce.

Kurt Russell heads the cast as fish out of water suit, Dr. David Grant, and joining him for the malarkey is Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton and Joe Leguizamo. Steven Seagal appears in an uncredited role, a role that in turn will either delight or annoy fans and haters of the pony tailed one. Leave your brain at the check in desk and board this particular jumbo jet. 6.5/10