(July 1997, U.S.)
Watching AIR FORCE ONE again last night for the first time in many years, I discovered a couple of things about my age. One, it seems you're never too old to enjoy watching Harrison Ford play the hero and kick some major ass! Two, even at my age I still find myself getting excited and cheering inside, things like, "Kill that terrorist motherfucker!" (Note: any disrespect to terrorists with that last remark was purely intentional!). This movie is pure action and excitement from beginning to end. And with Harrison Ford at the helm, it saves this kind of story from resembling a cheap action film that Chuck Norris would have made with Cannon Films back in the '80s.
I think I also discovered that when you watch any kind of film where hostages are taken, especially aboard a plane, in a post 9/11 world, you watch it with a certain degree of intensity and reflection that may not have been there when you watched it before 9/11. Perhaps that's only natural now.
Favorite line or dialogue:
President James Marshall: "GET OFF MY PLANE!"
Years ago I read a very thoughtful web review of Air Force One. Unfortunately, I no longer remember the author's name. He argued that while it was a reasonably entertaining movie, it also served as a perfect example of the way good ideas gradually become corrupted. Air Force One was yet another revision of the "Die Hard" concept. Die Hard, Under Siege, Passenger 57, Toy Soldiers... I'm probably missing a few more. Die Hard was a classic underdog story: a lone working-class cop takes on a pack of snobby European killers. By the time we get to Air Force One, however, the working-class cop has been replaced by the most powerful man in the entire world, and the sleek Eurotrash thieves have been replaced by misguided patriots who want to restore their country's honor.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, just wanted to say that I like your blog, and I'm looking forward to seeing more reviews. I hope you're gonna feature one of my favorite under-appreciated movies: Mystery Men. If you're curious, my own take on that movie is at http://www.mekong.net/random/mystery-men.htm
Regards,
Bruce
Thanks, Bruce. I never saw MYSTERY MEN. When I reach the letter 'M' in my movie alphabet, perhaps I'll give it a look.
ReplyDeleteKeep on reading. Share it with your friends.
- Eric F.