Air Force One

Some movies require you to suspend belief for a little while, even though they are rooted in the real world. Air Force One is one such film.

In this action film, the president (played here by Harrison Ford) goes up against Russian terrorists when they hijack Air Force one, the Presidents jumbo jet. It helps if you think of this film as Die Hard on a plane. Once you have that in your head, you're about there. That's not to say that this film lacks originality, after all they've cast Harrison Ford as the President! Actually Ford is quite here as the President. His counterpart, the main villain, is played by Gary Oldman who always does a good turn no matter the role and here he chews the scenery with gay abandon as the evil Russian seeking to use the President as a hostage in order to free an imprisoned Russian separatist.

The effects in this film are OK but then again, given that most of the action happens aboard Air Force One you'll not need much crash, bang and wallop. There are explosions a'plenty so you needn't worry, you do get your fill of testosterone fuelled braggadocio. Aside from the aforementioned Oldman as mad Russian, the rest of the villains here are indistinguishable but maybe that's more to do with them living in the shadow of Gary Oldman hamming it like a good 'un! Glenn Close plays the Vice President and does well although some of the others in the Situation Room with her grate a little. Almost predictably, this movie has a jingoistic overtone but then again, given the subject matter, it would have been hard not to. At least the jingoism is dialled down a notch, unlike in Independence Day!

All in all, this is a good action film, a switch ones brain off and engage popcorn kind of thing. It wont change your life but it will do is entertain and thrill you which is all it really set out to do.