Review of Air Force One (1997) by Steven D — 12 Jun 2018

Harrison Ford shines as a butt-kicking president in this exciting, fast paced thriller. This movie does offer several strengths. First, Harrison Ford on screen with a terrifying villain played by Gary Oldman, nuff said there.

Second, This film always has you gripping your chair and sitting on the edge of your seat as you watch Harrison Ford do Harrison Ford things with EXTREMELY high stakes, and on a national scale this movie makes sure you feel the tension of those stakes.

However, where this movie falls flat is making one feel the tensions and stakes personally for the President and his family. Do they try to sell me family tension and try to make me care for his family's well being? Sure, and it works to a degree, but I simply don't feel the same attraction to them as I do with the governmental and political stakes.

This happens because instead of interweaving the family connection more through the film, they slap a small scene of the family together at the beginning and expect me to care when their lives are in danger at the end.

This film sacrifices personal connection for thrills and tension, and because of that this film works as a fun thrill ride with a terrifying villain and nothing more.