Review of Air Force One (1997) by Halfwelshman — 02 Oct 2011

One thing I've noticed that Air Force One really hammered home for me is that Wolfgang Petersen really doesn't do subtle. From the over-the-top action, to the cheesy dialogue that is delivered by actors with a completely straight face and the lengthy set-pieces, everything is designed with no-nonsense thrills in mind.

There's no real agenda behind the film as far as I can tell, it was made too late and loaded with too many archaic and fantastical views to say anything about even the Cold War, let alone the modern world.

Jerry Goldsmith's score is also instantly noticeable, not for its quality as such, but because it's invasive, bordering on jarring. The central plot of the film could be quite terrifying, especially to a modern audience, but the story takes you to such ludicrous extremes that it threatens to become parody.

The cast's performances are largely unremarkable, particularly (and rather disappointingly) Ford's action-hero president. The only actors that really stand out are Gary Oldman (who looks like he was having so much fun with the role) and Glenn Close, who valiantly appears to be attempting to bring the film back to some form of reality.

Despite its problems, if you watch it in the right frame of mind (preferably with a beer in hand and with the company of a few friends) you can have a lot of fun watching Air Force One. It's pure, unashamed escapism.