Air Force One movie review

We know very little about the security procedures for the president of the United States and even less is known about all that goes into keeping Air Force One safe and that is the way it should be. But it also allows creative movie producers to come up with all kinds of interesting details and that is why this movie is so engaging.

US President James Marshall (played by Harrison Ford) is returning from a state visit to the (former) USSR but Air Force One is hijacked by Kazakhstan neo-nationalists who are demanding that the president use his influence to release Gen. Ivan Radek (the dictator who was earlier captured by US and USSR in a joint operation). While the Secret Service tries to use an escape capsule so that the president can sneak out, things don't work out that way and the president is the only one stuck in a corner of the plane with no one to protect him. Everyone on the plane has no idea that the president is still on board, while on the ground no one can find him either - until the president manages to find a satellite phone in his luggage and call the White House to let everyone know that he is alive, but not really safe.

In this movie, the president is not just the head of state, he is also an action hero, who outperforms his Secret Service staff on most occasions. Of course, in stunts that would thrill any lover of action movies (particularly the action mid-air), the first family and most staff members are eventually safe on the ground, the bad guys are dead, and Gen. Ivan Radek is not released and shot dead.

The movie is full of action and there is never a dull moment (compared to, say, The Piano) and as long as you can believe that what the president does in this film is not humanly possible, you will love this thriller.