Poll Position: Air Force One (1997)

I would also just like to say that this marks my 365th movie of the year. That's right, I've watched 1 year's worth of movies before the year is even over! That's mostly because there were a few days where I watched 2 movies in 1 day, but we're not done yet. There's still 12 more days to go, and I plan on accomplishing my 2011 New Year's Resolution of watching a new movie everyday for a full year!

Last week's Harrison Ford poll was quickly and decisively won with a bunch of votes for Air Force One, and after that hardly any more votes came in to try to challenge it. I was actually kinda happy with this result, because I have always thought I should see Air Force One, if just because it has Harrison Ford in it. My thoughts after the jump, but I warn you, there are SPOILERS in here.

After a risky mission to take down a corrupt General who had taken control of Kazakhstan, the US President (Harrison Ford) gives a speech in Moscow about never giving in to terrorists. Little does he know that supporters of the dictator General have infiltrated the President's plane, Air Force One, and plan to take him and his family hostage in order to arrange the release of their leader.

Air Force One

This movie was no where near as good as I thought it would be. I had always been under the impression that this was a big time, awesome action movie with Harrison Ford kicking butt. Okay, so he does kick quite a lot of butts, but other than that... let's just say there was some turbulence in the air.

I should just get it out of the way now that Harrison Ford was pretty cool as the President of the United States of America. He was tough and serious and seemed nearly superhuman in his ability to stop terrorists with his bare hands. It may be a little unbelievable, but at least it made for plenty of action. Also of note was Gary Oldman as the leader of the terrorists. He was really quite good at being crazy and really angry. It should be no surprise though that Gary Oldman can make a good sociopath. Just watch Leon the Professional or Fifth Element. Unfortunately, that's pretty much where the good stopped, and all the bad began.

Commissioner Gordon has had enough!

My first problem is how much like a "made for TV" movie this feels like. I'm not sure what it is that makes it feel that way, maybe the camera work or the lack of any interesting music, but it just feels so cheap. There were a few shots of jets, but a lot of the time they were all pretty poor special effects. It was like bad mat work of cut outs of jets sliding around the screen and not even moving sometimes. Either that or they just looked like bad toy planes. Also, I had to laugh out loud when (spoiler) a jet jumped in front of a missile like an agent might protect the President from a bullet. That was just so stupid it was funny!

My second problem will have to contain some spoilers just to get the point across, so be warned. There is a moment when the President is fighting the terrorists and one gets free and is going to shoot him, and one of his surviving guards, or whoever he was, jumps in front of the President, taking the bullet. It hits dead center of the chest, and he survives the shot! I'm not sure how much time goes by, but they kinda dab at his gaping wide-open chest wound with some tissues and tell him he's going to be OK. And guess what? He actually survives the whole ordeal, likely missing some major internal organs during that whole time!

At least there were a lot of explosions!

My third, and biggest problem comes down to a massive, unforgivable hole in the story. Again, spoilers coming up. The main reason why the terrorists can get on-board is because the head of the President's Secret Service security detail betrays everyone and makes it so they can get on the plane. If it turned out he was secretly of Kazakhstan descent, maybe I could let it go, as stupid and cheesy as that would be. But no! We get NOTHING. There is never any reason revealed why this man, the HEAD of the Secret Security wants the President of the United States of America, dead. There's never any mention of payment, or any reason why he would flip like he does. He just does, and that's that. Unforgivable!

So while Air Force One does have Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman trying their best to act in an environment filled with cardboard extras, and there is definitely a lot of action, this was a terrible movie! Not the worst movie I've ever seen, but I have no idea why it seemed like such a big deal was made about this film. Terrible, terrible, terrible. I could not recommend this movie and be of sound mind while doing it. At least I got to see Harrison Ford yell "Get off my plane!"