Rating: 
Summary: Oh, Please!!
Review: OK, it's Harrison Ford, who has made very few commercial bloopers (but also NO great films).
And it's as effective a nail-chewer as a film can be when the outcome is virtually a foregone conclusion.
Right from the opening scene this film is a sham: we're asked to believe that a well-trained group of Russian bodyguards notices neither a flotilla of paratroopers nor hears the helicopter that dispensed them. Ridiculous!
We know immediately that the Russkies are bad guys because A) Gary Oldman is one of them (talk about a gifted actor who's allowed himself to become an identifiable stereotype!), and B) the rest are played by pockmarked actors with beefy butts.
Then there is the inevitable Glenn Close, at her wooden worst, or best, depending on how you respond to this expendable actress's (if one might use that term for courtesy) "work."
Implausibilty piles upon implausibilty: I'll give it one star because it's really funny, and another because it contains the stupidest line in the history of film.
The terrorists who have taken Air Force One have been subdued, and President Ford (Harrison, of course), who piloted only small aircraft (25 years earlier), invites the completely inexperienced William H. Macy to be his co-pilot. From the ground, Ford gets this advice:
"You can't land this plane on autopilot. We'll have to talk through a few things."
Really.
Rating: 
Summary: Air Force None
Review: I'm not quite sure what I mean by that, but, oh well... I needed a title...Anyway, I'm not here to review the movie. Instead, I want to express my hatred for the little girl that plays Ford's daughter. This chick ruined what could've been a great moment in the film. Yes, I'm talking about the scene where Gary Oldman is talking to her about killing a man. Oldman's acting is brilliant. But it's crippled by her wooden, emotionless delivery. When she says "you're a monster... my father is a great man. You're nothing like my father."... she just totally KILLS the entire moment. Her acting is SO hollow, and SO lacking tone and emotion that it makes me sick! That part is wrecked. She left it completely flavorless... DESTROYING what could have been a real memorable scene in an otherwise already average film... I'm just disgusted. So, yeah, apart from her ghastly acting, this is an ok movie made watchable by Gary Oldman's amazing presence.
Rating: 
Summary: Lackluster Rip-Off
Review: I heard so many great things about this movie before hand like it was the new action film, but when I saw it I could find nothing but the same. Its basically "Die Hard" but the tower is moved to Air Force One, Germans become Soviets, and McClane is changed to...the president of the United States... Right... Its seriously predictable, the gratuitous dead bodies being flung around didn't help either, and corny lines like "I trusted you with my life!" / "So will the next president!" deserve a laugh track. Basically, I wasn't too impressed. When I want this formula, I'll just stick with "Die Hard."
Rating: 
Summary: "Get off my plane!"
Review: Air Force One, the 1997 summer hit directed by Wolfgang Petersen (The Boat/Das Boot, In The Line of Fire) and starring Harrison Ford as President James Marshall, stretches the term "willing suspension of disbelief" to its limits, yet, incredibly, it works. Co-starring Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Liesel Matthews, William H. Macy, and Dean Stockwell, Air Force One's premise is simple: Russian ultra-Communist terrorists take over the President's plane on its way back to the U.S. from Moscow. Marshall, who by happenstance is separated from his family and staff during the takeover, must use his military training (he's a former Air Force pilot) and his wits to regain control of Air Force One and rescue the hostages before the terrorists achieve their aims. The terrorists, led by Ivan Korshunov (Oldman), are seeking the immediate release of General Alexander Radek (Jurgen Prochnow), who was snatched from his palace in Kazakhstan by a joint team of Russian and American Special Forces. Radek and his followers believe in the restoration of the old Soviet Union, and until both Russia and the U.S. intervened, had ruled Kazakhstan with as much regard for human life as the Taliban exhibited when they ruled Afghanistan. After a ceremony hosted by the grateful Russian President in which Marshall warns rogue nations and terrorists that "we will no longer be afraid. It's your turn to be afraid," the American delegation heads to one of Moscow's main airports to board the Presidential plane. Little do they know that Korshunov and his team, using falsified press credentials, have passed through both Russian and American security and are aboard. Ironically, they are given a tour of Air Force One by the unsuspecting assistant press secretary, Melanie Mitchell (Donna Bullock). And why not? To the Secret Service agents and the Air Force Security detachment, Korshunov and his people are reporters, harmless and unarmed. So how in the world are these guys going to storm Air Force One, "the most secure aircraft in the world?" Hmmm....and why do Korshunov and Secret Service agent Gibbs (Xander Berkeley) exchange that glance as they pass each other, eh? Petersen and screenwriter Andrew W. Marlowe never do explain Gibbs' motivations for his subsequent actions (as the director admits in the audio commentary track), but by the time audiences start asking those "real life" questions about plausibility, the sheer adrenaline rush provided by this action-packed film suppresses the "yeah, right" response to its premise. The Air Force (which willingly participated in the production of this film) says there is no escape pod in Air Force One's list of defensive measures, and viewers know that no sane person, whether terrorist or not, is going to fire automatic weapons inside an airborne plane unless he or she knew the mission was going to fail anyway. Mixed in with the gunfire and explosions that punctuate the film, Petersen and Marlowe endow their characters with depth and believability. Petersen makes viewers care about each person being held hostage, warts and all, so that when one is lost, it feels real. Even Korshunov is played in such way that his motivations feel true and heartfelt, even if his cause is not just. Yet Petersen and his cast and crew make audiences forget these dull real life facts. By the time the credits roll to Jerry Goldsmith's rousing End Title Suite, the viewer will wish the current occupant of the Oval Office were replaced by Harrison Ford's President Marshall, who is not only a man of political integrity but also a man of action.
Rating:
Summary: This is for An Amazon.com Customer from London UK
Review: Hey An Amazon.com Customer from London UK ... First of all, it's a movie, and movies are made to be entertaining, not always realistic. Secondly, you obviously are not an American, so I don't know why you would watch a movie where America wins. (It only makes you more jealous that you are not an American) Thirdly, would you like some whine to go with your review? (A waste of money, eh? If you hated it so much, then why did you buy it?)
Rating:
Summary: The Action Movie That Doesn't Quit
Review: Harrison Ford as President--that aspect alone would be enough to drive many to see Air Force One. Yet this thriller does not disappoint even the most discerning critics of action film and indeed stands out as one--if not THE--best action film made since the 80's. The premise: ex-Soviet dissidents hijack Air Force One in revenge for the President's crackdown on terrorism and terrorist regimes. Gary Oldman plays an excellent terrorist, and Harrison Ford's President is the kind of hands-on hero that would prompt a repeal of the 22nd Amendment (for those unsavvy of the Constitution, that's the one that limits Presidents to two terms). The action ride simply does not quit as it begins with the hijackers' takeover of Air Force One (with the help of a traitorous Secret Serviceman) and the President's apparent escape to Ford's battle to retake the plane and rescue his staff to a near-landing at Ramstein AFB in Germany to the in-air refueling to MiGs firing upon Air Force One to the final confrontation... nor like some films is the pacing flawed so that the watcher is drained or left wanting after the first few scenes; Air Force One simply keeps viewers on the edges of their seats for the entire film. If you enjoy action films, you will love Air Force One.
Rating:
Summary: Air Force One (1997)
Review: I rewatched this movie just last night (April 13th, 2003), to see what messages it actually uses to play on people's fears and misconceptions about the world around America. At times embarassing, at times eerily in tune with current events, and at all times constantly questioning one's own common sense. Hollywood is always seeking to entertain and distract its audience, but putting such political issues in focus without any thought or plausibility insults those with any mind to question. Let's just say this is a theatre piece, and dramatic elements have to be employed to add to the plot or sequence of events. That this, and so many movies of its kind employ the use of Russians as the enemy (usually using a British actor to supply the villainy) perpetuates stereotypes and misinformation that has existed since the Cold War's birth. I loved the fact that America was seen as a bastion of technology, with blinking lights and computer screens, and intercoms, technology at the helm, while Russia and its leader had a little red phone and a bear on his table. Fantastic. It automatically sets up a perception that Russia is weaker on all fronts, and the victor will always be America, so the whole premise of the film being America in danger is compromised by its visualisation of its power as compared to Eastern Europe. It throws the whole plot out the window by default. Apart from its Nationalistic stance, the dialogue of the film borders on the ludicrous to outright childlike. The only bite that is heard in this film is from the actual enemy (portrayed by Gary Oldman) when questioning the President's (Harrison Ford) moral constitute when dealing with his Oldman's homeland. The points raised were the only plausible or believeable lines in this movie, but it all too quickly falls into the 'remake Rambo' style of filmmaking too many times. This is just entertainment for the masses, and does not ask any questions of moral fortitude or revenge, or anything actually relevant to anything in any real world situation. Should I take this movie just as it is, entertainment, or for what it represents, 'Horse Blinker' propaganda aimed at the public. I cannot guess why films like this get made???? All that money wasted on a piece of junk. The CGI throughout is quite weak, especially the 'crash' at the end which pays no heed to what a plane would actually do when hitting the water, which WOULD have been far more dramatic a conclusion, if they just paid attention to physics. It was actually hilarious. I think the scariest bit had to be the speech at the beginning of the film by Harrison Ford. I've heard it before somewhere.... Don't waste your time, money, patience, eyesight, hearing or mind on this huge waste of finances. I can't believe some of the actors actually did.
Rating:
Summary: very exciting -- kind of like "Speed" with a plane
Review: Air Force One is the name of the US President's private plane, and he and his entire famnily (and various aides, etc) are returning from an international diplomatic mission when it is hijacked by Russians (led by Gary Oldman.) I thought the Cold War was over by 1997 but apparently not on this plane. In this case, the president is also an ex-soldier and he intends to reclaim his plane and save his friends, family and co-workers. Glenn Close is impressive as the US vice-preident who provides aid and instruction from the ground when she has to give press conferences and comfort the American public. Kudos to that as
we have never had a female VP or prez yet! It is exciting and harrowing, particularly with the knowledge that the Russians needed an insider to help them infiltrate the plane in the first place. The president doesn't know who to trust but has no choice as he must save them all midflight. It is excellent, and I couldn't imagine anyone other than Ford in this role!
Rating: 
Summary: Believable, to a Point!!!
Review: This is an engrossing film, and those who later watched it commented that they'd wish Ford was President of the U.S. I'm not sure I would've gone that far, although the opening scene, where the President addresses a large gathering, and apologizes for the crimes committed against them is interesting, and in particular, his agenda to correct it. Then we move quickly into Air Force One, and the formula is set. There are terrorists on the plane, and the Prez (AKA: Ford), has to do his "bravado" thing and rescue everybody and save the world for democracy. Not a bad movie, but a little in the uncredible side of things. But let's face it. This is Hollywood we're talking about, not the real world.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T BE FOOLED BY SUPERBITS!
Review: Harrison Ford is the president of the United States whose Air Force One plane is hijacked by a team of Russian terrorists. As an intense, action packed adventure this one's pretty good. Gary Oldman gives another stellar performance as the leader of the terrorists. He's truly a chameleon. Name me another actor who could play anyone from Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK) to Beethovan (Immortal Beloved)?!?
So here I'm going to concentrate my review on the Columbia Tristar super-hyped "Superbit" series and I can sum up my evaluation in three little words - DON'T BE FOOLED! While it's true that packing on excessive extra features and a feature film onto one side of a DVD "can" result in a loss of digital quality in the transfer, this is not really an issue when the movie itself runs just under the two hour mark and the extra features amount to a fifteen minute "making of" featurette and some theatrical trailers.
THIS TRANSFER IS VIRTUALLY IDENTICAL TO THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED DVD. Having stated this, the fidelity of this transfer is outstanding. Colors are well balanced and bold. Edge enhancement, pixelization and shimmering are non-existant. Fine details are extremely sharp. The audio is earth-shattering. Overall a great, great job from Columbia Tristar. One problem: they already did just as much on the original DVD release. Hence, this time around is really just a waste of disc space.
There are no extras but hey, that's Columbia being true to form.
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