Air Force One (R, 1997)

Shortly after the fall of Soviet communism, a U.S. commando team, with Kremlin cooperation, captures an upstart warlord general from his palace in Kazakhstan (this movie was made long before Borat turned poor Kazakhstan into a big joke). In appreciation, U.S. President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) flies with his wife and daughter to Moscow to thank the new Russian government. On the return flight aboard Air Force One, however, ruthless communist gunmen loyal to the deposed general violently hijack the plane, intending to use the First Family to bargain for their leader's release. At first both the marauders and the panicking U.S. authorities believe Marshall ejected in an escape pod -- but the Chief Executive, a Vietnam War hero, has secretly stayed behind on the imperiled plane, where he risks his life fighting back against the terrorists from within.

Not even a politician would argue lumping AIR FORCE ONE in with the many, many imitators of Die Hard -- "It's Die Hard on a plane with the president!" is probably how the script pitch went -- but it's a well-made cinematic roller-coaster, even when stunts and dangers get over-the-top absurd. The thrill-machine goes on at a jet-fueled pace that doesn't let up.

What keeps the picture from crashing are good actors taking this popcorn stuff with utmost seriousness, reminding the viewer it's not just any CIA-Shaolin Temple muscleman-kickboxer-Green Beret-Navy SEAL up there, it's the president. Kudos to Harrison Ford, as not many actors could manage to make James Marshall believable as, all at once, an action hero, caring dad, virile husband, and a righteous and thoughtful Commander-in-Chief -- imagine Rambo) mixed with Josiah Bartlett . But Ford pulls it off. Largely thanks to him, this mayhem actually restores some of old-style Hollywood reverence and awe for the Oval Office, a quality so many films tore down since the 1960s and the Watergate scandal.

Studio: Columbia Tristar
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Cast: Glenn Close, Harrison Ford, Wendy Crewson
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run time: 125 minutes
Theatrical release: July 25, 1997
DVD release: February 10, 1998
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: violence.