This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Code Red
Plot Overview
Ever since Frenchman Alexis de
Tocqueville toured our nascent republic and published
Democracy in America the US has been the envy of the world. Russian
President Petrov has instigated democratic reforms, but
“this infection you call freedom” was not to the liking
of nationalists who considered it “without meaning,
without purpose,” and to have “given our country to
gangsters and prostitutes.” General Alexander Radek
(Jürgen Prochnow) led a bloody insurrection that became
a humanitarian crisis and provoked a belated intervention
by Russian Spetsnaz & American Delta Forces. They captured
General Radek in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan. He
is now being held in a Russian prison.
On US President James Marshall (Harrison Ford)'s
flight home after giving a hard line speech in Moscow, determined
Russian nationalists led by terrorist Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman)
hijack Air Force One with high value hostages on board. They demand
the fashion conscious VP
Kathryn Bennett (Glenn Close) in Washington pressure puppet
President Petrov to release Gen. Radek forthwith, or else.
Meanwhile, a decorated Vietnam War
veteran, Rambo wannabe has been overlooked in the fracas. He
is hiding out in the hold using the element of surprise to pick off
the terrorists one at a time. He manages to find a satellite phone
and call the White House to request air support from the escorting
F-15's. The lead F-15 pilot is understandably reluctant
to shoot a missile at Air Force One, though truth be told, under
the circumstances we're going to have to think outside of
the box.
Ideology
One factor is,
“The only thing College Boy retained from de Tocqueville
was the notion that there was no such thing as true freedom because
one was always forced to make a choice” (Bill Scheft 89.)
Some tough decisions need to be made, not the least of which is
that with the attrition of pilots, who is going to fly the
plane?
The military action lends itself to comparison with
one of Kenny Rogers's songs concerning a chance encounter with
“The Gambler” on a train bound for nowhere. He offered
his fellow passenger the advice that “the secret to surviving
is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.” The
refrain of the song goes:
You've got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, Know when to walk away, Know when to run. You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
This wisdom of the gambling man's repertoire is old as the hills and was passed on by a raconteur, Agur in Proverbs 30:1, whose four metaphors offered the same life advice as did Rogers's Gambler. That we find in, (Prov. 30:29-31) “There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.”
We have Agur's “lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any,” and we have Rogers's “know[ing] when to hold 'em.” In our movie when the president is escorted safely to the escape pod, he decides to stick with the plane instead of bailing. Gutsy move.
We have Agur's “king, against
whom there is no rising up,” and we have Rogers's
“Know[ing] when to fold 'em.”
A king who knows when to give in to his subjects doesn't experience
any uprising. The terrorist is about to start executing the
president's family before his eyes unless he sees to the release of
the general. What's to be done? President James Marshall:
“Kathryn, if you give a mouse a cookie—” Vice
President Kathryn Bennett: “It's gonna want a glass of
milk.” Negotiating with terrorists will set a bad precedent.
They're going to want more. But he can remove the immediate threat
with the release of the general, slippery slope be damned.
We have Agur's
“he goat also” and we have Rogers's “Know[ing]
when to walk away.” When Air Force One is crippled, an Air
Force Pararescue MC-130 Hercules is hastily tasked to have
Marshall and the remaining passengers rappel from the doomed plane.
Marshall lets the women and wounded go ahead of him. Finally, there
is only time to take one more before Air Force One crashes. That
should be the president, but wouldn't you know it, there's a panic
for the last seat. He'll have to fight for it.
We have Agur's “greyhound” and Rogers's “Know[ing] when to run.” So the president obviates the hostage situation in the tail cone while the general is being processed out of prison to his awaiting air transport. The good guy needs to contact the Kremlin to call it off, but the communication suite is on the top deck. He better run.
The gambler gave the advice:
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
There's a cliff hanger at the end.
Production Values
“” (1997) was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by Andrew W. Marlowe. It stars Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, and Glenn Close. Ford is a credible president and a credible action figure. He did his own stunts. The cast sunk their teeth into their roles as well. The Russian terrorists—with the exception of their leader—were played by real Russians adding authenticity to the parts. One of them seems to be imitating Marlon Brando in his facial expressions, body language, and movements. Russians must have been exposed to American films. The airplane shots were a seamless composite of big sets, real planes, models, and CGI.
MPA rated it R for violence. Its swearing was limited to cursing God under one's breath. An alternate version edited for TV pulls its punches on the mayhem. L'Internationale as sung in the movie by Russian prisoners was sung by Russian speakers acquired locally. Music was scored by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography done by Michael Ballhaus.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
“Air Force One” is an
intense action and drama movie that doesn't let up. Just when you
think it's about to wind down, it goes into extra innings. There is
something so fundamentally American about it in its can-do
attitude of tackling big problems that it makes one proud to be
an American. Prayer is enjoined during the crisis. The President
comes across as a fit leader and an attentive family man. The vice
president sported a retro hair do. I highly recommend it.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Edge of your seat action-packed. Suitability For Children: Not Suitable for Children of Any Age. Special effects: Absolutely first rate special effects. Video Occasion: Fit For a Friday Evening. Suspense: Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Overall movie rating: Five stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture quoted from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Rogers, Kenny. Songwriter Don Schlitz. “The Gambler.” Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Pub. LLC. Web.
Scheft, Bill. The Ringer. Copyright © 2002 by Bill Scheft. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. first edition. Print.
bibles.n7nz.org