July 21, 1997 (Century City)
July 25, 1997 (United States)
Air Force One is a 1997 American political action thriller film directed and co-produced by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Wendy Crewson, Xander Berkeley, William H. Macy, Dean Stockwell, Paul Guilfoyle and Jürgen Prochnow. The film was written by Andrew W. Marlowe. It follows Air Force One being hijacked by a group of terrorists who demand the release of their country’s imprisoned dictator and the President's attempt to rescue everyone on board by retaking his plane.
The film was a box office success and received mostly positive critical reviews. It became the fifth highest-grossing film of 1997, earning $315.2 million worldwide. It also received two Academy Award nominations for Best Sound and Best Film Editing, losing both awards to Titanic.
Storyline
A joint operation between American and Russian special forces captures General Ivan Radek, the dictator of a rogue neo-Soviet regime in Kazakhstan that retained its nuclear weapons, threatening war. Three weeks later, U.S. President James Marshall attends a diplomatic dinner in Moscow, during which he praises the operation and warns the United States will not negotiate with terrorists. Marshall and his entourage, including his wife Grace and daughter Alice, and several of his cabinet and advisers, prepare to return home on Air Force One. Six Radek loyalists disguised as journalists led by Egor Korshunov board the plane.
After takeoff, Secret Service agent Gibbs, a mole, enables Korshunov and his men to obtain weapons and hijack the plane, killing multiple security and military personnel before taking the passengers hostage, including Grace and Alice. Marshall is raced to an escape pod in the cargo hold and seemingly escapes as the pod is ejected. Korshunov breaches the cockpit, aborting the plane from making an emergency landing at Ramstein Air Base. A squadron of F-15s escort Air Force One as Korshunov has it piloted towards Kazakhstan.
However, Marshall, a veteran of the Vietnam War and a Medal of Honor recipient, had hidden himself in the cargo hold instead of using the pod. He covertly kills two of Korshunov's men and obtains a satellite phone to communicate with Vice President Kathryn Bennett, letting his staff know he is still alive and aboard the plane. Korshunov, assuming that it is merely a Secret Service agent in the cargo hold, contacts Bennett and demands Radek's release, threatening to kill a hostage every half-hour. Separating Alice and Grace from the group, he kills National Security Advisor Jack Doherty and Deputy Press Secretary Melanie Mitchell. Marshall unsuccessfully tries to force Korshunov to land by dumping some fuel after rewiring the plane's circuitry.
Marshall devises a plan to trick Korshunov into bringing Air Force One to a lower altitude of 15,000 feet for a mid-air refueling so that the hostages can parachute safely off the plane. As a KC-10 tanker docks with Air Force One, Marshall escorts the hostages to the cargo hold, where the majority parachute to safety. Korshunov and his men discover the deception and catch Marshall, Chief of Staff Lloyd Shepherd, Major Norman Caldwell, and Gibbs. The induced turbulence severs the connection between the tanker and Air Force One, and the fuel leak ignites, destroying the tanker.
With the President and his family now under his control, Korshunov forces Marshall to contact Russian President Stolicha Petrov and arrange for Radek's release. Bennett is urged by Defense Secretary Walter Dean to invoke the 25th Amendment, thus overriding Radek's release, but she refuses. While Korshunov and his men celebrate Radek's release, Marshall breaks free and kills Korshunov and his remaining loyalists. Marshall rescinds his order, and Radek is shot dead while attempting to escape.
Marshall and Caldwell direct the plane back to friendly airspace but are tailed by a second batch of Radek loyalists in MiG-29s. The F-15s rejoin with Air Force One and engage with the enemy aircraft, but Air Force One suffers severe damage to its fuel tanks, engines, and tail controls from the MiG-29's gunfire, and an explosion from an F-15 when its pilot sacrifices himself to intercept a missile.
A standby United States Air Force Special Operations Command MC-130E with the callsign Liberty 24 is called to help, sending parajumpers on tether lines to rescue the survivors. Marshall insists that his family and the wounded Shepherd be transferred first. When there is time for only one more transfer, Gibbs reveals himself as the traitor, killing Caldwell and the parajumper. Marshall attacks Gibbs and attaches himself to the transfer line at the last moment. Air Force One crashes into the Caspian Sea, killing Gibbs while the MC-130E airmen reel Marshall in safety. With Marshall and his family confirmed safe, Liberty 24 is given the callsign Air Force One as it flies to safety.
Sound Effects Used
- Hollywoodedge, Load Cock M16 Rifle Gu PE091301
- Hollywoodedge, Police Whooper Siren CT062001
- SOUNDELUX ELECTRICAL SPAEXPLOS SAMPLER (2nd sound used for the missile.)
- Sound Ideas, Explosion Single Large 05 - Single large explosion with fiery ending
- Sound Ideas, German Assault Rifle Long Burst 02 - Long burst from a German-made assault rifle
- Sound Ideas, GUN, RIFLE - SEVERAL SHOTS, WITH RICOCHET
- Sound Ideas, Machine Gun Bursts 03 - Quick bursts from submachine gun
- Sony Fireball Roaring Sound
- Top Gun Flyby 1
Image Gallery