Air Force One Review

"Real peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of Justice", declares United States President James Marshall in a speech he delivers in Moscow - and he goes on to vow that America will never again allow "self-interest to stand in the way of what`s right". Rousing sentiments which prove too much for at least one member of the President`s own staff, who conspires with a bunch of renegade Russian terrorists, led by Gary Oldman, to hi-jack Air Force One, the Presidential plane on which the First Family is returning to Washington. Luckily for mankind, Harrison Ford is The President - not only that, he`s a Vietnam vet who won the Medal of Honour - you can`t kick him around with impunity... This is a preposterous thriller which adds a few gimmicks to the Die Hard formula. It`s hard to view it with a straight face, especially since the scenes with Glenn Close as the Vice President back home are so reminiscent of Tim Burton`s spoof Mars Attacks!. Gary Oldman once again trashes his talent with a villain almost as daft as the one he played in The Fifth Element, but Wolfgang Petersen is very good at staging action in confined settings - think of Das Boot - and much of Air Force One is perversely exciting. Nonsense, but often exciting nonsense.