Executive Decision A Film Review By Michael Redman Copyright 1996 By Michael Redman
*** (out of ****)
The two faces that have been displayed in order to push this film are those of Steven Seagal and Kurt Russell. This seems an unlikely combination. Seagal's films have been in the vein of Schwarzenegger and Stallone: mostly shoot-em-ups with little plot. Russell has done his share of the hyphenated action-adventure genre, but usually lighter with more story.
The best news for me is that Seagal is not in this film. Well, he does have about three minutes of screen time before he gets literally blown away. This leaves terrorist intelligence expert Russell, a nervous design engineer, a paralized bomb specialist and a couple of military commandos to save the day.
The second in command of an Arab terrorist group hijacks a 747 supposedly to free his leader, recently kidnapped and in US custody. In fact he has a grander plan to deliver Allah's lightning to the heart of Satan. The only thing that stands between us and the destruction of the eastern seaboard is a futuristic plan.
Seagal heads a unit that attaches an experimental plane remora-like to the jet and plan to board it, wipe out the hijackers and live happily ever after. Due to an unexpected development; Seagal and half of their equipment and team never make it on board. In their place, Russell and Oliver Platt (the engineer) accidentally end up on the airliner.
The plot is old (didn't Bruce Willis do this just a year or so ago?), but the story, refreshingly new. While there are the expected big guns scenes, you'll see more planning and computer work. With Seagal out of the tale, it becomes a team effort rather than a one-man show. All the better.
With a few exceptions, the acting is first rate especially from Russell and Platt. The action is energized due, no doubt, to direction from Stuart Baird, editor on "Lethal Weapon" and "Die Hard 2". Same ole, but with a new lively new slant.
[This appeared in the 3/21/96 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at redman@bvoice.com]
-- mailto:redman@bvoice.com This week's film review at http://www.bvoice.com/ Film reviews archive at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Michael%20Redman
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