Executive Decision

Executive Decision 1996
Director: Stuart Baird
Writers: Jim Thomas and John Thomas
Starring Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, B.D. Wong, Whip Hubley, Andreas Katsulas, J.T. Walsh and David Suchet

With the modern day fears of terrorist takeovers of commercial air liners, this is a film that I doubt would ever get made today. So, I am glad that back in 1996 this one was made as it is a tense and gripping action film that boasts some great performances by Kurt Russell and J.T. Walsh. This is a film you definitely wouldn't want to watch on a flight, but it is great escapist fare in the comfort of your own home. The action sequences are all quite intense and mesmerizing to watch, and the unexpected exit of what you believe is one of the lead heroes is quite a shock and really makes you feel that anything is up for grabs in this film. The film is long on suspense as each scene seems to be a more impossible task must be completed and it seems as if everything is working against our heroes. That's what makes the action so palatable in the film. It really grabs your attention and does not let go till the explosive finale. It is amazing too that how many similarities there are to this film and what has happened in recent years with terrorist activity, which makes the film even more relevant and scary. This is definitely one of the more intelligent and though provoking action films and one that is well worth a look again.
The plot basics are this, a Boeing 747 is on it's way to the United States from Athens Greece, when it is hijacked by a group of terrorists. The government thinks it is to free a terrorist leader (Katsulas) but, intelligence expert David Grant (Russell) thinks it is for another reason and advises them to not let it enter United States air space. An assault mission is planned and Grant is coerced into going. Through some snafus the assault team along with Grant end up on the plane with no escape plan and no way to contact anyone about their situation. They soon discover that Grant was right, the terrorists have an ulterior motive, a bomb that will go off as soon as the plane crashes. It is now up to Grant and the assault team to defuse the bomb and stop the terrorists without crashing the plane and before the government decides to blow the plane out of the sky.
This is a taut and suspenseful little action film. Baird has a great hand in directing the action, which is no surprise as he was a film editor for action classics like Lethal Weapon. HE balances the tenseness of the situation with brief scenes of levity that really balance the story well. Also, the shocking death of one of the heroes is quite astounding and really propels the film. The script is quite good too. The hero, David Grant is not your typical action hero, he does not goes forward with all guns a blazing and that's what sets this film apart from a lot of action films. You never know what he is going to do or how he will adapt to the situation and that makes for a much more entertaining film. The cast is uniformly excellent. Russell as always is in top form, he is a bit cocky but still unsure of himself. Seagal is also quite good in his brief performance. Walsh is very good as the senator on the plane who is looking to make a name for himself, but soon finds that he bit off more than he can chew. Berry as the flight attendant that helps Grant is very good too. Her strength in the role comes through very well/ Suchet as the head terrorist is quite good too. He is menacing and yet has a good nature about him that you actually like him as a character. The action sequences in the film are tense and pulled off effortlessly well. The final gun battles with the terrorists are a prime example of this. They are tense and unpredictable and you don't see where they are going. It is what makes the film work so well. This is a superior action film, that I feel is vastly underrated and well worth a second look.
This one gets 4 out of 5