User reviews

Most of this movie is simply one extremely long suspense scene as a team of Americans try to board a passenger jet, disarm a bomb and capture terrorists. After a 10-15 minute opening to set the story up, the rest of it (two hours) is the constant suspense of whether the mission will succeed and what happens along the way. With that much tension for so, the movie would have been more effective had it been cut 15-20 minutes.

However, it was never boring. It was far-fetched, however, but many action movies are just that, and this story wasn't stupid, by any means. I expected such with Kurt Russell and Steven Segal in it, but those two were much more subdued than usual.

Oliver Platt, Halle Barry, John Leguizamo and Joe Morton rounded out a very diverse and solid cast. This is one of those films that really grabs you the first time you see it, but after that, loses its appeal since the suspense is over. Definitely recommended for those who like to sit on the edge of their seat and be entertained.

Terrorists hijack a jumbo jet with the apparent intention of getting an incarcerated comrade released from captivity. The American government are quick to react, and using a stealth plane, smuggle a crack team of commandos on board the mid-air jet. However, all does not go to plan as the terrorists motives come to light and the commandos are severely hampered by ill fortune and their resourceful foe.

Forget common sense or any semblance of probability, and just accept that Executive Decision is mindless, unadulterated fun. Every hostage/hijack cliché in the book is used by first time director Stuart Baird. From the roll call of character staples-the hero in waiting out of his depth- nerdy electronics geek-heroine trolley-dolly and Gung-Ho soldiers, to the by the numbers set of complications that come our intrepid heroes way. This is simple stuff that, although obviously given added emotional impetus post 9/11, remains a whole slice of tension pie laced with a disaster movie sauce.

Kurt Russell heads the cast as fish out of water suit, Dr. David Grant, and joining him for the malarkey is Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton and Joe Leguizamo. Steven Seagal appears in an uncredited role, a role that in turn will either delight or annoy fans and haters of the pony tailed one. Leave your brain at the check in desk and board this particular jumbo jet. 6.5/10

Slam-bang thriller is an intense, pulse-pounding thrill ride from beginning to end. Russell stars as a smart but inexperienced intelligence analyst who's given the task of a lifetime when he, along with a group of rugged Special Forces commandos, must board an American 747 in midair after it's hijacked by ruthless international terrorists. It's a race against time as they must not only ensure the safety of all the passengers, but retake the plane before it can reach the U.S. eastern seaboard. Swift direction, exciting, skillful action sequences, endless suspense, and rock solid performances make this wild ride of a movie a definite must for action fans. ***

Executive Decision is a solidly mounted riff on the 'Die Hard on a plane' motif, which can be awesome (Air Force One, Con Air) or a mess (Passenger 57, Non Stop). This one's got a wicked cast in its corner, and to me that's the key with making any airplane set film work: When it's just our hero and the terrorists clean cut, there's no magic. Having a bunch of distinct, colorful people all coupes up in their holds interest better. A valiant Kurt Russell stars here as Dr. David Grant, an intelligence analyst who comes up with an idea right out of a movie after hearing that a passenger airliner has been hijacked by violent terrorists. He accompanies a commando team led by Colonel Travis (Steven Seagal in a character arc you've never seen him do before) to secretly board the plane mid air and eliminate the threat by force. It's a volatile plan rife with opportunities for suspenseful situations, which we get in spades, sans the occasional flag waving which got annoying in Air Force One. in addition to Russell and Seagal here we've got Halle Berry as a flight attendant with remarkable survival instincts, JT Walsh as a senator in the wrong place at the wrong time, A very scary David Suchet as the terrorist leader, with terrific work also from. Oliver Platt, Joe Morton and others. My favourite performance comes from peppy scene stealer John Leguizamo as Rat, the most charismatic dude on the commando team. He's got such a winning quality to his work that even in small riles he becomes the benchmark of any film for me and always one of the key elements I take away from it. This one is surprisingly modest for an action flick of scope, not resorting to bombastic third act fireworks to wow the crowds, but remaining somewhat intimate with what's going on in the interior of the plane and drawing clammy suspense from it. Great stuff.

I am curious to know how many Steven Seagal fans walked out of the theater after the first twenty minutes demanding their money back. It is a good thing that Exectutive Decision does not direct its attention towards Seagal. Instead it chooses to focus on suspense and thrills which is exactly what it offers. It is slow and ominous, even claustrophobic at times. The plot stays consistent, never getting too thick, and it keeps you focused, Which is good enough for me.

It will be hard to watch Executive Decision today and not think about 9/11. Islamic terrorists from Algeria highjack a 747 flying from Athens to D.C. they have loaded a nuclear weapon on board, and they are giving the US government until landing time to free one of the leading Islamic terrorist they have in custody, or they blow Washington. A small team of soldiers are sent out in a small aircraft, which will latch on to the jet and allow them to board in secret. With them is intelligence consultant David Grant, who knows that there is a bomb on board and what it is capable of. confined to the labyrinth of tiny corridors and storage cabins, our heroes have only a few hours, to find the bomb, defuse it and take out the terrorists, without being seen.

This is the directorial debut for Oscar nominated editor Stuart Baird, and he does a sensational job of crafting tension. It is not until the climactic twenty minutes where Executive Decision lets out all its energy. Baird really takes his time, and just occasionally it feels like the story could use a little tightening, but not too much.

The movie is not meant to be mind enriching, but in a way it does make you realize, how much we took freedom and safety for granted, before 9/11 occurred. If that disturbs you, than perhaps you should not see this movie. Anyone else who wants to be thrilled and on the edge of their seat should watch this one for sure

Moving and entertaining but full clichés and stereotypes with a strong performance by Kurt Russell . Standard action-packed picture , plenty of action , tension , suspense and fast-moving . The film has frenetic action , shoot'em up and spectacular set pieces and that's why it's fun . This is a straight-forward Action/Adventure/Drama/Thriller movie with full of surprises and plot twists . Terrorists seize control of an airliner , allegedly to effect the release of their leader , but authorities don't negotiate with terrorists , they blow them . A special unit , in Delta Force style , is charged with saving the passengers and intelligence analyst (Kurt Russell) accompanies the commando led by Col. Travis (Steven Seagal) for a midair boarding operation. Fasten your seat belts . Five miles above the earth, an elite team of six men must make an air to air transfer, in order to save 400 lives on board a 747... and 40 million below.

The picture contains thriller , suspense , drama , tense and is quite entertaining although with some flaws and gaps . Exciting and intriguing disaster/action-packed movie about a plane hijacking , starred by an all-star-cast , and , being professionally directed by Stuart Baird . The film is detailing hectic flighty hijacked by dangerous terrorists , the valiant commandos and the scared passengers . All clichéd and stock characters with regurgitation of all usual stereotypical situations from commando films and disaster genre . Dealing with the ordinary plot , a hickjacked plane , as 747 Aircraft jetliner on its way bound from Athens to Washington D. C. is taken over by terrorists , while Kurt Russell gives a nice acting as intelligence expert David Grant , a brave hero who suspects another reason and convinces the military that the 'plane should not be allowed to enter U. S. airspace , along the way , he's helped by a flight attendant finely played by the beautiful Halle Berry. It is tense and exciting , at time bemusing and with quite budget . Uneven picture , however being entertaining , amusing and never tiring . This entry in the spectacular commando series benefits itself from thrilling action sequences , state-of-art special effects and a strong acting by Kurt Russell , bringing conviction to character , being well accompanied by an extraordinary plethora of secondary actors , such as : Steven Seagal , John Leguizamo , Oliver Platt , Joe Morton , B. D. Wong , Len Cariou , Whip Hubley , Andreas Katsulas , Mary Ellen Trainor , Eugene Roche , Charles Hallahan , Dey Young , Richard Riehle and special mention for David Suchet , unforgettable Poirot , here playing a really nasty role as a fanatic terrorist.

Special mention for the moving and stinging musical score by the great Jerry Goldsmith , including catching leitmotiv. As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by Alex Thomson who previously photographed Excalibur . The motion picture was competently directed by Stuart Baird . He's a prestigious editor who has edited a lot of notorious films , such as : Superman , Superman II , Maverick , Lady Halcon , Lethal Weapon II , Die Hard II, The last Boy Scout The Legend of Zorro , Salt , Skyfall , Casino Royale and many others . And he did re-cuts on Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Mission impossible 2 (2000) for Paramount in order to get the job directing Star Trek: Némesis (2002). Eventually he directed 3 movies and coincidentally, all three films that he has directed Executive decision (1996), U. S. Marshals (1998) and Star Trek: Némesis (2002)) contain a scene in which a flying transport depressurises . Rating : 6.5/10. Better than average . Well worth watching .

EXECUTIVE DECISION

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDS

Normally, the name Steven Seagal would be enough to send any self-respecting movie fan screaming from theaters in a state of advanced colonic distress, but he makes only a brief appearance in this barnstorming blockbuster as the leader of a crack commando unit who is unceremoniously dumped (literally) from a great height during a botched rescue mission, leaving terrorist expert Kurt Russell to save the day for Humanity and the American Way. David Suchet (Hercule Poirot himself!) is the villain this time out, a fanatical Arab assassin who hijacks a passenger plane and threatens all manner of unpleasantness if the US doesn't release a fellow terrorist from custody. Russell manages to sneak on board the plane with Seagal's commando unit (now led by John Leguizamo), but they find themselves sharing space with a deadly nerve bomb, which Suchet intends to detonate over Washington DC, come what may...

Former editor Stuart Baird (THE OMEN, SUPERMAN) makes his directorial debut with this gung ho potboiler, which looks decidedly hammy post-9/11, and which could never be accused of enriching our understanding of the Human Condition. But the melodramatic script (by Jim and John Thomas) twists the screws for its papier-mâché characters before reaching a frenzied boiling point during the climactic confrontation between slimy foreign upstarts (mown down like skittles, without a second thought) and All-American good guys (invincible in triumph, martyred in defeat). Baird directs with sure-footed economy (the film doesn't feel padded at all, despite the 132 minute running time), and while some of the early scenes threaten to submerge viewers beneath a wave of unbridled testosterone, matters improve when Russell takes center-stage, playing the Everyman hero who proves every bit as resourceful as his militaristic companions. Halle Berry plays a terrified stewardess who helps save the day, while the main cast is bolstered by dependable talent in secondary roles (B.D. Wong, Joe Morton, George Coe, Len Cariou, etc.). Overblown stuff, and morally dubious to boot, but mindlessly entertaining nonetheless.

I saw this in 1996 and thought it was extremely entertaining--an action movie with emphasis on suspense over shoot-em-up thrillers and explosions. Seeing it again, after the events in the past 4 years, is a different experience. Some of the fictional dialog has actually been quoted by fanatics in the news. I had the same reaction with Black Sunday with Robert Shaw. A movie meant as pure escapism is now more like "what if." Executive Decision does ask you to suspend disbelief several times, especially near the end. I would rank it up with Air Force One, which came out a year later and delivers the same type of "suspense over explosions" entertainment. And this film deserves extra kudos for making the ones that save the world a bit on the "misfit" side (Oliver Platt, John Leguizamo, Joe Morton, BD Wong, and yes, even Kurt Russell). Another nice slimy role for late character actor JT Walsh. And David Suchet makes a scary villain. Like the best villains (Alan Rickman from Die Hard comes to mind), he can be charming and terrifying at the same time.

A 747 has been hi-jacked and loaded with a nerve-toxin bomb that could wipe out the U.S. eastern seaboard. A stealth mission to board this aircraft is lead by Steven Seagal, but when it doesn't go exactly to plan, Kurt Russell and Oliver Plait have to race against time before the U.S. military blasts the plane from the sky.

Executive Decision is crammed with suspense and tension, using this approach rather than big bangs and explosions. The Direction from Stuart Baird is once again up to his usual standard and the cast deliver fine performances helping this thriller become a great ride that's fun to enjoy.

7/10

Don't get me wrong, I love films from around this time, but you can figure out the ending from the very first scene. It's a good bunch of fun, with not too much Segal (I'm genuinely happy about this as I find his acting 'not to my taste') and it is worth a watch.

If you're after high tech accuracy - steer clear. One particular favourite 'odd scene' was a part where Kurt Russel zooms in on the top deck of what can only be described as a dodgy jpeg of the plane. Very cringeworthy.

I also love how they imagine all that room above the cabins for the crawl space - I'm no aircraft designer but I'm pretty sure that can't be right.

All in all, it's good fun - just don't take it seriously.

Like my review of "Air Force One", the counterpart of this movie which came out the following year, this movie takes on a whole new element in the post 9/11 world. When released, a terrorist taking control of an airplane and using it against American Citezens as a bomb seemed the stuff Hollywood would make up and produce. After those shocking events, however, the movie takes on a quality of realism that it didn't before, and unlike the aforementioned "Air Force One", is superior in many ways.

First off, the cast: Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, and the star-to-be Halle Berry star. Russell proves himself as a versatile Character Actor. Afterall, his previous role was that of a Special Operations Soldier in the Sci-Fi hit "Stargate", and in this movie he plays an intelligence analyst whom Special Operations Soldiers despise, and pulls it off well. Seagal completely convinces you he is the Soldiers Soldier that he is supposed to be. And Halle Berry, well, she deserves that Oscar she later won, and her abilities are showcased here. She was not the star then that she is today, and this is perhaps one of her many breakout appearances.

Second, all branches of the Armed Forces (save the Marine Corps) have a chance to shine in this movie. It shows a true devotion among the men who serve the United States. The Special Ops guys are Army, the delivery pilot is Air Force and the Tomcat Pilots are Naval Aviators along the lines of Maverick from "Top Gun".

In conclusion, this is a good movie that is under-rated, and in the wake of 9/11, seems that much more real.

This is a great 90s action movie. It has the exciting moments, the interesting plot and the mixture of characters that the period's action movies all tried to have. But at the same time, it downplays the one-man heroism that is often a big part of them (looking at you, McClaine!). The movie refers to this with the character played by Segal.

The most important part of this movie is the team. Early on people tries to break with the team, but mostly everyone is on the same page throughout the movie. At the end of the movie, one character kind-of goes against his team, but the focus is also on trusting one's teammates, something that the other guys does during this moment.

If you want a quintessential 90s action flick, this is a good pick!

A fun, tense, and exciting action/thriller with an excellent ensemble cast, headed by Kurt Russell and including Halle Berry, David Suchet, and John Leguizamo.

Even Steven Seagal does a creditable job, mainly because this isn't a "Steven Seagal movie." His supporting role permits him to do what he does best (which isn't acting). He doesn't have to pretend to be witty, there's none of that awful smirking he does in a vain attempt to show emotion, the camera doesn't caress his body, and there's not one speech about how gol-dang *good* his character is. He even manages to enunciate his lines clearly!

The plot might have seemed a little far-fetched when the movie was released, but not anymore.

I'm not even much of an action film fan, but this one is really a lot of fun.

I felt like an aviation disaster movie the other night. I picked Executive Decision which I hadn't seen before. It was a relatively easy plot to follow, although certain things, ie the London terror attack, happened and then weren't referred to later. The heroes were typical wise-cracking Americans. Even the guy lying on a stretcher with a life-changing spinal injury, doped up with morphine, managed a few well-timed wisecracks. AND he managed to instruct a guy in the art of bomb diffusing! David Suchet put in the best acting performance, I think, followed closely by Halle Berry. As usual in such films, never mind a terrorist hold-up on a Boeing 747, multiple deaths via heavy machine gun fire, half the plane ripped to pieces, the pilots getting shot and a near beginner having to land the plane, the only thing that mattered was that the All-American wise-crackin' hero got his girl. So yeah, the tone was just slightly inappropriate, but it kept me in suspense and watching till the end.