Forget Jason Statham, the Best Action Movie of the Last 30 Years Is Back on Netflix
Harrison Ford’s 1997 action thriller *Air Force One* has arrived on Netflix, giving viewers another chance to revisit a film that casts the president as an unexpectedly hands-on hero. Its “Die Hard on a plane” premise and Ford’s grounded performance helped make it one of the defining action films of the 1990s.
The film presents an idealised President James Marshall, who refuses to abandon his family when terrorists seize the aircraft. The article credits the screenplay by Andrew W. Marlowe, direction by Wolfgang Petersen and Gary Oldman’s disciplined villain with making the high-stakes story work. Released during Bill Clinton’s second term, the film also reflected a period when popular culture often portrayed the presidency in heroic terms.
In short
- *Air Force One* is now streaming on Netflix.
- Harrison Ford plays a president fighting hijackers.
- The 1997 thriller remains a 1990s action favourite.
Explained simply
Air Force One is a 1997 action thriller starring Harrison Ford as a fictional US president whose plane is seized by terrorists. The story follows President James Marshall as he tries to protect his family and passengers aboard the aircraft.
The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by Andrew W. Marlowe, with Gary Oldman playing the lead terrorist. Its portrayal of a determined president came during Bill Clinton’s second term, when American films and television often depicted the presidency in heroic terms.