President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) is being congratulated in Moscow for his role in capturing terrorist General Alexander Radek (as Jurgen Prochnow). The president breaks from his planned speech to apologize that he did not act sooner, which cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees. He makes a promise that the United States will never again tolerate any terrorist government. After the speech, he boards Air Force One, along with the First Lady (Wendy Crewson), his daughter (Liesel Matthews), 50 staffers, and a Russian news crew. Shortly after take-off, the plane is hijacked by terrorists who posed as the news crew. They take everyone hostage, except for the president, who they believe used an escape pod (is that a real thing?!). The terrorist leader, Ivan Korshunov (Gary Oldman), threatens to execute the hostages one-by-one until his demands are met—the release of General Radek. Unbeknownst to the hijackers, the President is still on the plane, hiding in the cargo bay. Now it’s up to this former Medal of Honor winner to utilize his skills, and the element of surprise, to stop the terrorists and rescue his family…which is easier said than done thousands of miles in the air. Meanwhile, on the ground, Vice President Kathryn Bennett (Glenn Close) and Defense Secretary Walter Dean (Dean Stockwell) butt heats over how to handle the situation.

Air Force One holds up really well over 20 years later—the special effects still look believable, and I found the film to be just as captivating and intense as the first time I saw it in the theater. The movie can be described as Die Hard on a plane—a man finds himself in a tight spot with his family in danger, and must take on a group of terrorists who don’t know his identity, just that he’s a nuisance who is systematically taking out their men and needs to be dealt with. I have seen this film so many times over the years, but still didn’t remember all of the twists and turns to the story. Things get pretty tense, and I was constantly glued to my seat. Whenever it seems like President Marshall has the upper hand, the terrorists retaliate, and things take a turn for the worse, until the president regroups and forms a new plan. Harrison Ford is excellent in this role—he really commands the authority of a president, but also emotes the feelings of a man trying to save his family and friends. Ford looks natural beating up terrorists and killing them with his bare hands…even at the age of 54. And Gary Oldman is wickedly evil—you really believe this man’s unflinching devotion to his cause, and that he is willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. There are so many other great, recognizable actors among the staffers on the plane and the politicians on the ground. This is definitely a film that stands up to repeat viewings.

Sony’s new 4K UltraHD release provide a noticeable improvement over the previous Blu-ray, which already looked fantastic in its own right. The picture shows an increase in detail and clarity, especially in faces, clothing and other textures. Colors are bright, and black levels look great—from the opening title sequence to the darker scenes, I didn’t notice any signs of black crush. The new Dolby Atmos soundtrack sounds amazing. During the initial hijack, as bullets are flying, you can hear them whizzing by in every direction. There is also the thunderous sound of the fighter jets overhead as they follow and/or protect Air Force One in various scenes. Unfortunately the only new bonus material included in this release is the film’s trailer, along with a previously-released director commentary track from 1998. The 4K and Blu-ray discs come packed in a standard UHD keepcase with a cardboard slipcover. The release also includes an Ultraviolet/Movies Anywhere UHD digital copy of the film.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:04:34)

4K UltraHD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• HDR10
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible), English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish Stereo/li>
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, French Dolby TrueHD 5.1
• Subtitles: English, English SDH, French

Digital HD (Redemption Deadline 12/31/2020)

• Ultraviolet/Movies Anywhere Digital UHD copy of the film

Extras:
Commentary appears on both the 4K and Blu-ray disc.

• Audio Commentary with Director Wolfgang Petersen (2:04:34)
  Director Wolfgang Petersen provides an entertaining, though sometimes repetitive and over-explained audio commentary throughout the film. The discussion is moderated by Michael Coleman, who tries to keep the conversation going by offering up questions and talking points. Petersen shares some interesting behind-the-scenes stories, such as the fact that the role was originally written with Kevin Kostner in mind. He also talks about casting the film, the various filming locations, and explains how different scenes were shot. This audio commentary was originally recorded for the 1998 DVD release, and you can tell it was done in close proximity to the film’s release as Petersen finds himself explaining things that may have been confusing to the initial audiences but seem obvious now—like the fact that President Marshall was using a satellite phone and not a cell phone.
• Theatrical Trailer (2:27)

Final Thoughts:

Air Force One is a fantastic, tense action film that holds up quite well 20 years later. Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman make great adversaries whose characters will stop at nothing for their causes—President Marshall to protect his family and country, and Korshunov for Mother Russia. Sony’s new 4K release provides increased picture and sound quality over the previous Blu-ray release, but only adds a trailer to the already minimal amount of bonus features (just a commentary by the director). I’m not sure if the picture and sound alone warrant a double-dip for those who already own the already-stellar Blu-ray release. Perhaps once the price drops a bit. That said, this film is a must own, so for anyone who doesn’t already have a copy, this is the version to pick up.