Executive Decision (1996) User Reviews

Three things make this the best Steven Seagal movie ever

[CherryBlossomBoy · 7/10 · 23 March 2011]

(...and seriously, a heavy spoiler follows:)

First: Seagal dies some 30 minutes into the film. Of course I, as a certified Seagal-hater, salute that fact and award a point to filmmakers. They couldn't escape catering to his ego, though, so his character was given an inappropriately high rank (in his other films he also always has some fancy title: ex-CIA, ex-Seal, whateversoundscool... oh, vanity). But, still... what a refreshment to see him off. Indeed I would never have seen this movie had it not been for a film critic who had given away the main spoiler. For me it wasn't a spoiler, it was a glimmer of hope. The fact that in the same accident, that killed off Lt. Colonel Austin Travis (chorus "Haaaalelujah"), Joe Morton's character is left crippled, which in turn crippled Morton's notorious overacting tendencies, is worth another full point.

Second: Seagal is actually very decent inside those 30 minutes. Luckily he was given mainly procedural dialog so his range of acting skills wasn't challenged. That way I was able to acknowledge that the man indeed has a screen presence, somewhat akin to John Wayne. It would be actually nice to watch him if he was any good. Too bad that he probably felt discouraged for being killed after giving his only decent performance so after this movie it was business as usual for him.

Third: Killing off what the audience supposed would be the main character may have been an amusing gimmick, may have been a nod to Hitchcock but was foremost a strategic element in building up a proper suspense. Now you knew you weren't in for a typical shoot-em-up flick that would see Seagal slapping bad guys around and spewing unfunny one- liners. You were instead wondering how the hell was Kurt Russel's character (a snobby analyst, despised by fellow rescuers) gonna save the day and wouldn't he also buy the farm in the process.

Perhaps another gimmick was casting of David Suchet. His fame mostly rises from portraying somewhat geeky and benign detective Poirot, and it presented such an effective and eerie contrast to make him the chief villain. He proved extremely convincing as charming, intelligent and brutally determined terrorist.

Another thing convincing is the plot. It may have felt a bit outrageous and far-fetched in 1996. but not unfeasible. It certainly doesn't feel that way now, no need to say why.

These elements, along with good (but not exceptional) direction and presence of beautiful Halle Berry, is enough to recommend "Executive Decision". I wonder how it will fare some 50 years from now, on its own merit, free from the context of audience knowing the cast and having expectations based on the knowledge. Perhaps not that bad, as it doesn't have that many flaws. Of all the "Die Hard" clones (which this movie is) this is one of those that captured the spirit of the original well in terms of putting an involuntary and unfit hero (in this case a group of them) to utilize what ever he's got and overcome the adversaries in a closed space.

Tons of Suspense, Almost Too Much

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 5 June 2006]

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.

The Pentagon is gonna shoot us down.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 20 December 2009]

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

one word: dynamite!

[Special-K88 · 12 April 2002]

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. ***

Suspenseful action stuff

[NateWatchesCoolMovies · 7/10 · 3 April 2016]

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.

Good Action Flick!

[gwnightscream · 6/10 · 6 August 2017]

Kurt Russell, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt and Halle Berry star in this 1996 action film. Russell (Escape from New York, The Thing) plays David Grant, an intelligence analyst who is assigned the task of helping a team of commandos seize a hijacked airliner that's carrying a deadly, nerve gas. Leguizamo (Spawn) plays commando, Rat, Platt (Indecent Proposal) plays engineer, Cahill and Berry (The Last Boy Scout) play flight attendant, Jean. David Suchet (A Perfect Murder), Joe Morton (Terminator 2), BD Wong (Gotham) and Steven Seagal (Under Siege) also appear. I've always enjoyed this film, the cast is great and the score by the late, Jerry Goldmith is excellent as usual. I recommend this good action flick.

A Suspenseful Action Flick

[mjw2305 · 7/10 · 2 January 2007]

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

*** stars

[iron t · 7/10 · 21 May 1999]

Have you noticed all Seagal movies are never longer than 105 minutes? That's because the man doesn't waste time. If he hadn't got killed 40 minutes into this one, the movie would have been a lot shorter as he would have efficiently wiped out these hijackers. Despite that, this is a reasonably suspenseful "assemble the squad" action flick. Seagal's the best action star around, but it might help his box office career if took some more supporting roles like this one.

Skillfully crafted, and exciting

[Samiam3 · 8/10 · 30 July 2009]

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

Much better than expected

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 27 January 2017]

I saw EXECUTIVE DECISION soon after its first release and remember being disappointed by the experience. I was a teenager back then and hoping for a ton of DIE HARD-on-a-plane style action, which I didn't get; even worse, the film was missold to me as a Steven Seagal movie, and the poor guy gets bumped off half an hour in. I wasn't impressed, and spent the rest of the film sulking.

Watching it some twenty years later, time has been kind to this film. It's actually better for NOT being another DIE HARD clone; there's a ton of suspense inherent in the premise of the guys having to hide from the terrorists and stay hidden for much of the running time. Sure, the bomb plot is done to death and Oliver Platt isn't a great actor, but everything else works nicely, particularly the direction which maximises every drop of tension from the narrative. Stuart Baird is best known for his work as an editor but also did U.S. MARSHALS, which I loved as well.

To say too much about this film's plot would be to spoil it, but it works nicely. Kurt Russell isn't bad as the hero but is outshone by almost everyone else, apart from the poor Halle Berry. David Suchet's villain is a scary one, but I liked the characters of the special forces team best. Joe Morton does injured very well again after TERMINATOR 2; John Leguizamo supplies attitude and a good tough guy demeanour; B.D. Wong has more screen time than JURASSIC PARK. Even J.T. Walsh is present in a minor role. The action, when it hits, is exciting stuff, and the film is only occasionally cheesy which is a surprise - it was the 1990s, after all.

Morally dubious, but mindlessly entertaining

[Libretio · 5/10 · 28 December 2004]

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.

Does most things right

[peefyn · 8/10 · 2 June 2015]

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!

Rousing and nail-biting action movie in which a Boeing 747 is hijacked and an America's special squadron assigned to the dangerous mission

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 7 January 2022]

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 .

It's certainly showing its age, but good fun!

[FrozenDreamer · 5/10 · 10 October 2022]

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.

Different After 9/11

[fischcj · 27 July 2004]

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.

Decent thriller which promotes action and suspense.

[barnabyrudge · 6/10 · 25 May 2007]

Formerly an ace film editor, Stuart Baird here makes his directorial debut with a sleek escapist action flick. Executive Decision is a bit of Airport, a bit of The Delta Force, and a bit of James Bond, all rolled into one. From a post 9/11 standpoint, the idea of an aircraft being used as a weapon against the United States is almost queasy. However it's important to remember that the film was made in 1996 and was intended purely as an action blockbuster. Compared with the other adrenalin-pumping action films made around that time this one still holds its own, and is actually a good deal better than some of the less successful entries in the genre.

A team of anti-terrorism commandos headed by Colonel Travis (Steven Seagal) raid a villa outside Trieste in search of a stolen nerve gas. Though their raid is successful in some ways, they do not find the deadly substance that they seek. Shortly afterwards, a plane from Athens to Washington DC is hijacked by a gang of terrorists led by infamous fanatic Hassan (David Suchet). Initially Hassan indicates that the hijacking is designed to bring about the freedom of an imprisoned terrorist colleague. However, Dr David Grant (Kurt Russell), head of an anti-terrorist think-tank, believes that Hassan has somehow smuggled the nerve gas aboard the plane and is actually planning to release it, resulting in the loss of millions of lives. Having convinced the top brass that his theory might be correct Grant is sent, along with Travis and his commando bunch, to deal with the threat. They travel by a prototype stealth jet and secretly board the hijacked plane whilst in flight. Once on board, their mission is to locate and neutralise the nerve gas bombs, then regain control of the plane by taking out the terrorists.

Although Executive Decision is a largely by-the-numbers action offering, there are a few angles that make it slightly different from the norm. For instance one of the main characters meets an unexpectedly early death, all the more surprising because we in the audience are banking on him being present for the requisite happy ending! The suspense is maintained pretty well throughout, with many hardships befalling the heroes and lots of nerve-jangling moments along the way to the denouement. Also, veteran music scorer Jerry Goldsmith adds an agreeably dramatic air to the proceedings. But these strong points are negated by some unfortunate shortcomings – among which can be counted simplistic posturing, moments of silliness, and a misjudged and overwrought ending. Overall, Executive Decision is an enjoyable and well-packaged action flick in spite of its occasional shortcomings. If you catch it in the right frame of mind, it genuinely hits the spot.

"I hope there's a good movie on this flight." The action film guaranteed never to make it as an in-flight feature!

[poolandrews · 7/10 · 28 June 2007]

Executive Decision starts as intelligence analyst for the US Government Dr. David Grant (Kurt Russell) learns that middle Eastern terrorist El Sayed Jaffa (Andreas Katsulas) has been captured & handed over to US officials to stand trial. Meanwhile in Athens, Greece an Oceanic Boeing 747 headed for Washington D.C. is taking off, shortly into the flight a group of Islamic hijackers lead by extremist Naggi Hassan (David Suchet) forcibly take control of the air-plane taking hostage it's 400 passengers & crew. Naggi demands the immediate release of Jaffa (cake?) & safe passage to Washington, in a high level meeting Grant says he believes that a large amount of a deadly nerve gas that would be enough to wipe out the entire Eastern seaboard is on the plane ready to kill millions of Americans. A plan is quickly devised to board the 747 in the air & take out the terrorists before the plane reaches US airspace. What could possibly go wrong?

Directed by Stuart Baird this is the big budget action flick that may make uncomfortable viewing these days after the events which occurred a few years later & you know exactly what I'm talking about. The script by producers Jim & John Thomas is your typical Hollywood action fare, the patriotic American military charge into some dire situation & save the day, the hostages & America. Don't get me wrong because this is a perfectly decent & entertaining action film although I would lean towards describing it as more of a thriller as most of it's running time is devoted to the disarming of a bomb & the race against time before the terrorists get a chance to use it on America. It's just that it makes for strange viewing after world events, the plot of middle Eastern terrorists who hijack a plane & intend to use it to create widespread destruction & death cuts a little close to the bone these days, don't you think? Anyway, this has a few plot holes & a few far fetched coincidences like the only guy who can defuse the bomb happens to break his neck, the military team who always just about manage to avoid being seen & someone being able to land a 747 without ever having actually been inside the cockpit of one before. When all said & done though Executive Decision isn't anything more than a big budget popcorn flick with some memorable set-pieces, a likable main hero, some eye candy, lots of guns, shoot-outs & explosions along with fairly tightly paced story. Executive Decision is pretty good for it's type actually, you could do a lot worse.

Making his directorial debut Baird does OK, he keeps the one-liners & wisecracks down to a minimum although I did think it went on for about 15 minutes too long & I think a two hour duration would have been better. For those interested Seagal dies fairly early on & doesn't get much screen time which I thought was an odd choice because at the time was a rising star. The violence isn't overly excessive, there's a fair amount of gun play & gory gunshot wounds but not much else. The action scenes are quite well done with the climatic landing of the 747 probably the best sequence although some of the model shots look a bit fake.

With a supposed budget of about $55,000,000 Executive Decision had enough cash spent on it so it goes without saying this has the look & polish of a big budget Hollywood flick, it's well made with a good star studded cast including Kurt Russell who I've always liked, Steven Seagal who apparently at first refused to film his death scene because he thought his fans wouldn't like it (I wish he was that considerate regarding some of his latest films!), John Leguizamo, the ever awful Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, the ever excellent David Suchet & the imaginatively named Ahmed Ahmed!

Executive Decision is a solid big budget action flick that I liked if not because it kills Seagal off early on & I've always liked Kurt Russell, however it's sometimes not an easy film to watch considering world events & at well over two hours it's a bit too long. It has a strange sort of feeling but it's a good film none the less & what subsequently happened in real life wasn't it's fault. One for action junkies.

A sold Action thriller that might come off a little "been there, done that."

[Robert_duder · 7/10 · 21 August 2008]

Action movies as a whole don't tend to be very original. Most of them borrow from the previous hits and that's usually okay as long as they have their own spin to things and a solid cast, a kick ass hero, and bad ass villain. But there is the danger if you release an action flick in the ocean of action movies and it bares just too much resemblance to the some of the others, perhaps superior ones that are out there and I think that might be the one faux pas that befalls Executive Decision. The movie has a solid story, a decent cast, decent action, decent villain, decent hero...but that's just it...decent. It doesn't aim to really blow you away in the likes of Die Hard, or Air Force One (which Executive Decision bore some striking resemblance too besides just being on a plane even though Air Force One was released two years later.) It's also up against and comparable to Action hits like Con Air, The Rock, and the aforementioned Die Hard. Still there is plenty of good old fashion action to be had in the movie but they seem to focus very heavily on the "fish out of water" heroes. They also tend to pack a lot of heroes into one movie with a bunch of really great characters that all seem to want to be the one to lead the movie which confuses the viewer away from the main hero. I mean who doesn't watch Lethal Weapon and say "Riggs and Murtaugh are wicked" or Beverly Hills Cop "Axel is the main man" but you watch Executive Decision and say "Wow all those guys are going to save this plane." You can't root for any one guy despite some big names.

Kurt Russell mostly headlines the cast as terrorism expert Dr. Phil. David Grant. Russell's character isn't the field agent type but he inadvertently gets caught up in the action aboard the plane. I like Russell a lot and he's done a lot of great films, some of them amazing action flicks but this performance was a little toned down as his character wasn't supposed to be the hero type but because of that it took away from his role a little bit. John Leguizamo plays a great role as sudden leader of the SWAT team "Captain Rat." His role is unfortunately small considering how many characters they had to juggle because he alone could have been a great action hero and he has never really carried a movie that I've ever seen and this could have been his chance but he's still great and the relationship between his character and Russell's is terrific if not a little under developed. Terrific character actor Oliver Platt plays a good role as another fish out of water as Engineer Dennis Cahill who also happens to end up on board. Platt's character is left mostly under developed as well when it could have been a lot more but he does a solid job. Joe Morton and B.D. Wong round out the team as good strong characters but again under developed. Halle Berry plays the head flight attendant Jean and does a decent job but as the case in so many of Berry's roles she doesn't look REAL. She looks like a barbie doll and even if she gives a half decent performance it never really fits? David Suchet could have been one of those kick ass villains I mentioned previously and he does a good job of being terrifying but is left as under developed...see the pattern. Finally it should be mentioned that action great (I've never cared much for him) Steven Seagal makes a brief appearance as the first leader of the team but is mercifully killed off very early in the movie. I wonder what made him take what is literally a cameo performance.

Although director Stuart Baird was no stranger to action having worked on the crew of greats like Lethal Weapon and Demolition Man this was his first job as director. He does a decent job but as you can probably guess from my previous description of the cast he doesn't capture any personality with the characters and has so much going on with them that it loses something. Under the hands of a much more experienced director and maybe a better re-write and cutting out some of the multiple heroes this could have been a top notch action movie. There certainly isn't plenty of moments of intense thrills and it almost goes for suspense more than action if not for the multiple gun fights and terrorists and an edge of your seat ending. Overall Executive Decision sadly comes across as a little bland and it hurts even more because it could have been something great. Still worth seeing but certainly won't wow you in the action genre. 7.5/10

Predictable & Ridiculous Ending Does Not Spoil The Fun

[slightlymad22 · 7/10 · 30 June 2019]

Continuing my plan to watch every Steven Seagal movie in order I come to Executive Decision (1996)

Kurt Russell has been a bit hit and miss the last decade and a half, but back in the mid 1990's he was a very reliable actor and he is solid here.

Halle Berry (in her first $1million dollar role, but still four years before she hit the big time with X-Men) was the best she had been at this point.

John Leguizamo is reliable as always in his supporting role. Oliver Platt, who seems to have disappeared over the years was solid support too, as was Joe Morton and JT Walsh.

I remember seeing this for the first time, the biggest surprise to me at least was Seagal dying like he did. At that time, any movie prepared to kill off Seagal in the first 20 minutes is prepared for anything, so It immediately grabbed my attention. As much as he resented filming his death scene, he at least puts more life into his performance than Under Siege 2.

It is slightly over the top, more than a little unrealistic and more than a bit predictable at times too. When it is nine minutes in, and you see the main character learning how to fly and land an airplane, you know it will come back up later (probably the finale) in the movie. The ending is so preposterous it almost kind of ruins what came before it!! All that said, I really enjoyed it a lot. I'd rank this as Seagal's second best movie, with Under Siege being his best.

Director Stuart Baird has directed a movie that is suspenseful, with a good pace and has really atmosphere, it makes for great entertainment. I'm surprised he only directed 2 more movies.

Executive Decision opened at number 2 (The Robin Williams comedy The Birdcage was number 1) at the domestic Box Office and grossed $56 million (on a $60 million budget) to end 1996 as the 26th highest grossing movie of the year.

Escapism with a touch of reality

[Katz5 · 8/10 · 4 July 2005]

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.

Solid mid-90s actioner

[Fluke_Skywalker · 7/10 · 2 April 2019]

Plot; When a commercial airliner is taken by terrorists who plan to use it on a suicide mission to deliver a deadly nerve gas into the United States, Special Forces attempt a daring mid-air insertion into the plane to try and stop them.

Sort of Die Hard by way of Tom Clancy, this mid-90s actioner requires some suspension of disbelief (none more so than accepting John Leguizomo and B.D. Wong as Special Forces soldiers), but holds up surprisingly well. Aside from its hook (the use of an experimental stealth plane to secretly doc w/the airliner and insert a Special Forces team), it doesn't really bring anything new to the genre, but if you like meat and potatoes, there's plenty of both here.

"Call the President! It's an Executive Decision"

[kgprophet · 5/10 · 4 February 2018]

You can call this 90s action thriller Tom Clancy lite. Back before anyone could realistically imagine hijackers using a commercial airplane as a missile, this fictional tale sets up a Die Hard style scenario, sorta. Kurt Russell does a decent Jack Ryan, the government specialist unwittingly caught up in the middle of it. Halle Berry is one of the flight attendants that risks her life to stop the kamikaze group of terrorists who have placed a chemical weapon on a commercial 747.

The writing takes a turn to the tedious as a special forces team sneaks onboard the 747, and come across a steady series of setbacks. Especially tedious is the one terrorist who becomes suspicious of possible shenanigans Halle Berry is doing behind his back. This is the terrorist who seems to have ESP about the good guy's plan, but will stop as he is just about take that extra step, just about to uncover that hidden camera, or find that concealed manifest.

Mild spoiler ahead.....

Also tedious is the bomb expert of the military team being incapacitated, helping to grind the action to a halt.

....End mild spoiler

There is the unintended consequence of the military guys having to whisper throughout the entire ordeal. The whispering undercuts the potential of strong drama as the team tries to put their rescue plan in place. Meanwhile at the pentagon, an underwritten script leaves little real tension as the cliche military advisors gather in the situation room. Oh, yeah, the President stays off camera. It's up to the Secretary of the Defense to pick up the phone to call him. The Die Hard aspect comes as the good guys surreptitiously crawl under and above the passenger cabin, without being caught by the bad guys. The whole sneaking around fills out the second act, and lends to some dull build-up as the plot points slowly click off.

Things finally start to kick into action in the third act, and is fairly entertaining with mostly passable effects. Tom Clancy fans, looking for a copycat movie that is comparable to "Air Force One" (yes I know it's not a Tom Clancy story but who's kidding who), can do worse. Oh yes, I haven't mentioned Steven Seagal. Yes he is in this film, and comes off OK, but it really is a cameo and is not a major player in the rest of the film.

I give this film a 5 out of 10, with a workable cast and story, providing some tension and a few thrills.

Even Seagal is good!

[counterrevolutionary · 8/10 · 4 January 2003]

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.

Quite good for a typical American disaster movie.

[Markie_P · 6/10 · 23 March 2024]

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.

Unintentionally Hilarious

[GeneralB · 1/10 · 27 April 2000]

Warning: SPOILERS

This action film was clumsy and silly, but was still fun to watch, in part to enjoy its ridiculous aspects. Not long after it starts, we learn that Kurt Russell is learning to fly(Hmmm, how could this airline hijacking movie end?). The dialogue was silly, and the scene when Halle Berry unfolds that map with Washington on it was so overdone that it was amusing. It hard to get angry over the movie's negative images of Arabs because they, like everything else about this, just looked clumsy, in particular when the dissenting terrorist is clearly thrown in to try to deflect such criticism. When thing about this movie that made me very happy though was that they get rid of Segal rather early in the film. I wish they would do that more often.