एक्सेक्यूटिव डिसिज़न

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.

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

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!

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. ***