Though the title might suggest differently, Air Force One Down is of no relation to 2013’s White House Down or 1997’s Air Force One. But whilst the film may not be related to the aforementioned films as part of a franchise, it does of course bear similar themes namely violent terrorists and the President of the United States in grave danger.
In Select Theatres February 9, 2024 and available to buy On Digital February 13th through Republic Pictures, Air Force One Down is directed by James Bamford. For those unfamiliar, Bamford is perhaps best known for his various stunt work on films such as 2003’s X2 and 2009’s Watchmen, among others. That in mind, Air Force One Down marks Bamford’s feature directorial debut. So, how does it pan out?
The film follows Agent Allison Miles (Katherine McNamara: Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials 2015, Maze Runner: The Death Cure 2018) who is waiting to hear what her first real assignment will be. When she is assigned as one of the secret service agents aboard Air Force One, her nerves almost get the better of her. But accompanied and encouraged by her Uncle Sam (Anthony Michael Hall: The Breakfast Club 1985, The Dark Knight 2008), who is also a secret service agent, Agent Miles soon settles into the role.
Unfortunately, this flight aboard Air Force One will prove to be anything but ordinary. Unbeknownst to those on board, terrorists have infiltrated the plane and not long into the flight, they take over the plane killing many of the passengers. With the President in mortal danger and a global crisis imminent, Agent Miles must use all of her wits and training to keep the President alive and escape the clutches of the terrorists determined to further their cause no matter the consequences.
As mentioned above, this is not one of the first films to take on this subject and Air Force One Down joins a subgenre of Action films based around the downfall of a famous and recognizable element of the United States government and head of state. The problem with this is that to stand out in this sub-genre, Air Force One Down needed to bring something new to the table and in this way it simply doesn’t compete.
Air Force One Down is always watchable, mostly due to McNamara who adds interest as a young rookie secret service agent, however, it never elevates to anything beyond that. The one exception to this is an extended action sequence that moves seamlessly from room to room, reminiscent of a video game. This sequence alone shows that Bamford shows great promise as an Action film director, and his previous stunt work shines through, however the other action sequences are bog standard. Overall, Air Force One Down is a solid enough piece of work that is entertaining if never mind blowing. That is why Cryptic Rock gives it 3 out of 5 stars.
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