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.
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.