Air Force One – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Air Force One

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1997

70%

WISE Score

Harrison Ford punches his way through a hijacked plane in the definitive 90s 'Dad Movie' that still mostly rips.

6.5

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Air Force One

movie

1997

70%

WISE Score

Harrison Ford punches his way through a hijacked plane in the definitive 90s 'Dad Movie' that still mostly rips.

6.5

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6.5

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Screenwise Verdict

Air Force One is the ultimate time capsule of 1990s American exceptionalism, and honestly, it’s still a blast. It’s a 'Dad Movie' in the best way possible: earnest, high-stakes, and featuring a protagonist who actually stands for something.

If your kid is used to modern, bloodless PG-13 action, the grit here might be a surprise. But if they can handle some 90s-era gunplay and some truly tragic special effects during the climax, it’s a rock-solid thriller that holds up better than most of its peers.

Age Fit

Best for 13 and up. It’s a great introduction to the 'action hero' era for teens, but the R-rating for violence is legitimate—this isn't a sanitized Marvel fight.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

At its core, it is a movie about a dad who happens to be the President refusing to abandon his family. It models extreme loyalty and personal courage, though that's wrapped in a high body count.

Imaginative

It is essentially 'Die Hard on a plane.' While the technical specs of the fictionalized aircraft are cool, it follows standard 90s action beats without much subversion.

Safe

It is a hard R-rated action movie from the late 90s. Expect frequent gun violence, point-blank executions of secondary characters, and high-stakes tension involving a child in danger.

Enriching

Offers a decent springboard for talking about the Cold War's aftermath, the weight of leadership, and the 'we don't negotiate with terrorists' doctrine.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Harrison Ford is in peak 'get off my lawn' mode here, playing a President who actually does his own dirty work.
Gary Oldman delivers a top-tier scenery-chewing performance as a villain you actually love to hate.
The pacing is relentless; once the hijacking starts, the movie doesn't really let you breathe until the credits roll.
It promotes a strong moral compass, focusing on a leader who refuses to sacrifice his principles or his family for political optics.

⚠

What to Watch For

The violence is heavy for a 'family' watch—people are shot in the head at close range and there is a fairly brutal neck-snapping scene.
The CGI at the end is hilariously bad by 2026 standards; the final plane crash looks like it was rendered on a toaster.
There is a tense hostage situation involving the President's young daughter that might be too stressful for younger or more sensitive kids.

Conversation Starters

"If you were in the President's shoes, would you have followed the safety protocol and escaped, or stayed to help the others?"
"Why do you think the movie makes the Russian villains so one-dimensional compared to the American heroes?"
"Do you think a real President would actually be allowed to fight back like that, or is this purely Hollywood fantasy?"
"What does 'we don't negotiate with terrorists' actually mean in the real world versus in this movie?"

Deep Dive

The 'Get Off My Plane' Legacy

There was a specific window in the late 90s where we decided the President should be an action hero, and Air Force One is the peak of that trend. It’s easy to clown on the premise now, but what makes this work—and why it’s worth a watch with your teenager in 2026—is the total lack of irony. Harrison Ford isn't winking at the camera. He’s playing James Marshall with the same gravitas he brought to The Fugitive.

Why it holds up (and why it doesn't)

From a technical standpoint, the practical sets of the plane are fantastic. You feel the claustrophobia of the galley and the crawlspaces. However, you have to prepare your kids for the ending. When the plane finally hits the water, the 1997 digital effects are so jarringly poor they might actually pull you out of the moment. It’s a good lesson in how much we rely on modern tech to sell a story.

The 'Dad Movie' factor

This is a great 'bridge' movie. If you're trying to move a kid from cartoons to more mature cinema, Air Force One provides a clear hero/villain dynamic that’s easy to follow but adds the weight of real-world consequences. Just be ready for the '90s politics' talk—the movie treats the geopolitical landscape of the era with a very heavy, very American hand that feels like a relic of a different time.

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