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Wolfgang Petersen Collection
Actors: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Military & War

R 2000 9hr 51min

Air Force One — You know that old dramatic principle of suspension of disbelief? You'll have to rely on it for this box-office smash, but you won't be disappointed. Harrison Ford plays a U.S. president who single-handedly e... more »mploys his rigid antiterrorism policy when a band of Russian thugs hatch a mid-flight takeover of Air Force One. Gary Oldman, who chews the scenery as the lead terrorist, will shoot a hostage at the slightest provocation. Glenn Close plays the sternly pragmatic vice president who negotiates with Oldman from her Washington seat of power. If you can believe that the aircraft's pressurized cabin can sustain hundreds of rounds of machine-gun fire, you'll buy anything in this entertaining potboiler, especially thanks to Ford's stalwart heroics and some nifty special effects. Director Wolfgang Petersen (Das Boot) keeps the action moving so fast you won't be sweating the details. Don't forget your parachute! --Jeff Shannon Das Boot

This is the restored, 209-minute director's cut of Wolfgang Petersen's harrowing and claustrophobic U-boat thriller, which was theatrically rereleased in 1997. Originally made as a six-hour miniseries, this version devotes more time to getting to know the crew before they and their stoic captain (Jürgen Prochnow) get aboard their U-boat and find themselves stranded at the bottom of the sea. Das Boot puts you inside that submerged vessel and explores the physical and emotional tensions of the situation with a vivid, terrifying realism that few movies can match. As Petersen tightens the screws and the submerged ship blows bolts, the pressure builds to such unbearable levels that you may be tempted to escape for a nice walk on solid land in the great outdoors--only you wouldn't dream of looking away from the screen. --Jim Emerson In the Line of Fire

Between his directorial duties on A Perfect World and The Bridges of Madison County, Clint Eastwood starred in this pulse-racing 1993 thriller. In the Line of Fire was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the brilliant director of the World War II U-boat masterpiece Das Boot. Eastwood gives one of his best performances as Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, who still feels responsible for the death of JFK 30 years earlier. Horrigan gets a shot at redemption when challenged by a psychotic but highly intelligent assassin (John Malkovich) who intends to kill the current U.S. president. Tension builds as this intellectual cat-and-mouse game reaches its climactic confrontation, but not before we've seen the killer at work, covering his trail with ruthless precision. Tightly scripted by Jeff Maguire, the film cuts Malkovich loose as one of the most memorable screen villains of the 1990s, and costars Rene Russo as Eastwood's sharp Secret Service colleague and romantic partner. --Jeff Shannon The Perfect Storm

Setting out for the one last catch that will make up for a lackluster fishing season, Captain Billy Tyne (George Clooney) pushes his boat the Andrea Gail out to the waters of the Flemish Cap off Nova Scotia for what will be a huge swordfish haul. While his crew is gathering fish, three storm fronts (including a hurricane) collide to create a "perfect storm" of colossal force, and Billy's path back to Gloucester, Massachusetts, takes them right smack into the middle of it. Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation of Sebastian Junger's seafaring bestseller is a faithful if by-the-numbers true-story account of a monster storm that rocked New England in 1991, specifically Tyne's commercial fishing boat and its crew. Junger's tale fashioned a compelling if staid narrative out of seemingly disparate events, but this film adaptation tends to flatten out the story into a conventional if absorbing story of man vs. nature, as the crew fights for survival against the awesome waves the storm kicks up. The central part of the film, which cuts between the Andrea Gail's fight to stay afloat and the attempts of the Coast Guard to rescue a yacht in peril, is suspenseful action of the first degree, aided by some awesome computer-generated waves. Still, it's a long way to that action, with an extended first act that consists mainly of stoic men, crying women, and a fair amount of "don't go out into the sea" dialogue--in other words, a compelling story has been shoehorned into standard summer movie fare. It's too bad, as Peterson assembled an excellent cast--including Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, John C. Reilly, and William Fichtner among them--but seems to opt for only a surface exploration of these characters, though Clooney seems to have a touch of Captain Ahab in him. You may still be won over by the movie, but for a more in-depth portrait, go to Junger's book for the missing details. --Mark Englehart

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Movie Details

Actors: Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Rene Russo, George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Creators: Andrew W. Marlowe, Dean Riesner, Jeff Maguire, Lothar G. Buchheim, Sebastian Junger, William D. Wittliff
Genres: Action & Adventure, Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Military & War
Sub-Genres: George Clooney, Harrison Ford, Clint Eastwood, Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Military & War
Studio: Sony Pictures
Format: DVD - Color,Anamorphic
DVD Release Date: 11/14/2000
Original Release Date: 07/25/1997
Theatrical Release Date: 07/25/1997
Release Year: 2000
Run Time: 9hr 51min
Screens: Color,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 4
SwapaDVD Credits: 4
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 0
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

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Member Movie Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 5/15/2023...

Air Force One - Pretty entertaining as expected from Harrison Ford. Some jumping the shark and overall had a feel of Jack Ryan!

Movie Reviews

Great Films, Excellent Price

Adam Dukovich | 08/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would recommend this if you are a fan of Petersen's work, because this is the best collection of it. Four of Petersen's best works are here: Das Boot, In the Line of Fire, Air Force One, and The Perfect Storm, all in special edition DVDs. A great collection from a great director. First, you get Das Boot, Petersen's harrowing and suspenseful film on a German U-boat during WWII. This movie started his career. (Jurgen Prochnow, the captain, also has a small role in Air Force One). From the naval combat sequences to the character development scenes, Petersen shows his directorial brilliance, makes the film memorable, and carries home an Oscar for his trouble. A very well-made film, I would recommend reading the subtitles, the dubbing is not so good. Next you get In The Line Of Fire, Petersen's magnum opus. Everything is right here. Eastwood steps away from the tough guy role here and plays a very vulnerable, hurting Secret Service agent named Frank Horrigan. The acting is great all-around, with Malkovich playing an ex-CIA man with a mean streak a mile wide who wants to kill the current president. He brings a lot of energy to the table. Rene Russo is Horrigan's fellow agent. Unlike most movies these days, this film has only one love scene, and it doesn't even progress into intercourse. This is good, because whenever a movie has a sex scene, it loses focus. This movie is perfect, an excellent cat-and-mouse film with lots of wit. Love it or leave it, Air Force One is great entertainment. Harrison Ford takes up the old action hero role and, once again, plays it to perfection. The story is about terrorists who take over the Presidential Aircraft, and Ford, as the President, must stop them. A fast-paced, adrenaline filled movie, and very entertaining, Petersen's work should show Hollywood that a movie can be exciting and full of action and smart at the same time. As soon as this movie came out, the Secret Service rushed to say that the situation in the movie is implausible, but how implausible can it be? And finally, The Perfect Storm. I had mixed feelings over this one. Sure, the production values were high, and the camerawork was amazing, even to the point of nausea. The acting was fine. I am not a big fan of Clooney or Wahlberg, but both turned in fine performances, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio was great here too. The movie took a bit long to set up, and the character development was forgettable. It cannot stand up to Petersen's earlier work. People say you need to suspend your disbelief for Air Force One, but you need it more for this film. How do you keep a blow torch lit in Gale-strength winds? You cannot find someone who falls overboard at night. There's more, but if you don't think too hard, you can have a good time. Conclusion: Four good DVDs at a great price. If you like action or Petersen, this is a must. Action films with a brain, a real rarity these days. If you liked these movies, try Outbreak as well. Another of Petersen's excellent films."