Strategic Command

I don't remember seeing a movie that used so much elements of other films. The whole plot is nothing else than a mix of "Executive Decision" and "The Rock". And if you watch carefully (show me someone who is able to do so) you will recognize various other scenes who are copied from blockbusters.

Although the story is everything else than new it's still fun to watch this B-picture. Dudikoff and Norton are such terrible actors, you can't stop laughing. And don't forget these cheap action sequences. So if you don't mind a lousy story, cheesy acting and horrible action this is the right thing for you.

Combine the two and what do you get? STRATEGIC COMMAND (originally titled EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE, the title I prefer, which was also the original title of MURDER AT 1600). Michael Dudikoff comes to the rescue when the Vice President (Michael Cavanaugh) is held prisoner en route to D.C. For some reason (probably budget ones), the plane is a commercial airliner instead of Air Force Two. Due to the limited Secret Service (three guys and a girl), Richard Norton and cronies manage to overtake the plane, courtesy of a traitorous Secret Service agent, holding everyone aboard hostage for the old standby demand of wanting a fellow terrorist released from prison. Teaming with an elite strike force, Dudikoff attempts to save the day and his girlfriend (Amanda Wyss), a journalist who's on board to do an exclusive interview with the Vice President. Nick Corri is the head of the team, who (naturally) dislikes Dudikoff immediately but comes to except him. As with EXECUTIVE DECISION, their method of boarding the plane is by way of a specially-designed plane, this time an SR-71. But the operation goes wrong, and half the team gets left behind, leaving only Dudikoff, Corri, and one other soldier to neutralize the situation. Once on board, it's time to sneak around and improvise since most of the equipment was also left on the SR-71. The film is somewhat hampered by a low budget and the "rushed" feel that a lot of direct-to-video movies have, but it comes out well enough, helped along by a great soundtrack that sounds like a merging of the talents of Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams. Brother composers Eric and David Wurst should be given some big-budget movies to work with. STRATEGIC COMMAND is no AIR FORCE ONE or EXECUTIVE DECISION, but it's decent entertainment for a boring night.

Obviously, someone at the writer's den couldn't think of any more ideas so they decided to steal Executive Decision. It's the same story and same EXACT plot. Plane gets hijacked, there's a bomb, a team goes in by via plane hook-up, some made it, gotta disarm bomb, and whee!! All the heroes make it. They even copied the salute in the end when the hero and soldiers saluted. Whoo, boy. Someone ought to smack the writers around for copying.

This is a low budget clone of "Executive Decision" (1996) and "Airforce One" (1997). It was also made in 1997 more than likely after seeing the other two films and they thought it would be a good earner to almost directly rip off the two big budget films. It is not the worst film ever made (That would have to be "House of the Dead"), but it is quite weak. Apparently a crack team using stealth tactics don't think of using silenced guns, and gun fire in a pressurized plane does not cause any damage. It was funny seeing "Hal" from "Malcolm in the Middle". He looked quite young in this. If you have nothing better to do, it is still worth a watch, if only to spot the direct copied scenes and script errors. Mind you, it was nice to see the old SR71 Blackbird being used. I always loved this sleek high speed stealth aircraft that led to the B2 Bomber and F117 Nighthawk - used in "Executive Decision".

This film is pretty damn bad. As has already been mentioned the film steals the plots of Executive Decision and borrows a bit of the Rock for good measure.

What I did not understand was why would the kidnappers hijack the Vice Presidents plane ?? Surely with all that potential chemical death on board any plane would have done. In fact why use a plane at all just use a bomb in a warehouse with the chemical. Oh well who knows the minds of master criminals in terrible films ?

The plot is stolen from executive decistion. The aerial shots are borrowed from stock footage. This really only leaves the acting to save it - sadly it doesn't. Stereotypical bad guys and Stereotypical good guys (the leader of the special forces team sent in to rescue the Vice President is a gung ho idiot so that the main film hero can take over - oh my god).

Good look finding more work for all involved in this turkey.