Executive Decision

We all have our kinks, and mine is a fondness for this parade of all sorts of clichés. Despite its dumbness, it's a surprisingly entertaining drama about an anti-terrorist unit fighting against plane hijackers. David "Hercule Poirot" Suchet is properly nasty and fanatical, Ken Russell hasn't had a role this good in a long time, and Steven Seagal is most enjoyable as he glides through the air to somewhere far away. Decent entertainment, which you can forgive even a typically Hollywood far-fetched ending. (20/04/2003)

No no no. Oddly enough, it sticks together nicely, and the action scenes work exactly the way they're supposed to. Steven Seagal has finally been given a fitting role, and before he can break his first criminal hand (and thus take part the traditional action dementia of his last period), he is taken out of the picture and other players take over the game. At first glance, this is about a dorky (but otherwise heroic, of course) agent in the standard version played by Kurt Russell, sexy stewardess Halle Berry (she is a good actress), Hercule Poirot with a shaved mustache, a non-Belgian accent and a tendency to use triggers instead of gray brain cells. Stuart Baird sticking clippings of other people's films side by side doesn't matter, because his collage holds together decently and leads the viewer to a well-thought-out but still entertaining finale in which Kurt Rusell conquers the honor and heart of a beautiful stewardess. That's the way it's supposed to be. At least on Friday around 1:00 am, anyway. (26/02/2005)

The move with Steven Seagal ultimately proved to be a big plus, as the heroism portrayed by Kurt Russell is far more more spontaneous and therefore more interesting and thrilling. Seagal doesn't steal the show and we only reminisce about the old good times in the opening sequence, where he stylishly takes care of three guys with a knife, followed by a home cleaning. The action is surprisingly realistically filmed (no long shootouts, but fast-paced edited sequences) and the plot is packed from the very first minute. The members of the team are likeable and the plot follows a relatively logical path, without exaggerated heroism or pathos. David Suchet is a fantastic villain and Halle Berry is a likeable flight attendant. The only disappointing part is the annoyingly drawn-out ending with the database. A pleasant addition to action thrillers. (13/05/2006)