Air Force One? White House Down? Air Force One Down! This B movie is pretty shameless in its “influences” but turns out its not a bad knockoff… as knockoffs go.

Imagine this: Eastern European terrorists using both a mole and a reporter highjack air force one. The only difference is the president is neither Han Solo nor is he Action Guy. No, in this highly original script, a rookie Secret Service agent has to take down the terrorists and save the president.

In comparison to the actual Air Force One movie, this is certainly a lower budget B movie. But it’s actually a pretty good B flick… it’s not winning awards but the acting is good, the dialog not so bad (though occasionally redundant) and the action surprisingly impactful.

The director appears to be a stuntman in much the way the guys who made John Wick were. The stunts and choreography here are maybe not as good but they certainly show skill and style. There’s even a one-shot that, sure, has obvious hidden cuts and isn’t on the same level as either Extraction film or Atomic Blonde, but it IS pretty exciting. A lot better than I was giving the movie credit for when it started.

Air Force One Down won’t set the world on fire but if you don’t mind a little jank for some genuinely pretty good action, you might like it. You ain’t getting Harrison Ford and you ain’t getting Gary Oldman, but if you lower your expectations, you’ll get something enjoyable enough.

Score: 77