Con Air (1997)
6.751 /10
4036 Reviews
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Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Cameron Poe
... Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom
... Agent Vince Larkin
... Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones
... "Baby-O" O'Dell
User reviews
This is one of those movies which are simply good solid entertainment. The fact that I do like Nicolas Cage, even though he is at times really lousy at choosing which movies he participate in, is of course an additional plus.
Naturally I do like the performance of Nicolas Cage in this movie but John Malkowich is also great as the main bad guy and Steve Buscemi is perfect as the nutcase although his role could have been a bit more expanded upon. The rest of the actors are doing nicely as well although it always saddens me to see Colm Meaney playing a dumbass and/or bad guy after his role in Star Trek.
The story is not really bad although it has the usual Hollywood mistakes here and there. The ease by which they pick locks in this high security flight is somewhat laughable and I seriously doubt that they would have been able to haul the plane out of that desert junkyard in flyable condition in real life for instance. Still, it is not a bad story and it works for moving the movie forward.
There are plenty of action and it is mostly quite entertaining. Sometimes it is a bit silly and rather unrealistic of course but, as I wrote, mostly it is quite entertaining. The ending is definitely a bit on the silly side with the plane touching down on the Las Vegas Strip. This bit felt like the producers realized that they had some FX budget left and just had to burn it.
Anyway, on the whole a quite entertaining movie.
Director:
Release Date:
1997-06-05
Run Time:
116 min
MMPA Rating:
R
Reviews of
Con Air
This is one of those movies which are simply good solid entertainment. The fact that I do like Nicolas Cage, even though he is at times really lousy at choosing which movies he participate in, is of course an additional plus.
Naturally I do like the performance of Nicolas Cage in this movie but John Malkowich is also great as the main bad guy and Steve Buscemi is perfect as the nutcase although his role could have been a bit more expanded upon. The rest of the actors are doing nicely as well although it always saddens me to see Colm Meaney playing a dumbass and/or bad guy after his role in Star Trek.
The story is not really bad although it has the usual Hollywood mistakes here and there. The ease by which they pick locks in this high security flight is somewhat laughable and I seriously doubt that they would have been able to haul the plane out of that desert junkyard in flyable condition in real life for instance. Still, it is not a bad story and it works for moving the movie forward.
There are plenty of action and it is mostly quite entertaining. Sometimes it is a bit silly and rather unrealistic of course but, as I wrote, mostly it is quite entertaining. The ending is definitely a bit on the silly side with the plane touching down on the Las Vegas Strip. This bit felt like the producers realized that they had some FX budget left and just had to burn it.
Anyway, on the whole a quite entertaining movie.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I have the only gun on board. Welcome to Con Air.
Hummingbird Humdinger.
Con Air is directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich. Plot sees Cameron Poe (Cage), a parolee on his way home to his wife and daughter after serving years in prison for manslaughter. He's travelling on a plane full of the most dangerous criminals currently being held in America, they are being transferred to some new super prison. Inevitably something goes wrong and the cons take over the plane, with only Poe standing between them and freedom.
No doubt about it, Con Air is one of the most over the top action film's you are ever likely to see. But it knows it is, it embraces it - and positively revels in it. What we have is a bunch of sicko's and psycho's on a plane, their roll call of crimes as gargantuan as the excess of explosions and quips are. Down on the ground are a frantic John Cussack and an angry Colm Meaney, the play off between the two almost as funny as the shenanigans on the plane - where characters called Billy Bedlam (Nick Chinlund), Cyrus The Virus (Malkovich) & The Marietta Mangler (Steve Buscemi) push mania to a new level.
Enter director West, who clearly under orders from Bruckheimer, unleashes a barrage of explosive set pieces, each one more outrageous than the last. It's neatly edited and paced like a good action movie should be. There's also no small amount of tension to sidle along side the white knuckle thrills. As Cage strips down to his Bruce Willis vest we have a real likable hero to get on side with, yes it's played tongue in cheek, very much so, but his character has been so well written by Scott Rosenberg we really forgive the ridiculousness of each heroic act. Also along the for the ride are Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, M.C. Gainey & Rachael Ticotin, the latter of which does admirably well as the lone female surrounded by 800 tonnes of testosterone.
Junky nonsense as a story for sure, but just like the cast are having a blast of a time with it, so too should the discerning action comedy fan. 7.5/10
Great movie. One of my favorites growing up. Action packed with a great storyline. Great cast too.
This takes forever to get going, but once the plot gets the establishing twenty minutes out of the way, it's actually quite a decent adventure story. Ranger Nicolas Cage ("Poe") gets embroiled in a fatal brawl that lands him in jail. Out on his parole, he gets caught up in a highly sophisticated prison break planned by "Cyrus" (John Malkovich) - intent on hijacking their prison flight and executing a complicated onwards escape plan before the pursuing Colm Meaney ("Agent. Malloy") and an heavily armed squad of soldiers track them down. Luckily for Cage, and the authorities, John Cusack ("Agent Larkin") is on hand to help guide in the Feds as time marches on, and Cage's predicament becomes even more precarious. Malkovich makes for quite a good scheming baddie; there is plenty of action, a little bit of humour, pyrotechnics and the last half hour consists of pretty decent, entertaining, end-to-end stuff. Nothing remotely cerebral, but it's still an enjoyable film that finds a use for a snow plough in the desert! Soundtrack is quite good, too.
Cast & Crew of
Con Air
Cast
... Cameron Poe
... Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom
... Agent Vince Larkin
... Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones
... "Baby-O" O'Dell
... "Pinball" Parker
... Agent Duncan Malloy
... Tricia Poe
... Casey Poe
... Guard Sally Bishop
... Garland Greene - "The Marietta Mangler"
... William "Billy Bedlam" Bedford
... "Swamp Thing"
... "Johnny-23"
... "Sally-Can't Dance"
... Guard Falzon
... Conrad
... Francisco Cindino
... Con #1
... Ajax
... Sims
... Chopper Pilot
... Gator
... Devers
... Pilot
... Co-Pilot
... Starkey
... Fuel Jockey
... Ted, the Pilot
... Bus Guard
... Sheriff
... Debbie (6 Yrs Old)
... Ronnie
... Smoke
... Ginny
... Donald
... Watts
... Londell
... Viking
... Carlos
... Mongoose (Stunt)
... Blade
... Guard
... Guard
... Guard
... Guard
... Guard
... Uncle Bob
... Female Baggage Handler
... Transportation Officer #1
... Stickman
... Man In Car
... Woman In Car
... Cindino Gunman (Stunts)
... Cindino Gunman (Stunts)
... Cindino Gunman (Stunts)
... Cop In Vegas
... Huey Pilot
... DEA Agent
... Tech Guy
... Air Traffic Controller
... Judge
... Guard Renfro
... Guard Garner
... Guard Ryan
... Ramirez (Stunt)
... Warlock (Stunt)
... Old Con on Plane
... Con
... Con
... Con
... Supervisor
... Waitress
... Airplane Pilot
... Co-Pilot
... Soldier
... Soldier
... BOP Official Grant
... BOP Bus Driver
... Paramedic
... Paramedic
... Old Man Under Truck
... Cindino's Pilot
... Billy Joe (uncredited)
... LVPD Officer (Mike Danley) (uncredited)
Crew
... Director
... Screenplay
... Producer
... Director of Photography
... Set Decoration
... Visual Effects
... Storyboard
... Music Supervisor
... Script Supervisor
... Still Photographer
... Steadicam Operator
... Original Music Composer
... Original Music Composer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Executive Producer
... Associate Producer
... Casting
... Casting
... Casting
... Costume Design
... Editor
... Editor
... Editor
... Art Direction
... Visual Effects Supervisor
... Stunt Coordinator
... Production Supervisor
... Production Supervisor
... Production Coordinator
... Script Coordinator
... Costume Supervisor
... Key Hair Stylist
... Camera Operator
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunt Coordinator
... Stunts
... Stunt Double
... Stunt Double
... Unit Production Manager
... First Assistant Director
... Second Assistant Director
... Assistant Production Coordinator
... Assistant Production Coordinator
... Production Accountant
... First Assistant Editor
... First Assistant Editor
... Assistant Editor
... Visual Effects Editor
... Post Production Assistant
... Sound Mixer
... Boom Operator
... Post Production Supervisor
... Supervising Music Editor
... Music Editor
... Music Editor
... Supervising ADR Editor
... ADR Editor
... ADR Editor
... ADR Editor
... Post Production Accountant
... Best Boy Electric
... Rigging Gaffer
... Key Grip
... Best Boy Grip
... Dolly Grip
... Dolly Grip
... Dolly Grip
... Property Master
... Armorer
... Special Effects Coordinator
... Art Direction
... Assistant Art Director
... Assistant Art Director
... Set Designer
... Set Designer
... Art Department Coordinator
... Storyboard Artist
... Storyboard Artist
... Makeup Artist
... Makeup Artist
... Second Second Assistant Director
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Utility Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Utility Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
... Stunts
Videos & Photos of
Con Air
Videos (1)
Photos 25
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