Con Air (1997)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Simon West

Writer (WGA):

Scott Rosenberg (written by)

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

One wrong flight can ruin your whole day

Plot:

A newly released ex-con and former US Ranger finds himself trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control.

Plot Keywords:

Convict | Prison | Criminal | Escape | Diabetic

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Nicolas Cage	...	Cameron Poe
John Cusack	...	U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin
John Malkovich	...	Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom
Ving Rhames	...	Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones
Nick Chinlund	...	William 'Billy Bedlam' Bedford
Steve Buscemi	...	Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene
Colm Meaney	...	DEA Agent Duncan Malloy
Rachel Ticotin	...	Guard Sally Bishop
Dave Chappelle	...	Joe 'Pinball' Parker
Mykelti Williamson	...	Mike 'Baby-O' O'Dell
Danny Trejo	...	Johnny 'Johnny-23' Baca
M.C. Gainey	...	Swamp Thing
Steve Eastin	...	Guard Falzon
Renoly Santiago	...	Ramon 'Sally-Can't Dance' Martinez (as Renoly)
Monica Potter	...	Tricia Poe

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

115 min | USA:123 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS (8 channels)

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #35192) | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Germany:16 (extended version) (2006) | Germany:18 (original rating) | France:-12 | Finland:K-16 (DVD version) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (uncut) (video premiere) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (original rating) | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 (unrated DVD version) | Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Belgium:KNT | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

2nd Street Tunnel, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The Las Vegas scenes were filmed at the legendary Sands Hotel immediately prior to its demolition in late 1996. When the production team heard about the city's intentions to raze the historic landmark, they immediately scheduled a multiple camera setup to take advantage of the rare event, which is what you actually see in the movie.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Repeated several times through the movie, you can see the camera and light screens reflected - this is mainly present during the closeups of the actors in the police/military helicopters.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Officer at Leaving Ceremony: Army Rangers have a proud history. Since the 1700s, Rangers have led the way in every major confrontation in which the United States has been involved. You men are a credit to that fine heritage, and I'm sorry to see you go. But you've served your country well...

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The New Guy (2002)

Soundtrack:

Sweet Home Alabama

The mad mad mad mad world of violence

While not as clever or amusing as _The Rock_, which this was apparently an effort to surpass, it certainly delivers the pyrotechnics. Cage, as always, delivers the best performance he can, given the confines of the script, and his best _Raising Arizona_ drawl.

The film's beginning sets a hopeful tone, we see the honorable Cage unjustly imprisoned and preparing to return to his home and the child he has never seen. Meanwhile, the penal system is filling the transport plane which will take Cage to freedom with a cast of the worst criminal psychos behind bars. There is an odd parallel to the beginning of _Stagecoach_ as the plane is loaded with the case of miscreants and a cursory description is given of each criminal. The film has a weakness for hyperbole, each character introduction, each scene, each explosion is meant to top the one before it.

Fortunately, the film does have a real ensemble cast, the full roster of villainous character actors: Malkovich, Rhames, Buscemi, Danny Trejo amongst the cons. The law is Cusack and Colm Meaney and Rachel Ticotin (Total Recall). Even Dave Chapelle is amongst the crooks.

Ultimately, the film maintains too straight a face during the ruckus. If you are going to ask the audience to accept one outrageous improbability after another, you need to keep it amusing. Chappelle keeps it funny while he's on screen but it's not long enough.

Unfortunately, the throttle has only one speed: pedal to the metal. Unlike Woo or McTiernan, who--predictable as they may arguably be--are able to build crescendos and know when to let off the gas, this one keeps on pushing harder and harder until we're feeling a bit catatonic. There is just a terrific amount of pyrotechnics and they use up twice as much powder each time. It never seems to end, which is usually a bad thing for an action movie.

But I shouldn't grouse too much. It is definitely an entertaining diversion, and Cage and Cusack are good in their roles, Colm Meaney is as always amusing. Malkovich and Buscemi are creepy enough but not the flamboyant psychos they could have been. Ironically, Cage has exactly that type of charisma (remember _Kiss of Death_, _Snake Eyes_, _Face Off_) but is forced to be restrain himself as the stolid ex-Army ranger.

Finally: what the HECK does bruckheimer have against Corvettes???