Con Air (1997)

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 (uncut) (video premiere) | Finland:K-16 (DVD version) (cut) | 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:

In the trailer for this movie, the flying scene where the 2 AH-1 Cobras escort Jailbird 1 during their landing in the Las Vegas strip included the dialog "Where are they going to land this thing?" spoken by one of the Cobra pilots, and the response by John Cusack's character: "How about the blackjack tables". Neither dialog was included in the final cut.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Larkin runs into the hangar in search of a plane or chopper, Malloy's Corvette is visible behind him through the open gate, covered with a blue tarp. Once Larkin is out and considers using the Corvette, the tarp is gone.

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:

References The Bangville Police (1913)

Soundtrack:

How Do I Live

Best action film of the late 90s

Jerry Bruckheimer's production style rarely makes a good movie but Con Air is one of those rare exceptions in which all the OTT mayhem and full-on action make a film so exciting it scorches when you watch it.

Nic Cage (in a typically bad performance) is Cameron Poe, a US Ranger who is sent to prison for accidentally killing a thug who attacks his pregnant wife. After 8 years of porridge he is freed and hitches a ride home on a prison plane called The Jailbird. But this is no ordinary flight.

On Board are a small army of America's toughest crooks including Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom (John Malkovich) a men on death row for murder, robbery, kidnapping and extortion. Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones (Ving Rhames), a black militant inside for murder. Billy Bedlam (Nick Chinlund), inside for killing his cheating wife's family and dog. Pinball Parker (Dave Chapelle), a pimp and drug-dealer. Swamp Thing (MC Gainey) a pilot who knows a few things about a good hijack. And finally Garland Green AKA The Marietta Mangler (Steve Buscemi) a serial killer in for killing a zillion people and crossing 2 state borders wearing a girls head as a hat.

As you can tell, with such a eclectic bunch of psychos on board it's only a matter of seconds before all hell breaks loose. As soon as the plane is in the air the cons have taken over, restrained or killed the guards and have changed the destination from prison to South America.

Poe, being the good-hearted sort of chap that he is, doesn't rat out as his best pal needs his insulin shot and no one else will help. It's up to Poe to sneakily round up the baddies until US Marshall Larkin (John Cusack) and the cavalry can get there. Easier said than done, as double-crosses, suspicious cons and incompetent authority foul everything up. The result is action overload as the film blazes through to it's anarchic, devastating climax upon another anarchic, devastating climax. At the end you'll be left breathless and your senses stinging with over-stimulation. Con Air is everything an action film should be.

Steve Buscemi steals the whole show. His deadpan, bug-eyed and dare I say 'innocent' portrayal of a deranged killer is the centrepiece of the whole film. The scene where he sings with a little girl (and continues later on) will either freak you out or steal your heart. And the ending is the best you could hope for.

Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin provide a loud, blaring score of thrash-metal and acoustic guitars with the usual Media Ventures flare. It's brilliant stuff and I suggest you hunt down the (sadly incomplete) score CD. And this really did deserve the Best Original Song award over that pansy Titanic one.

Superior to both The Rock and Face/Off, Con Air is Nic Cage at his (worst) best as an action hero and Bruckheimer at his best as an action producer. See it, for the love of God, see it.