Con Air Review
by Jesse Kaplan (paladin AT mhv DOT net)July 31st, 1997
Con-Air A Film Review By Jesse A. Kaplan
Cast: Nicholas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Bushemi, Ving Rhames, Colin Meamy and a bunch of no-name Cons
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer
Directed by Simon West
Is this the sequal to THE ROCK? Thats what I was wondering as I first saw the trailers for this movie. I mean, Jerry Bruckheimer, the mad producer and Nicholas Cage action star. Apparently thats what he wants us to believe. Segal, Ford, Stallone, Willis are all getting older so why not a new one. Well, I don't know if Cage can be that guy. With CON AIR, he comes off looking like a dirty old redneck who is trapped in one of his earlier films, RAISING ARIZONA.
Cage (THE ROCK, LEAVING LAS VEGAS) stars as Cameron Poe, an imprisoned man going home to his family after eight years in the big house. You see, Poe is one of those Movie heroes who is perfect in every regard. He was in jail because he defended his wife from some thugs and accidentally killed a man. On his way home, aboard a plane, The Prisoners of whom he was travveling with take control of the plane and he is forced to react back.
The Cons are lead by Cyrus "The Virus", a man so deadly he has diseases named after him. I'm not sure hwy all the prisenors started listening to him aboard the plane, I could actully smell the bad breath from the auidence. Anyway, they take over the plane and Cage is a good guy up there who must stop them.
On the ground, FBI agent Vince Larken (John Cusack, CITY HALL, GROSSE POINT BLANK) is trying to salvage the plane. While another fat guy agent (Colin Meamy) wants to blow up the plane.
What to say about CON AIR? You know exactly whats going to happen the whole way. This is a predictible noisy thriller. Where THE ROCK had great acting, an exciting plot and great editing, CON AIR has neither. Malkovich is not convincing nor Cage. Cusack gives one of the few good performances in this flim. Another good one goes to Steve Bushemi (PULP FICTION, FARGO), whom I always like, as a Hanibal Lecter charachter. He gets all the best lines.
CON AIR has some good scenes no doubt, but the main reason it falls is beacuse you have seen it all before. Forget this film and go see AIR FORCE ONE for some real terror in the skies.
For some good laughs, decent action and John Cusack's performance, I give this film **1/2. It's Rated R for graphic language and violence.
_______________________________________________________________________ **** = A must see film. Ex. Starwars, Air Force One
*** = Good show. Look for it. Ex. Con Air, The Lost WOrld
** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. Ex. Speed 2, The Devil's Own
* = Poor show. Don't waste your money. Ex. 8 Head's in a dufflebag
0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture. Ex. Congo, Batman and Robin
Copyright 1997 Jesse A. Kaplan
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
