Con Air (1997)
August 9, 2022 6:43 PM - Subscribe

Just-paroled army ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is headed back to his wife (Monica Potter), but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" with some of the worst criminals living. Along with Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) and Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) unleashes a violent escape plot in mid-flight. Secretly working with U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack), Poe tries to foil Grissom's plan.

The stacked cast includes Colm Meaney, Monica Potter, Steve Buscemi, M.C. Gainey, and Danny Trejo.

Directed by Simon West.

Rated 56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on AMC+ and available for digital rental on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.
posted by DirtyOldTown (12 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
I love the wildly inaccurate depiction of type one diabetes in this film.
posted by WedgedPiano at 7:02 PM on August 9, 2022 [3 favorites]


I am all over this movie. Great fun, Cage's accent is hilariously terribad.

I liked Buscemi's character's 'redemption.' Have always contended that if Bescemi had remained more conventionally attractive, he'd be a much greater appreciated actor.

Meany cast against type, and loving it.

Can't decide between:

"It's got your name written all over it."

or

"Put the bunny back in the box."
posted by porpoise at 7:17 PM on August 9, 2022 [1 favorite]


Anyone who says this is a good movie is just trying to start an argument. But anyone who says this is not a great movie is trying to start a fight.
posted by Etrigan at 7:21 PM on August 9, 2022 [12 favorites]




“Isn’t that your car Malloy?”
“Couldn’t be. I left mine at the office.”
posted by TWinbrook8 at 9:23 PM on August 9, 2022


So when I went to see my bestie in DC in June, we decided--for some strange reason--to binge watch Nic Cage movies neither of us had seen, and you're damn right Con Air was at the top of the list. We enjoyed it because honestly that hair! that accent! that rogues gallery of baddies!

One major complaint is the use of attempted rape and sexual violence towards Rachel Ticotin's character. It was so gross and nearly put us off of finishing the film.
posted by Kitteh at 5:51 AM on August 10, 2022 [2 favorites]


we decided--for some strange reason--to binge watch Nic Cage movies neither of us had seen

Hey, I'm thinking of doing that. There are so many! I just did that with Liam Neeson action movies.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:56 PM on August 10, 2022 [1 favorite]


If you do a Cage review, please don't forget Willy's Wonderland [fanfare.metafilter].
posted by porpoise at 12:29 AM on August 11, 2022 [2 favorites]


Con Air is one of the greatest movies ever made. It just is.
posted by chavenet at 4:40 PM on August 11, 2022


I rewatched this and it's so much fun!

Con Air At 25: The Anarchic Making Of Nicolas Cage’s Action Classic
Characters were musically inspired. Rosenberg listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band while writing, and Poe was a take on the respective southern rock frontmen, long-haired beardies Ronnie Van Zant and Gregg Allman. Black Guerillas general Diamond Dog got his name from David Bowie’s hit, Johnny 23 was a take on Bruce Springsteen’s 'Johnny 99', and cross-dressing Sally Can’t Dance was a Lou Reed song...

But the director had recently read in the Los Angeles Times that the Sands casino was closing down, scheduled to be demolished. He asked them to delay the demolition until they got there, and they agreed. Although the first part of the crash, the plane causing carnage as it descended, was done with miniatures, the rest was real: they smashed all hell out of the place. And then, after filming a post-climax climax with motorbikes and a fire engine, they were done.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 8:41 AM on August 12, 2022 [3 favorites]


Just the amazing pretense that an army veteran whose assaulted by three people with a knife getting pulled on him would ever be convicted or have to plea bargain. Like this movie is great, but Christ you couldn't find a better setup?
posted by Carillon at 12:54 AM on February 18


THAT is the plot hole in this movie that’s bothering you? The script strongly implied that this was hardly the first black mark on Poe’s record, and that he probably joined the Army to avoid going to jail in the first place.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 5:18 AM on February 20


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