Con Air (1997)

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

Director:

Simon West

Writer:

Scott Rosenberg

Stars:

Colm Meaney, John Malkovich, John Cusack

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Colm Meaney	...	Duncan Malloy
Mykelti Williamson	...	Baby-O
Nick Chinlund	...	Billy Bedlam
John Malkovich	...	Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom
Steve Buscemi	...	Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene
Ving Rhames	...	Diamond Dog
Dave Chappelle	...	Pinball
Rachel Ticotin	...	Guard Sally Bishop
Danny Trejo	...	Johnny-23
M.C. Gainey	...	Swamp Thing
Steve Eastin	...	Guard Falzon
John Cusack	...	Vince Larkin
Renoly Santiago	...	Ramon 'Sally-Can't Dance' Martinez (as Renoly)
Monica Potter	...	Tricia Poe
Landry Allbright	...	Casey Poe

Storyline

Cameron Poe, who is a highly decorated United States Army Ranger came to his home of Alabama to his wife, Tricia. only to run into a few drunken regulars at where Tricia works. Cameron unknowingly kills one of the drunks and was sent to a federal penitentiary for involuntary manslaughter for seven years. Then, Cameron became eligible for parole and can now go home to his wife and daughter, Casey. Unfortunately, Cameron has to share a prison airplane with some of the most dangerous criminals in the country, who somehow took control of the plane and are now planning to escape the country with the plane. Cameron has to find a way to stop them while playing along. Meanwhile, United States Marshal Vincent Larkin is trying to help Cameron get free and stop the criminals including, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom.

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Plot Keywords:

convict | prison | criminal | escape | army rangers | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to Con Air.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Air bagnards

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$24,131,738 (USA) (6 June 1997)

Gross:

$101,087,161 (USA) (3 October 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Kouf/Bigelow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 123 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "How Do I Live" was nominated for both an Oscar as Best Original Song and a Razzie as Worst Original Song. It did not win either award.

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Goofs

When the plane lands in Carson City for the transfer of prisoners, the waiting guards have "Department of Prisons" across their backs while the bus that transported the prisoners says, "Bureau of Prisons". A government entity would use either "Department" or "Bureau" but never both to identify itself.

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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, and you've displayed the ability to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete its mission, never leaving behind a fallen comrade no matter what the odds or the enemy. I thank you. America thanks you. And I wish you luck ...

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Crazy Credits

In Memory of PHIL SWARTZ

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Connections

References The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

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Soundtracks

"How Do I Live"
Written by Diane Warren
Performed by Trisha Yearwood
Courtesy of MCA Nashville, a division of MCA Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Pretty standard stuff, but enjoyable enough

Con Air is what I've come to expect of a standard Hollywood action flick, nothing more, nothing less. It's got plenty of action, big explosions, one-liners and pure entertainment value. The plot is pretty good, somewhat original, and fairly fast-paced. The acting is good, and the film has a surprisingly large amount of well-known good actors; Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Danny Trejo, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames and John Malkovich. They all give good performances, as do most of the supporting actors. The characters are well-written and credible. I found it interesting how most of the characters aren't all black or white in their actions and personalities; many of them have a shade of gray or two. The action is well-done, exciting and intense. The special effects(the few there are) are good enough. The ending may be a little extreme, but it's a good climax, and the good things in the film make up for the bad; granted, there are a few downright lame parts, but there are far more good parts than bad. All in all, everything you'd expect from a Jerry Bruckheimer action film, and nothing else. I recommend it to fans of standard action films. 7/10