Con Air (1997)

Newly paroled ex-con and former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe finds himself trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control.

Director:

Simon West

Writer:

Scott Rosenberg

Stars:

Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Cameron Poe, a highly decorated United States Army Ranger, came home to Alabama to his wife, Tricia, only to run into a few drunken regulars where Tricia works. Cameron unknowingly kills one of the drunks and is sent to a federal penitentiary for involuntary manslaughter for seven years. Cameron becomes eligible for parole and can now go home to his wife and daughter. Unfortunately, Cameron has to share a prison airplane with some of the country's most dangerous criminals, who took control of the plane and are now planning to escape the country. 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:

airplane hijack | 1990s | 1980s | desert | exploding motorcycle | 

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Taglines:

A Jerry Bruckheimer production

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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 Spanish

Release Date:

6 June 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Con Air

Filming Locations:

Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,131,738, 8 June 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$101,117,573

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$224,012,234

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:

2.39 : 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

(at around 1h) When Larkin is driving the car at high speeds to the airfield, he is supposed to be driving along the straight road, yet from the shadow circling round him and the sun moving when he is on the phone, he is apparently driving around in circles.

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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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Alternate Versions

Con Air was not cut by the BBFC, but the certificate was raised from a '15' at the cinema to an '18' on video, as it was felt that original decision was too lenient. However, there are reports of cuts to all home versions (including the US releases) so these must have been made by the US distributors.

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Connections

References Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

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Soundtracks

He's Got the Whole World In His Hands
(uncredited)
Traditional
Performed by Steve Buscemi and Lauren Pratt

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