Con Air Review

Con Air


Release Date: 17th July 1997 - Australia


Production Companies
Touchstone Pictures
Jerry Bruckheimer Films

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia 


Genre: Action

Rating: MA15+ (Not 
Suitable or Young Children)

Runtime: 115 minutes


Budget: $75,000,000

Box Office Gross: $224,012,234 
(Worldwide)


Plot Summary
On an aircraft carrying some

of the most notorious 

criminals of all time, the 

recently paroled Cameron 

Poe is hitching a ride home 

to his wife and daughter. But 

he suddenly finds himself 

embroiled in a midair 

skyjacking masterminded by 

Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom. 

While Cameron fights to 

keep these savage convicts 

from massacring everyone 

on board as they careen 

toward the famed Las 

Vegas Strip, a government 

agent on the ground battles 

to keep his overzealous 

superiors from blowing 

the plane into oblivion!

Cast
Nicolas Cage - Cameron Poe
John Cusack - Vince Larkin
John Malkovich - Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom
Ving Rhames - Diamond Dog
Steve Buscemi - Garland 'The Mareitta Mangler' Greene

Colm Meaney - Duncan Malloy

Mykelti Williamson - Baby-O

Rachel Ticotin - Guard Sally Bishop
Monica Potter - Tricia Poe

Nick Chinlund - Billy Bedlam

Renoly Santiago - Ramon 'Sally-Can't Dance' Martinez

Dave Chapelle - Pinball

Steve Eastin - Guard Falzon

Danny Trejo - Johnny-23

M.C. Gainey - Swamp Thing

Landry Allbright - Casey Poe

Brendan Kelly - Conrad

Jesse Borrego - Francisco Cindino

John Roselius - Skip Devers

Crew
Director - Simon West

Writer - Scott Rosenberg

Executive Producers - Chad Oman, Jonathan Hensleigh, Jim Kouf and Lynn Bigelow

Executive Producer/Unit Production Manager - Peter Bogart

Producer - Jerry Bruckheimer

Associate Producer/Stunt Coordinator - Kenny Bates

Art Directors - Chas Butcher, Edward T. McAvoy and Seven L. Nielsen (Uncredited)

Visual Consultant - Deborah Evans

Costume Designer - Bobbie Read

Director of Photography - David Tattersall

Stunt Coordinator - Steve Pirceni 

Special Effects Coordinator - Chuck E. Stewart

Visual Effects Supervisor - David Goldberg

Visual Effects Supervisor: Buena Vista Imaging - Mark Dornfeld 

Visual Effects Producer: DQI - Rae Griffith

Visual Effects Consultant: DQI - Larry Whitaker

CG Supervisor; DQI - Darin Hollings 

Computer Graphics - Gregory L. McMurry

Film Editors - Chris Lebonzon, Steve Mirkovich and Glen Scantlebury
Sound Designer - Shannon Mills
Sound: Design - Christopher Boyes and David Farmer

Music - Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin 

Awards

1998 Academy Awards

Best Sound - Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Art Rochester (Nominated)

Best Original Song "How Do I Live" - Diane Warren (Nominated)


Review

'CON AIR' was the first movie that was solely produced by Jerry Bruckheimer after the death of his production partner Don Simpson. This matinee action movie takes you airborne and is enough to get ridiculous in its non-stop action, corniness and pure insanity. The plot of the film however is very believable but follows the typical action cliche in every other feature in its sole genre. It is also the directorial debut of Simon West who has an early career of producing music videos and commercials in the U.K before he journeyed to Hollywood. He was fantastic for directing 'CON AIR' and was proud to include its fast-pace in the story-line, action sequences and editing. I liked how Scott Rosenberg's humorous script-writing fits into the movie with each of these moments that were delivered as a punch in the gut and it worked. I can't be too harsh on this movie for being too violent in its excessive gore imagery as parents and moral guardians abide it. Surprisingly, it features the most extensive property damage and a huge body count in some scenes.

Nicolas Cage was in his second time around with the producer as he portrays a newly pardoned, ex-military figure who gets involved in a skyjacking by his fellow convicts. A remarkable actor with a large presence to steer a good performance but not enough to pull a fake accent. John Malkovich was a deliberate standout actor as he gets hammy with Cyrus the Virus, the insane mastermind behind the skyjacking. Joining with Cage and Malkovich are fellow cast members Steve Buscemi who was the Hannibal Lecter type comic relief and John Cusack is the agent who is out to get Cyrus and foil his dastardly scheme.

'CON AIR' was at its best, a colourful and explosive popcorn feature that has been considered a must-see for a movie-goer who has never seen the film for the first time.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

Back to Home