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Visitors Review

Ross Dixon 2013-05-22 04:40:12

Nicolas Cage, John Cusak, John Malkovich and Dave Chappelle. What more could we ask for?

I just finished watching this film for the first time on Sky Movies.Okay this film does sound a little cheesy when you first hear about itbut this film is one of the most heart pounding action film ever made.A whole gang of extremely dangerous convicts hijack an aeroplane beingused to transport them to another prison. Nicolas Cage plays CameronPoe, a now ex-convict ready to meet his daughter for the first time inhis life but finds himself caught up in this nightmare with wings. I'vealways thought Cage is a fantastic actor but he hasn't had that manygood films to show that. He is fantastic in this film although theredneck accent he puts on is annoying at first. John Malkovich; wellthere you're only getting better. I am a big fan of him especially inhis role as Lennie in Of Mice & Men. He maintains the psychopathicmentality he has in most of his other films as Cyrus 'The Virus'Grissom, the deadliest convict on the flight.I won't tell you anymore because you have to see this film foryourself. So go on... see it, see it, SEE IT!

mack3175 2013-05-21 07:47:02

Its Die Hard meets The Fugitive

Nicholas Cage is good as Cameron Poe. He buffed up for the role. But itsthe scene stealing John Malkovich has Cyrus the Virus pretty much takes thepicture. His role as a crazy but smart prisoner is well performed. JohnCusack is also good as Vince Larkin the nice but know-it-all D.E.A. Theaction almost never stops. The rest of the cast do well. This is an actionclassic.

2013-05-20 15:48:38

Desperately needs a better release than THIS

It was Summer 1997, I was fresh out of high school, it was a glorious morning in early June when Con Air rocked my world. I was thrilled in so many ways, not the least of which was the thumping score by Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin.A week later the score CD was mine and loved it until I came to realize the horrible cheapness of the package, the pathetic arrangement and the slight running time (not even reaching 45 minutes).The main Con Air theme is one of my favorite action themes ever and is the perfect anthem for Cameron Poe, the hero played by Nicolas Cage. It's very heroic and determined. As for the bad guy music, well lemme just say that whenever it kicks in you know Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom is on screen.Mark Mancina was originally brought on board to score the movie on his own, but 20th Century Fox cut the post-production schedule for Speed 2: Cruise Control in half, which meant that Mancina had to abandon his work on Con Air and quickly begin work on Speed 2 (which came out a single week after Con Air in June 1997), It was exactly this kind of ludicrous scheduling that caused Mancina to quit movie-scoring. But Trevor Rabin came to the rescue for the Con Air scoring duties, and the style and themes of the movie are split evenly between them.The music on here on this CD ranges from occasional noise to all out action with several awesome themes. The first track opens with the aforementioned grinding, metallic noise. Several tracks contain some wonderful guitar riffs that bring to mind the blue skies, burning sand and white hot steel featured in the movie. Tracks 13 and 16 are also perfect examples of the action/chase music Media Ventures did so well. It's rousing stuff indeed. High class it certainly is not but this CD is toe-tappin', air-punching, heroic fun. But it could have, SHOULD have been presented a LOT better.As usual with score CDs of the era, it is totally out of chronological order. For those of you who wish to arrange the tracks in the correct order for your MP3 player or I-Tunes then THIS is the correct sequence:1. The Discharge (01:09)2. Overture (Main Title) (04:18)3. Jailbirds (00:59)4. The Takeover (03:52)5. Carson City (03:04)6. Lerner Landing (03:28)7. Cons Check Out Lerner (01:55)8. Tricia (01:04)9. Poe Saves Cops (02:25)10. The Fight (00:22)11. Poe Meets Larkin (01:14)12. Lear Crash (04:44)13. Battle In The Boneyard (alternate version) (07:41)14. Bedlam Larkin (00:49)15. Romantic Chaos (01:22)16. Fire Truck Chase (04:22)17. Con Air Theme (01:31) (Bonus Track, combination of two separate tracks18. How Do I Live (04:03) (Song by Trisha Yearwood not on the CD, but can be placed here for completists)A respectable label like La La Land Records ought to seek out the rights to Con Air and release a decent Limited Edition with better sound and better arrangement to make up for this cheap, flimsy 1997 CD.

2013-05-20 13:49:20

Heart pounding & intense

This movie had some of the best action sequences ever. Nicholas Cage is great and john malkovich is great for his role of Sirus"The Virus". So when your at the video store looking for action flicks I suggest you pick up CON AIR. If you enjoy this movie you should also get (FACE OFF).

Devin 2013-05-20 02:18:56

Nicolas Cage delivers the goods

Welcome to Con Air.Cameron Poe, a highly decorated US ranger, is convicted of manslaughterafter protecting his wife in a drunken brawl. He is sent to jail foreight years. During that time his daughter is born, but he waitspatiently in his cell until his release date. He is flown home on boardthe Jailbird, which also transports some very dangerous convicts to amaximum-security prison in Louisiana. A surprising escape is made onboard the plane as the cons seize control of the plane, and head ittowards Las Vegas. Cameron tries to alert the authorities but got away.Now the government is considering shooting the plane down but U.S.Marshall Vince Larkin thinks that it's a little hasty and believes thatPoe is an ally. When Grissom leads them on a wild goose chase, Poealerts them to where they are going.Starring Nicolas Cage (National Treasure), John Cusack (Serendipity),Steve Buscemi (Armageddon ), and John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich).A solid action film 7/10!

Peter Terry 2013-05-19 09:50:47

hold the fake accent

What a stupid movie this was. Nicolas Cage acted like a real idiot inthisone. It seemed like he was daydreaming throughout the entire film. He hadnopersonality, and he never seemed to react to anything that was going on.Andhis accent sounded so stupid. Even if I didn't know it was a fake accent,I'd still think he sounds stupid. Also, Nicolas Cage seem to beinvincable.There were so many times he should have been killed. But, everyone knowsthat the star of the movie never dies. "Glory" was an exception because itwas a true story. Also, the story was pointless and the jokes were notfunny. I give this film a 7 out of 10.

2013-05-18 18:04:53

AWESOME MOVIE!!

This movie is GREAT!!! I love Nicolas Cage in the movie. He is HOT HOT!!

Shawn Watson 2013-05-18 06:28:40

Best action film of the late 90s

Jerry Bruckheimer's production style rarely makes a good movie but ConAir is one of those rare exceptions in which all the OTT mayhem andfull-on action make a film so exciting it scorches when you watch it.Nic Cage (in a typically bad performance) is Cameron Poe, a US Rangerwho is sent to prison for accidentally killing a thug who attacks hispregnant wife. After 8 years of porridge he is freed and hitches a ridehome on a prison plane called The Jailbird. But this is no ordinaryflight.On Board are a small army of America's toughest crooks including Cyrus'The Virus' Grissom (John Malkovich) a men on death row for murder,robbery, kidnapping and extortion. Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones (VingRhames), a black militant inside for murder. Billy Bedlam (NickChinlund), inside for killing his cheating wife's family and dog.Pinball Parker (Dave Chapelle), a pimp and drug-dealer. Swamp Thing (MCGainey) a pilot who knows a few things about a good hijack. And finallyGarland Green AKA The Marietta Mangler (Steve Buscemi) a serial killerin for killing a zillion people and crossing 2 state borders wearing agirls head as a hat.As you can tell, with such a eclectic bunch of psychos on board it'sonly a matter of seconds before all hell breaks loose. As soon as theplane is in the air the cons have taken over, restrained or killed theguards and have changed the destination from prison to South America.Poe, being the good-hearted sort of chap that he is, doesn't rat out ashis best pal needs his insulin shot and no one else will help. It's upto Poe to sneakily round up the baddies until US Marshall Larkin (JohnCusack) and the cavalry can get there. Easier said than done, asdouble-crosses, suspicious cons and incompetent authority fouleverything up. The result is action overload as the film blazes throughto it's anarchic, devastating climax upon another anarchic, devastatingclimax. At the end you'll be left breathless and your senses stingingwith over-stimulation. Con Air is everything an action film should be.Steve Buscemi steals the whole show. His deadpan, bug-eyed and dare Isay 'innocent' portrayal of a deranged killer is the centrepiece of thewhole film. The scene where he sings with a little girl (and continueslater on) will either freak you out or steal your heart. And the endingis the best you could hope for.Mark Mancina and Trevor Rabin provide a loud, blaring score ofthrash-metal and acoustic guitars with the usual Media Ventures flare.It's brilliant stuff and I suggest you hunt down the (sadly incomplete)score CD. And this really did deserve the Best Original Song award overthat pansy Titanic one.Superior to both The Rock and Face/Off, Con Air is Nic Cage at his(worst) best as an action hero and Bruckheimer at his best as an actionproducer. See it, for the love of God, see it.

anonymous 2013-05-15 11:41:36

If this movie would be parody, I would give this 5 stars, because it is so stupid!

Well, this movie is one of the stupidest action movies I have ever seen.Themusic in the scenes, Cage's bad acting, cliche villains are so funny. WhenIsaw this movie I thought: is this a comedy or action movie? Because it wasso stupid, that itseems that it is comedy. Stupid macho jokes, awful dialog. One thing thatIcouldn't understand is that Cage is killing people and in the end goes tosee her daughter as good man! He has killed bunch of men and comes to homelike nothing has happened and to show her daughter how good a man he is!Horrible movie. If this would be a parody of action movies, I would givethis ***** stars, but as a action movie, I would give this * star. I givethis movie * star out of ***** stars (1 out of 10).

2013-05-14 20:04:36

Good Entertainer.

"Con Air" is an action film where you just sit back, put logic aside, and enjoy the ride. This isn't the action masterpiece that Jerry Bruckheimer's previous film, "The Rock" was but this is still a well-done action movie that manages to keep us entertained and a little thrilled all the way through. The special effects and action sequences are flawlessly done and make this more into a showcase of skill in the action genre. Director Simon West does a great job and the screenplay by Scott Rosenberg has nice comic edges that add a cool lightness to the material. The characters are all entertaining in their weirdness and Nicolas Cage gives a convincing, entertaining and sometimes touching performance as a convict desperate to get home to his wife and kid. I don't know why so many other reviewers have dogged the film for being "dumb." "Con Air" is just in the tradition of silly action fun. This is a movie that is meant to be entertaining, to be fun and funny. I was never bored and always going along.

2013-05-14 07:50:54

Overblown Rubbish

Few movies can be considered dreadful enough to not have any redeeming charecteristics; this is one of them. Nothing could have saved this movie. I am writing this review in a state of rage, anger, embaressment (of having been seen watching the movie), and pain. So where exactly did this movie go wrong? It had a great cast, an all-star cast if you will. The movie had tons of money to spare, as could be seen by the liberal use of the special effects budget and the enormous sums paid out to the numerous big-name actors. Steve Buscemi was in it, and he is in many good movies. So what is wrong.First of all, the acting was dreadful. I sensed that every actor was delivering the lines the same way that a hostage reads his ransom note. They seemed to be in constant pain and were probably kicking themselves for accepting such a poor script. The lines were delivered with a lack of coviction and sense of reality.Now onto to reality; this movie is not reality. The Rock was more realistic than this. Wait...wait Star Wars was more realistic than this. Ok, no biggie. Action films are never supposed to coincide perfectly with realism. However this film goes so far from the laws of physics that it is unforgivable. For example, what happens when a motorcyle crashes into a fire truck? That's right: it explodes. Or what happens when a large transport plain crashes in Vegas? Yep, that's right: it skids for a few miles without going off of the road. Furthermore, nothing was ever explained. How was 'The Virus' able to hijack a fire engine and why didn't anybody stop Poe from getting onto the police bike? It's pathetic. Steve Buscemi was another problem. I saw the movie looking up for a short period of time when he appeared, then what happens? He has tea with a little girl and she 'reforms' him. I can't think of something more cliche than the child reformer. Oh yeah and children should never be allowed to sing in movies, or at all. The ending was so overblown and corny that it became completely unwatchable. I understand that I view this differently than most other folks here, but I couldn't bear to see Poe reunited with his family. I thought this was an action movie not the second coming of the Sugar Plum fairy.

gcd70 2013-05-13 22:26:35

Formula Action works this time

Another formula action film again works well, this time for directorSimon West. Plenty of carnage, gunplay, explosions and hair raisingstunts are thrown in. All the right people die, and all our heroescollectively save the day.The plot from Scott Rosenberg has enough in it to fuel proceedings,allowing you to follow the occasionally implausible script with ease,while never really making you care about the goings on. "Con Air" iscleverly peopled with some complex (or diverse at least) criminal typeswho help raise the level of entertainment.John Malkovich is enjoyable as always playing the malevolent ringleader"Cyrus the Virus", Ving Rhames likewise as protégé "Diamond Dog". SteveBuscemi takes the prize as the strangest of the lot though, playing amentally ill psycho. Nicholas Cage fills in the space as everyman hero(often victim) Cameron Po, John Cusack is the Fed pursuing the gang,and the support cast includes Rachel Ticotin, Colm Meaney and MykeltiWilliamson.Special visual and sound effects teams polish off this explosive, ultraslick nineties action flick.Friday, August 8, 1997 - Greater Union Melbourne

2013-05-11 02:30:52

A Bit Misleading

I purchased this movie two months ago expecting it to detail a new hair dryer model from the popular maker of hair manipualtion appliances. What I actually recieved was an utter disappointement. It has nothing to do with hair dryers, but rather tells the story of a group of CONvicts who overtake an AIRplane transferring them to another prison--hence the misleading name of the movie. While I must admit that the movie was filled with suspense, and was actually quite enjoyable--Nicholas Cage is a terrific actor--it was nothing I would have knowingly purchased. So beware--If you are expecting a DVD about hairdryers, do not buy this. However, if you are looking for an action-packed thriller, this is for you.

Amblin 2013-05-10 10:57:56

The epitome of action.

Con Air must be said to be a genuine action flick. Jerry Bruckheimer reallyknows how to impress his audience, with previous action hits like The Rockand Top Gun, and now Con Air. Scott Rosenberg's electric screenplay is theaspect of Con Air that really sets it alone. Smart, inventive, anddownright entertaining, Rosenberg presents a story that takes us back tofilms like The Wild Bunch and the Dirty Dozen, where we get to know all thecharacters and get to like them all too. Bruckheimer and director SimonWest really pile on the hardware, and make Con Air one of the mostappealing and best looking films of 1997. The aspect of maximum securityprisoners- including murderers, rapists, and serial killers- really appealsto teenage audiences. But despite their crimes, the characters become quitelovable, which then turns Con Air into an action/comedy. Spectacular actionscenes on the plane, in the desert, and most importantly, Las Vegas, reallymake Con Air a top action movie. Although containing some love scenes, itdoesn't drag Con Air down much more than any other movie. Con Air's filmediting is quick and effective, adding another action movie aspect to it.Con Air really gets the audience involved in the movie, and never lets theaudience stop and think. It's real in-your-face action, which never letsup. Con Air is really a prime example of the action genre.

2013-05-09 13:44:08

Keep Your Trays And Seatbacks In An Upright Position

My goodness, is CON AIR lame. A hulked-up Nicolas Cage (sporting quite the shaggy mane) trying to spit out a southern accent. An assembly of cons so nasty and mean they put Dante's Inferno to shame. Steve Buscemi as a mass murderer? Come on. Maybe a serial peeping Tom; at least that's more believable. And a huge Federal transport plane, in flight, suddenly and violently taken over by the inmates. Really, really lame.Ridiculous as the entire movie is (with its goofball, over-the-top ending), I still had fun watching CON AIR--primarily because it's mindless violence. I found myself looking forward to the next death-defying escapade, wondering how director Simon West was going to top the previous madcap shenanigans. And if you're going to have a cold, brutal, calculating villain (with one of my alltime favorite character names: Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom), whom better than a smug John Malkovich? The action is, as mentioned before, fast and furious, with Cage playing a former Army Ranger finally going home to meet his young daughter, only to be caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time and having to duke it out with the bad guys in oh so many interesting ways. John Cusack plays an "Aw, shucks" U.S. Marshal on the ground forever chasing the plane, while Colm Meaney constantly annoys as an arrogant DEA agent. Everything about CON AIR is so silly you won't be able to believe you just watched it, yet its high octane silliness will make you glad you did. --D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning

2013-05-08 22:06:45

can't be my vette

This review is from: Con Air [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) It seemed a bit far fetched, but with the prison system the way it is throughout the country it could be possible. At least for this movie it had a great ending, the kid wasn't killed by the psycho nor did the worst of the worst get away from Cage's justice, especially the leader who plays bad guys to perfection. All in all it held my attention throughout the show. I'd recommended it to everyone.

2013-05-04 18:37:41

Nic Cage could star in a movie about toliet paper and I would probably love it.

Yes, the movie is implausible and most of the actors are obviously laughing on the inside over their dialogue and motivations, but it's a big-budget action flick, so that's what makes it fun. It has some of the most quotable dialogue in recent memory and it's one of those movies you can watch over and over again just for kicks. Besides, who can resist a movie that has a minor plot point involving a stuffed bunny?

2013-05-03 23:42:58

he ain't an ex -con he's the saver of the day

cameron poll was in prison for a self defense murder, 8 years later he is realised by plane but all hell brakes out when the plane is hy-jacked by a load of mean ex-cons. cameron decides plan afer plan to get the plane stopped by the police, non of his paln works out until he decides for action in the plane, the film is practailly not at all viloent, it has many funny scenes and action scenes.

Sandcooler 2013-05-03 09:56:21

So much speed, so much energy

The most awesome scene in this movie must be that fighting scene wheresomebody shoots our hero in the arm and he just keeps on walking. Thisthing has really slapped together a great cast for an action movie.John Malkovich! Ving Rhames! John Cusack! Steve Buscemi! The relevantNicholas Cage! All in one movie, all in great straight-forward actionscenes that remind me of John Woo. The writing is semi-mindless, withan appetite for destruction, but occasionally it shows more depth.Buscemi's conversation with the little girl is another highlight. Theplot has been done millions of times, but never really this well. Thedevelopments are great, they keep everything dynamic, where most actionflicks fade out and tend to drag near the ending. From that angle thescreenplay is actually pretty creative. It's a movie that's probably atbest in a wide-screen, surround sound, cinema experience, but you couldwatch it on a cell phone and it would still be cool. In conclusion,"Con Air" just plain rocks.

Krista 2013-05-02 15:16:22

Put The Bunny . . .

If you have not seen Con Air, than you are missing one of the best moviesNicolas Cage has done in his career and one of the top 10 movies of thedecade. You may think that this movie would not interest you, but it hassomething for everyone. Action, love, comedy, drama, mystery - just to namesome of the many elements of the movies. Nic delivers his performance asCameron Poe beautifully, and the the other big time actors shine as well.From opening scene to credits there is edge - of - your - seat excitement.With the best songs, Grammy Award Winning "How Do I Live?", and countrytune, "Sweet Home Alabama" and the best lines: "Do you know what I am? Uglyall day." ; and: "What's wrong with him? My first guess would be... a lot.";"There's only two men I trust. One is me. The other is not you.", it isclear that this movie will keep everyone entertained. I highly advise youall to rent or better yet, OWN the movie, and for the next 120 minutes . . ."Welcome to Con Air."