Con Air

Con Air is just as entertaining and explosive an action flick as The Rock, but it’s less predictable and doesn’t take itself seriously. And whereas in The Rock the main bad guy was a charismatic general of good character, which hurt the film, in Con Air we have a plane full of bad guys – the most cold-blooded (John Malkovich), the most brutal (Danny Trejo) and the creepiest (Steve Buscemi) all at the same time! John Cusack is likable as the U.S. Marshall, Nicolas Cage is heroic and Trevor Rabin’s soundtrack rocks. In my opinion, this is the second best purebred action movie of the ’90s after Face/Off. (30/04/2003)

A proper action flick, perhaps even more raucous and explosive than Bay's oft-mentioned The Rock. And the biggest credit goes to the actors, who fit their roles to perfection. The creepy and cold-blooded villains Malkovich, Rhames, Trejo and Buscemi, the dashing agent John Cusack and the long-haired marine Nicolas Cage, they all thoroughly enjoy the hijacking of the plane and, most importantly, they don't spare any insight or dry humour. Simon West's overall approach is very easygoing, which makes all the exaggerated action set-piece at the end, with that almost lethal final quarter of an hour seem much more natural and entertaining than if the characters had been deadly serious the whole time and ignored the excited fans with popcorn bags in their hands. If it weren't for the explosive visit to Las Vegas, I'd give it a full rating; Malkovich aiming for the stuffed rabbit at least is downright calling for it... 80% (19/09/2012)

Mr. Blockbuster, Jerry Bruckheimer, produced a bombastic amplification of the saying “so bad it’s good”. Con Air gives the impression of being a unique phenomenon –a film that is simultaneously infinitely stupid, perfect in terms of craftsmanship and bearing all of the hallmarks of an A-level film, but is still unreasonably proud and megalomaniacal in accordance with the showboating of its creator (Simon West was only a skilled hired hand). On the other hand, however, it is not unique, but rather a product of its era, because everything said at the expense of the film is true of the nineties. The following decade also benefited from this, though it was able to more sophisticatedly mask the absurdity of its concepts. After all, Bruckheimer was a pioneer of the trends on which the crafty producers of Marvel movies built their success in the new millennium. They also legitimised the magnificently bombastic spectacles by engaging character actors, who, purely with their presence and aura, added an apparent dimension to two-dimensional characters. However, it can be said that the Marvel showrunners are starting to be more inventive and are no longer coming up with such overblown ideas as to make the pompous method actor Nicolas Cage an action star and give him the amorphous John Cusack as a partner on the telephone. As an adolescent, I watched Con Air (recorded on video from a schoolmate who had HBO) with my mouth hanging open and, in accordance with the contemporary articles in Cinema magazine, praised it as a contribution of a new and better style of action movie (I still recall an article announcing the new blood of Hollywood in the form of directors weened on commercials, throwing Michael Bay, David Fincher and Simon West into the same bag). Today, Con Air seems like grandiose trash, which, with its tenacious bombast, makes it even more entertaining, especially on the big screen ;). I am already looking forward to watching some of the current blockbusters in twenty years with the same liberating point of view. (28/07/2019)

Another one of the big action movies from the second half of the 1990s. Unlike the others, Con Air has the advantage of being fairly original, completely unpredictable, and it also doesn't lack healthy humour and plenty of great lines. It also has a plethora of great actors, with Nicolas Cage standing out – I cannot imagine anyone else – and John Malkovich is also fantastic. There are a lot of explosions, thrilling action, and a bit of romance – yes, the final scene is the most beautiful one. One of those nostalgic memories of the 1990s that will never return and that we love so much. (11/01/2006)

Even though I often change my ratings of older films after rewatching them, I hardly ever increase the number of stars. However, I'm making an exception for Con Air. It's not the best action movie of the 90s, but it is an ideal example that can describe all the pros and cons of the corresponding genre productions of American studios in the 90s. In this film, you will find all imaginable clichés that were used in action movies of the 90s, all the weaknesses and naiveties neatly arranged side by side, but at the same time, you will understand what their charm consisted of. Generous and highly professional production, utilization of quality character actors, and professional direction collide with the clumsiness of pseudo-stars, script acrobatics, and silly scenes. Nicolas Cage with his desperately limited range of acting unintentionally achieves a result similar to Bruce Willis, who is several levels higher as an actor. Cage's incompetence simply entertains, just like Willis' insight. When it comes to Con Air, I wouldn't speak of high quality, but it is decent entertainment. Overall impression: 55%. With the passage of time, you can enjoy the villainy of John Malkovich and the irresistible mass killer miniature Steve Buscemi. (03/03/2020)