Themes: Escape From Prison, Criminal's Revenge, Miscarriage of Justice
Main Cast: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 115 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Former war hero Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is sentenced to eight years in prison when he accidentally kills a man in a barroom brawl while defending his pregnant wife. When his release comes through, he's eager to see the daughter he's never met. However, Poe's original flight is delayed, so he's put aboard a flight transporting ten of the most dangerous men in the American penal system to a new high-security facility. One of the criminals, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich), is a serial killer and insane genius who has hatched a diabolical plot: with the help of several other hoods, including Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames), Johnny 23 (Daniel Trejo), and Garland Greene (Steve Buscemi), Cyrus and his men will hijack the plane and fly to a neutral nation where they can live as free men. Poe finds himself stuck in the middle; he has to find a way to get home, keep himself alive, look after his cellmate Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), who will die without proper medicine, and try to help the cops on the ground, including agent Vince Larkin (John Cusack). Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's first film after the death of his partner Don Simpson, Con Air shows he learned well how to assemble the formula all by himself, with plenty of action, stunts, and special effects and not a lot of story to get in the way. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Sometimes it takes a couple of years for a film to fully mature -- not so with the ill-advised Con Air. In this mostly depraved, pseudo-stylized action film, a perenially distinguished cast goes for the big bucks. Director Simon West, doing his best John Woo impression, recruits the talented John Cusack, Nicholas Cage and John Malkovich for this misguided effort. Malkovich and Cage make the most out of the dissatisfying dialogue while Cusack is completely out of his element. The plot twists keep the film from being a total disaster -- although the romance at the center of the film is a stretch, considering the nonstop-bloodbath action sequences -- as does the late appearance of always-entertaining eccentric Steve Buscemi. In fact, the spirited supporting cast of characters, including Dave Chappelle and Ving Rhames, almost steal the show entirely. Filmgoers didn't heed reviewers' advice, however, as the film climbed well over $100 million at the box office. ~ Mike DiBella, All Movie Guide
Edward Mcavoy - Art Director, Steve Picerni - Associate Producer, Kenny Bates - Associate Producer, Matthew Barry - Casting, Jeanne McCarthy - Casting, Victoria Thomas - Casting, Steve Picerni - Coordinator, Bobbie Read - Costume Designer, Mike Topoozian - First Assistant Director, Simon West - Director, Peter Bloomfield - Second Unit Director, Chris Lebenzon - Editor, Steve Mirkovich - Editor, Glen Scantlebury - Editor, Lynn Bigelow - Executive Producer, Peter Bogart - Executive Producer, Chad Oman - Executive Producer, Jonathan Hensleigh - Executive Producer, Jim Kouf - Executive Producer, Mark Mancina - Composer (Music Score), Trevor Rabin - Composer (Music Score), Thomas R. Burman - Makeup Special Effects, David Tattersall - Cinematographer, Jerry Bruckheimer - Producer, Barbara Mesney - Set Designer, Debra Echard - Set Designer, Daniel R. Jennings - Set Designer, Dream Quest Images - Special Effects, David Goldberg - Special Effects, Art Rochester - Sound/Sound Designer, Mario Roberts - Stunts, Kenny Bates - Stunts Coordinator, Scott Rosenberg - Screenwriter
Cameron Poe (Cage), an honorably dischargedUnited States Army Ranger is paroled after serving eight years for killing a drunken man in a bar brawl while defending his wife Tricia (Potter), pregnant with his unborn daughter Casey. While still under the penal system until his release in Alabama, Poe is to be flown back on the "Jailbird", a C-123 airplane, along with several other prisoners that are being transferred to a new Supermax prison. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Duncan Malloy (Meaney) approaches the U.S. Marshal in charge of the transfer, Vince Larkin (Cusack), and requests he slip undercover agent Willie Sims on board to coax information out of the drug lord Fransico Cindino (Borrego) during the flight before his incarceration. Larkin reluctantly agrees, but Malloy manages to slip a gun to Sims before boarding.
Shortly after the flight, the prisoners launch a choreographed effort led by Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (Malkovich) and overcome the guards, taking control of the plane; when Sims tried to take control of the situation, he is quickly killed. Poe opts to keep his identity quiet and cooperates with Grissom, who promises all the prisoners that they will also be flown to a non-extradition country thanks to Cindino if they help out. The plane lands in Carson City as scheduled to make prisoner transfers; Grissom and his crew pose as the guards and take advantage of a dust storm to make sure the transfer appears to go smoothly, while Joe "Pinball" Parker (Chappelle) sneaks the "Jailbird"'s transponder onto a private jet. Although Poe secretly manages to get word out on the hijacking, it is too late to stop the plane from taking off. Malloy orders attack helicopters to follow the transponder, unaware it is no longer on the plane. Poe discovers that Parker did not make it back to the plane on time, his body still stuck in the landing wheel wells, and writes a message to Larkin to inform him that the plane is headed for Lerner Airfield, then dumps the body overboard onto a populated city. Larkin learns of the message, and recognizes that Poe is his ally on the plane, and calls in the National Guard while he travels alone to Lerner Airfield.
At Lerner, the plane lands but overshoots the runway, running aground. When neither Grissom or Cindino can find the promised plane waiting for them, Grissom orders the prisoners to start digging the "Jailbird" free. Larkin, sneaking about the airfield, discovers Cindino has snuck off to meet with his men at a small private jet, and quietly disables the jet before it can take off. Grissom discovers Cindino's treachery, and kills him and destroys his plane, the explosion sending a signal to the approaching National Guard. The prisoners quickly prepare to ambush the troops. Poe and Larkin happen upon each other, and quickly apprise each other of the situation, though Poe remains untrusting of Larkin's abilities. Poe returns to the plane with needed insulin shots for his fellow prisonmate, Mike "Baby-O" O'Dell (Williamson), while Larkin helps to avoid the National Guard from getting slaughtered by providing a make-shift bulletproof shield using a steamshovel. Grissom orders the remaining prisoners to retreat to the plane, and gets it in flight before Poe has a chance of getting off the plane with O'Dell. Malloy and his helicopters arrive, threatening to shoot the plane down, but Larkin orders him not to, and explains about Poe. Meanwhile, Poe's true identity is discovered, and Grissom prepares to kill him, but they find the plane has run out of fuel, and the prisonsers are forced to make a landing along the Las Vegas Strip.
The landing harms or kills many of the remaining prisoners while causing massive destruction along the Strip. After the landing, Grissom and two other prisoners escape on a firetruck amid the chaos of destruction; both Poe and Larkin spot the escapees and follow them on motorcycles. Poe and Larkin work together to kill the prisoners, and Poe expresses his full trust in Larkin as they return. Poe is shortly reunited with Tricia and sees his daughter Casey for the first time.
Characters
Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) - a paroled ex-convict and former Army Ranger catching a ride home aboard the "Jailbird" from San Quentin to Alabama where he will be returned to his family.
Vince Larkin (John Cusack) - a chief U.S. Marshal looking to take back the "Jailbird" with Poe's help
Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom (John Malkovich) - a cunning, intelligent murderer, holder of a Juris Doctor, and leader of the inmate uprising, who has spent 25 of his 39 years in the prison system and has been deemed a "true product of the system"
Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones (Ving Rhames) - a black militant leader imprisoned for murdering National Rifle Association members and who acts as Cyrus's second-in-command during the uprising. While in prison, he wrote a critically-acclaimed book titled Reflections in a Diamond Eye. He attempts to escape along with Grissom at the end of the movie but killed by Poe and Larkin.
Joe 'Pinball' Parker (Dave Chappelle) - a drug addict, arsonist, and inmate responsible for distracting the guards, allowing Grissom and Jones the opportunity to initiate the uprising. He is also responsible for moving the "Jailbird" transmitter off the plane, but fails to make it back in time and is killed while trying to climb up on its landing wheels.
Mike 'Baby-O' O'Dell (Mykelti Williamson) - Poe's nonviolent, diabetic cellmate who is transferring between prisons and is a steadfast friend and one of the few decent prisoners aboard the plane. His insulin shots were to be administered during the flight but were crushed during the prisoners' uprising, leaving him weak and forcing Poe to stay on board to protect him.
William 'Billy Bedlam' Bedford (Nick Chinlund) - a mass murderer who is responsible for killing his adulterous girlfriend's entire family and classified as a "separatee" inmate along with Grissom, Jones and Greene. Bedford is first to discover Poe's parole, but Poe secretly kills him.
Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene (Steve Buscemi) - an infamous, soft-spoken serial killer who is feared by the other inmates and revered by Grissom and imprisoned under the highest security measures, including extreme body restraints and a Hannibal Lecter-style mask. When the plane is grounded in Lerner Airfield, he finds a young girl, and appears fascinated by her dolls, and plays with her. When the plane crashes in Las Vegas, he calmly makes his escape to a nearby casino, leaving a doll he got from the girl behind on the plane confusing the police.
Johnny 'Johnny-23' Baca (Danny Trejo) - a serial rapist who derives his nickname from the number of convicted rapes which he tracks by a tattoo on his arm, although he claims to be responsible for hundreds more. He attempts to rape the only female guard on the plane, Sally Bishop, but is stopped by Grissom and Poe. He is killed during the plane crash, his tattooed arm severed from his body.
Swamp Thing (M. C. Gainey) - a Vietnam Warveteran and drug smuggler imprisoned for landing a jet full of controlled substances whose pilot expertise is sought after and used to fly the "Jailbird" to replace the original pilot, following its takeover and his subsequent transfer to the plane while in Carson City. He also attempts to escape with Grissom in Las Vegas but is killed by Poe and Larkin, although he may not have died as he is seen escaping the firetruck before it explodes and a slight bit of his head is seen breathing about a minute later.
Ramon 'Sally-Can't Dance' Martinez (Renoly Santiago) - an effeminate, transvestite inmate who appears sexually subservient to his fellow detainees.
Duncan Malloy (Colm Meaney) - an overzealous DEA agent looking to shoot down the plane after the death of Agent Sims.
Guard Sally Bishop (Rachel Ticotin) - a female prison guard transporting Poe and O'Dell who remains protected by Poe during the inmates' takeover of the plane.
Guard Falzon (Steve Eastin) - a prison guard who dislikes inmates and is saved by Poe (whom he had dubbed "trailer trash"), who plants Sims' tape recorder on him to alert the Carson City authorities.
Willie Sims (Jose Zuniga) - an undercover DEA agent who is posing as an inmate to interrogate Cindino about the family drug business and killed during takeover of the plane.
Conrad (Brendan Kelly) - One of the convicts from Carson City.
Production
On the DVDcommentary of Chappelle's Show, Dave Chappelle states that he improvised most of his lines in this film. Jerry Bruckheimer wanted to cut the final scene of Greene at the craps table in Las Vegas and end the movie with the heartfelt family reunion. The screenwriters convinced Bruckheimer to include the scene and in test screenings audiences loved it, thus it stayed.
Reception
The film had generally mediocre reviews with 55% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 32 out of 58 critics giving it a positive review with an average rating of 5.7/10. [1]
