Les Ailes de l'enfer

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

"Con Air" is a typical Jerry Bruckheimer production of the mid to late 90's, more or less along the same lines as "The Rock" & "Armageddon". Featuring undemanding action executed by a nicely assembled cast, it's the type of movie that's designed for popcorn munching enjoyment rather than garnering prestigious awards. While that approach can often lead to a fairly hollow & trivial experience, in this case the unique premise sets "Con Air" apart from countless other routine action flicks.

The story revolves around a flight containing some of the nation's most notorious criminals who are on their way to a new maximum security detention center. Little do the authorities know that they've plotted to take over the plane and use it to transport themselves to freedom. Luckily for the good guys, a recent parolee who just happens to be a highly decorated Army Ranger is also on board and he's not too keen on letting these guys have their way.

The premise may be fairly high concept but it's an intriguing one. I'd have to say that screenwriter Scott Rosenberg put together a pretty clever plot, even though the last act goes all out in terms of action and, as a result, strays into ludicrousness. There's also quite a bit of memorable dialogue, which is helped immensely by the excellent cast. Nicolas Cage & John Cusack are better than average as the good guys but in my opinion it's the bad guys who really stand out. John Malkovich is always worth watching and here he gives perhaps the movie's best performance as the main villain, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom. His criminal brethren include the likes of Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo, Steve Buscemi, Dave Chappelle & M.C. Gainey. That's an impressive group in and of itself and it's supplemented by a few other standouts like Colm Meaney & Mykelti Williamson.

The movie's production values are up to snuff as well, which is no surprise considering that this was a summer blockbuster. The movie garnered an Oscar nomination for its sound along with one for the original song "How Do I Live" by Trisha Yearwood. In general, the movie shows the trademark quality of a Jerry Bruckheimer production.

Overall, I think that the movie delivers the goods for most of its running time but I find that the extended finale goes a bit too over the top. I can understand why they'd want to go out with a bang but I found the earlier stages to be more intricately plotted than a typical action movie and, as a result, more rewarding. In any case, the movie is worth watching for having a pretty nifty premise along with some entertaining performances from a nicely assembled cast.

"Con Air" can best be described as "The Rock" in the sky. The film deals with a Gulf War veteran (Nicolas Cage) who becomes a victim of circumstance and is sentenced to eight years in prison. He is going home via a gigantic prison plane which is also carrying some very unsavory characters (John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, and Steve Buscemi among others). Of course the evil prisoners take over the plane and it is up to Cage to save the day. Overall this is a fine action film which keeps its focus on the characters. 4 out of 5 stars.

"Con Air" is just one of those action movies that was great back in the day when it was first out and still holds its own today. And that is even despite the fact that it is a Nicolas Cage movie.

The story is quite straight forward, a plane transporting the most dangerous and deadly of criminals gets hijacked by the very same prisoners it was supposed to transport. Amongst the prisoners is Cameron Poe who is on his way home to his family and tries his best to see to it that it happens.

There is a lot of action in the movie, almost from start to end, and it nicely choreographed and executed. But there is also a lot of really interesting and detailed characters in the movie.

But even more impressively is the ensemble of cast which is nothing short of amazing. And "Con Air" holds some impressive performances by John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi in particular.

"Con Air" has a lot of one-liners, of course, throughout the movie. You can't have a proper action movie without those. And then there is Nicolas Cage's hair, are you kidding me? "Con Air" is well-worth a place in any movie fan's or collector's collection.

I will end my review here, before the bunny gets it...

As much cliché there is on this typical action flick, this was a terrific and fun one to watch! Come on! I mean a 6.3?! People, this was a great movie that kept you on the edge of your seat with some of the greatest actors of our time: Nic Cage, John Malkovich, and John Cusack. The movie though went to Steve Buscemi! He is just becoming one of my favorite actors, but I'll explain later. Con Air is about these prisoners who have taken over an air plane meant to transfer some prisoners to other states and some are actually free. There is one person, Cameron Poe, who wants to stop this maniac, Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom played by John M. from destroying these men's lives.

John Cusack plays Vince Larkin, a Marshall who believes that Poe is on his side and wants to get this plane down as safely as he can, he does a terrific job, even though his looks aren't what I would've pictured for the part. John M. did a great job on scarring the heck out of me and was a terrific psychotic villain and Nic is so great as an action hero while he "saves the *beep* day", he also has this southern accent that is kind of funny but charming. Now, onto Steve who plays Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene, this incredibly intelligent but insane serial killer who gives you a Hannibal the Cannibal vibe. His dialog is incredible and grabs you "What if I told you insane was working fifty hours a week in some office for fifty years at the end of which they tell you to *beep* off; ending up in some retirement village hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time? Wouldn't you consider that to be insane?" He's funny in a way that wasn't meant to be funny and he just steals the show. Especially how he was singing "He's got the whole world in his hands" at the end when the plane was going crazy. :D

These are remarkable actors, and yes, while the story is predictable and the stunts are over the top, nevertheless, I think anyone can enjoy this film an just have fun. It's a great action flick that deserves a look and a better rating! Come on, let go and have fun. Grab the popcorn, because you're going on a ride!

9/10