Con Air

Con Air



Ensemble casts usually unite for war films. Actors were kids once too, playing toy soldiers with plastic guns and rubber hand-grenades (Tennis Balls in my case). Signing up for a war film is a chance to relive those childhood fantasies. They do it simply for the fun of it.
That’s the reason Con Air is populated by so many famous faces. Faces like John Malkovich, Nicolas Cage, Steve Buscemi and John Cusack.

Cameron Poe (Cage) is sentenced to prison for killing a redneck with his bare hands. Even though it was self defence, his military training makes him a formidable killer, so the judge is less than lenient.
When the law are transporting their most hardened criminals between prisons they use a specially designed plane with prison cells on board. On the eve of his release Poe catches a lift home to his wife and Daughter.
With Cyrus the Virus(Malkovich), Garland Green (Buscemi) and Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) on board, though, it’ll be a long time before Poe sees home.

When the Cons kill the guards and take control of the plane, it’s left to Poe to ‘Save the Fuckin’ Day’.
With help from Cusack’s Federal Agent and no help from Colm Meaney’s DEA agent, they must try to stop Cyrus from escaping.

With action films, I’ve always said, less is more. With a simple uncomplicated story you’ve more time to concentrate on the explosions and gunfire. The plot couldn’t be leaner here; stop the criminals and get home alive. Which leaves plenty of time for a Fire Engine chase, A Cons vs Agents ambush and a bit of good old fashioned fisticuffs in the fuselage.

The dialogue is great too with Cyrus soaking up the screen as he impersonates a guard, “They’re all spitters and shitters, we had to bag ‘em and gag ‘em.”
It’s easy to forget that your watching hardened criminals as the characters are all instantly likeable. Garland Green (Buscemi), the Hannibal Lecter of the group, is played for comic relief, telling Poe about how he once wore a woman’s head as a hat. We end up liking him, even though he’s a deranged killer.
Maybe that says more about society than it does the film, but let’s not go there.

The most striking thing about this film is how much fun the actors seem to be having, hamming up their characters to the nth degree. We’re just lucky enough to share in it.

Verdict 10/10
Serious Fun.