The original: 

Con Air (1997)

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Directed by: 

Simon West (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The General’s Daughter, The Expendables 2)

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Starring: 

Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Colm Meaney, Steve Buscemi, Ving Rhames, Rachael Ticotin, Mykelti Williamson, Dave Chappelle, Danny Trejo, M.C. Gainey, Don Davis and Monica Potter

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Newly released convict Cameron Poe (Cage) is homeward bound, finding himself on the wrong plane, at the wrong time as an assortment of colourful criminals hijack this prison transport and glorious mayhem ensues.

 

‘90s action films are a special breed, and the Cage Trilogy of The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off remain gold standard classics of this incomparable sub-genre.

Elevated above more forgettable rock em, sock em’s by a stellar cast who are either having a wail of a time or trying to honour their contract and collect their cheque, bruising action and an immensely playful sense of humour, this film truly puts the Guilty into Guilty Pleasure.

 

Dumb, fun and full of guns, Con Air is not a good film in any traditional meaning of the word, but with just the right level of intoxication, it becomes transcendent.

Tongue-so-far-in-cheek it’d make a pantomime Dame blush, action-packed to the point of bursting at the seams and showing off more sweaty men than a sauna filled with sumo’s, this is a glorious detour into anarchy, violence and mid-air carnage.

 

Shot like a music video and edited to an inch of its life, Con Air remains a comedic, ridiculous, insanely enjoyable ride of lunacy which soars high and buzzes low.

 

Just next time, remember to take the bus.

 

 

 

Garland Greene (as Sweet Home Alabama plays)- “Define irony. Bunch of idiots dancing on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash.”

 

 

Duncan Malloy (about his Corvette)- “Beautiful? Sunsets are beautiful. Newborn babies are beautiful. This... this is fucking spectacular!”

 

 

Cameron Poe- “Put the bunny…. back in the box.”

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