In 1993, Los Angeles Times staff writer Eric Malnic wrote an article, titled “When Jailbirds Fly, They Always Use Con Air”, about the U.S. Marshals Service’s Air Operations Division, which flies prisoners for various purposes on Boeing 727s. He declared that “there’s never been a successful escape attempt on Con Air”. Naturally, Hollywood made a movie about it: directed by Simon West, Con Air (1997) became a box office success, and was one of the most memorable 90s action movies.
Despite mixed reviews, it was highly praised for its action sequences and the performances of its star-studded cast (which includes Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich and John Cusack, among others). It even received Oscar nominations for Best Sound and Best Original Song. Over the years, it has especially gained a cult following among Nicolas Cage’s fans. While The Rock (1996) introduced him as an action star, Con Air made him a hero.
What Is Con Air About?
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When U.S. Army Ranger Sgt. Cameron Poe kills a man to defend his wife Tricia’s honor, he is sentenced to 7–10 years in prison. He spends the next 8 years sending letters to Tricia and their daughter Casey (whom he has not seen yet), until he finally becomes eligible for parole. He is soon boarding a prisoner-transport plane (dubbed ‘Jailbird’), all set to return home on Casey’s 8th birthday. In addition to his cellmate Michael O’Dell, Cameron is joined by the “worst of the worst” convicts, who are being transported to a new supermax prison. These include Cyrus “the Virus” Grissom; Nathan “Diamond Dog” Jones; Joe “Pinball” Parker; Earl “Swamp Thing” Williams; William “Bedlam” Bedford; and John "Johnny 23" Baca (so-called due to his 23 rape convictions).
Cyrus, Nathan and Joe hijack the plane shortly after it takes off. They first plan to land at Carson Airport as per schedule for the transfer of inmates, before heading towards a non-extradition country. Once they arrive, the guards are gagged and disguised as inmates so the ground crew is not suspicious. New prisoners on the plane include Francisco Cindino and serial killer Garland Greene (“a national treasure”). The authorities eventually figure out that the plane has been taken over as Cameron had planted a tape recorder on one of the guards. However, the hijackers have already escaped by then and are flying to Lerner Airfield, a remote airstrip, where they plan to transfer to another plane that is owned by Francisco’s cartel. Pinball also disposes of the plane’s transponder, but is killed while trying to board it again during take-off.
On the ground, U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin and DEA agent Duncan Malloy attempt to track the plane’s whereabouts. When Vince contacts Casey, Cameron overhears his name and secretly writes him a message about their destination on Pinball’s body before throwing it out of the plane. When Vince hears of this, he informs the National Guard and drives to Lerner, where the inmates are already waiting for the other plane to arrive. It is soon discovered that Francisco is planning to escape on a hidden private jet, which Vince successfully stops. Just as a National Guard convoy arrives, the inmates strike back and eventually fly away on Jailbird.
Cyrus finds out that Poe has been helping the other side, and is about to execute him when Larkin and Malloy arrive in attack helicopters. A prolonged fighting scene follows, at the end of which Swamp Thing is forced to land the plane on the crowded Las Vegas Strip. Cyrus, Diamond Dog and Swamp Thing flee from the scene on a fire truck, but are pursued by Cameron and Larkin on motorcycles — leading to the deaths of all three. Cameron finally meets Casey and gifts her a bunny that he had been carrying all along.
Who Does Nicolas Cage Play in Con Air?
Played by Nicolas Cage, Cameron Poe is a stand-up character with strong morals and values. His loyalty is established in the very first scene, where he does not hesitate in fighting all three men who have been eyeing his wife. He spends his time in federal prison learning Spanish and origami, while patiently waiting for the day he will be reunited with his family, so that he can leave as a better man. Even though he has a chance to leave the plane at Carson City, he chooses not to as his code of honor does not allow him to leave his friend behind. He also looks out for the female guard Sally Bishop, who inspires Johnny 23 to change his name to Johnny 24. At Lerner, he scours the place to find Michael a syringe so he can take his insulin shot. He rises to the occasion again and again to help the authorities in derailing the convicts’ mission, despite the fact that it is the same system that imprisoned him unjustly years ago.
What Makes Con Air a Classic Action Movie?
Con Air knows that it is an overblown and bizarre movie — and does little to deny it. Despite being predictable (and even logically inconsistent), it does not lack in entertainment. While drawing from action classics (such as Die Hard and The Silence of the Lambs), the film features brisk and inane dialogue (“Make a move and the bunny gets it”), elaborate fight scenes, massive explosions, and the obligatory crash scenes . Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who was involved in projects like Top Gun and Days of Thunder, the film is similar in terms of slam-bang action, but without an over-complicated plot. The ending credits demonstrate the film’s flippancy: there is a montage of all the main criminals, playing over “Sweet Home Alabama”, in which each of them smiles — as if confirming that none of this is to be taken seriously.