It's hardly good quality, but a campy fun time nevertheless- Con Air makes the most out of its often convoluted and ridiculous plot- serving up a fun heap of action and star studded talent all wrapped into one package. Obviously with this film, we have to talk about Nicolas Cage, who plays easily one of the coolest action characters on screen since Kurt Russell's snake. So many of these odd macho heroes are so sexist and even racist at times, but Cage's character puts a lot of his stereotype to rest and truly makes the most out of it with his performance. The action throughout is pretty fun at times, and I enjoyed a lot of the subtext and concepts of the U. S. criminal system throughout- an interesting although not so subtle commentary at times. The cinematography is that greatest 90's burnt orange, and the side characters all have their fun little quirks. It's no groundbreaking formula, and at times it can butt its head, but it is rather fun to watch. I also enjoyed John Cusack's performance- a different change of pace for him at this point in his career- and found the music to be quite exciting and charming at times as well. In the end, Cage's badass yet irreverent new take on his leading hero makes the film what it is- and gives us a lot to look forward too through its somewhat predictable story. It may feel familiar and dull at times, but its action scenes are well made, and there is a lot of heart in the film in general which helps it sticks out on its own. It's far from perfect, but Con Air makes the best with what it has- and proves to be a fun campy delight for all action fans and fans of Cage's work.
My Rating: 6.7/10.
My Rating: 6.7/10.