Con Air

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2:24

Con Air

R

Released Jun 6, 1997

1h 55m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

58%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Just-paroled army ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is headed back to his wife (Monica Potter), but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" with some of the worst criminals living. Along with Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) and Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) unleashes a violent escape plot in mid-flight. Secretly working with U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack), Poe tries to foil Grissom's plan.

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Critics Consensus

Con Air won't win any awards for believability - and all involved seem cheerfully aware of it, making some of this blockbuster action outing's biggest flaws fairly easy to forgive.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

The saving grace of Con Air is its sense of its own absurdity. Rosenberg and director Simon West seem to know just how preposterous their story is.

Feb 28, 2018

Full Review

Carol Buckland

CNN.com

It's exhausting rather than exhilarating.

Jan 5, 2018

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Duane Byrge

The Hollywood Reporter

Packed high with explosive action and loaded with high-stakes jeopardy, Con Air charts a generally sound narrative course, although it hits some story turbulence before it hits its climactic jackpot.

Jun 6, 2017

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

Writer Scott Rosenberg throws in plenty of conundrums, curveballs and extra characters...

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 7, 2022

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The bunny is a good indication that the script, by Scott Rosenberg, was intended as a deadpan goof on stupid action flicks.

Rated: C

Sep 1, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“Con Air” never takes itself too seriously. It knows how preposterous it is and doesn’t try to be anything other than wild raucous popcorn entertainment. And sometimes that’s all I’m in the mood for.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 16, 2022

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Jonathan O

You will have a blast with a big smile on your face and no Michael Bay didn't direct and produce but you can feel the vibe especially blowing stuffs up and Hans Zimmer did not score the music but you can also feel it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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Shaun R

The last 10 minutes of this film seems to drag on and becomes a gushy mess. Ashame as the rest of the movie was half decent.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/25

Full Review

Aleksander B

Fantastic movie! Been watching it for years and can't get enough of it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

Benjamin H

Con Air is an over the top, exhilarating and well paced action flick that basks in its absurdities and the cast's tuned in performances, in spite of having some underwhelming dialogue, characters that mostly serve as plot devices (except for Nic Cage's character) and a few setpieces that are a bit slovenly put together.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

Full Review

Ralph R

Con Air is a great action movie that knows exactly how to deliver an entertaining ride. The first act kicks off with a solid character buildup-short but effective-and the second act ramps up the tension, keeping it steady all the way to the end. The acting is top-notch, with a star-studded cast that truly delivers. Nicolas Cage holds his own in the lead role, but the ensemble cast, packed with some of Hollywood's finest, really shines. Each performance adds to the intensity and fun of the film. Cinematography isn't groundbreaking, but it does the job, letting the action take center stage without distraction. What really stands out is the script-it's surprisingly layered in certain scenes, offering more depth than your typical action flick. Overall, Con Air balances great performances, tension, and an unexpectedly thoughtful script, making it a must-watch for any action movie fan.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

Full Review

Mike M

7.8/10 Con Air is a fun 90s action movie with plenty of things to enjoy. The action is highly entertaining and over-the-top. The cast is stacked with stars who all play an amazing and iconic performance. If you’re in the mood for Cage in action mode and big-budget explosions, this film is worth a watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/28/24

Full Review

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Simon West

Director

Nicolas Cage

Cameron Poe

John Cusack

U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin

John Malkovich

Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom

Steve Buscemi

Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene

Ving Rhames

Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones

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Rotten Tomatoes is Wrong About… Nicolas Cage

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Con Air: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Just-paroled army ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is headed back to his wife (Monica Potter), but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" with some of the worst criminals living. Along with Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames) and Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich) unleashes a violent escape plot in mid-flight. Secretly working with U.S. Marshall Vince Larkin (John Cusack), Poe tries to foil Grissom's plan.

Director: Simon West
Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter: Scott Rosenberg
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Runway Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Kouf/Bigelow Productions, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Hiett Designs of Las Vegas
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 6, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $101.1M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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