Some scenes are ridiculous, some are pointless, and some are pretty cool

Rating: 5/10 (12 June 2005)

I have a mixed feeling about the 1997 film Con Air. At some points in the film I would just sigh and realize how stupid the part I was watching. At other parts I'd be on the edge of my seat enjoying every second of the action or dialog. And yet at other parts I would yawn and nearly fall asleep. It was pretty weird.
As the story goes, Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is a former US ranger preparing to be a father with his wife. But after a late night of drinking his wife keeps getting hounded by a two guys at the bar. Cameron and his wife leave but are attacked outside by the two men. Cameron accidentally kills one of them and soon finds himself in police custody.
He is convicted of manslaughter and sent to do time which he does and is scheduled to be released. On his flight home, on a plane filled with murders, terrorists, and just plain filth of the earth, high-profiled prisoner Cyrus (John Malkovich) sees an opportuntiy to hijack the plane. After a struggle with the guards, the felons seize control of the plane. Not being part of it and just wanting to see his wife and daughter, Cameron makes attempts to contact US Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack)who can help him save the guards and felons that have no part in the hijacking.
The film goes from the skies, to the deserts of Nevada, to the main strip of Las Vegas. the action isn't spectacular and highly unbelievable at most scenes. Nicolas Cage isn't exactly my favorite actor but does go from being the usual, boring, weak guy to a tough soldier. The script isn't exactly strong but some scenes are filmed and acted beautifully. John Malkovich is brilliant and is beginning to top my charts as one of the best actors around.
All in all the film wasn't terrible. It could have been a lot better with a little less focus on the man getting back to his wife plot and more of just survival plot. I enjoyed it at some scenes and hated it at others. Nicolas Cage is entertaining is entertaining at the least and does have a tough guy attitude. John Cusack gives a better-then-average performance and is pretty cool at some scenes.
In the end, Con Air just doesn't match up to Cage's previous action flick The Rock (1996) which was pretty awesome. Director Simon West had the right setting but never reaches what he originally set out to do in creating a top action film.
Con Air. Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Malkovich, John Cusack, and Rachel Ticotin.
2 1/2 out of 5 Stars.