Con Air

Rating: 7/10 (12 July 2005)

This is a fantastic action crime thriller film from director Simon West (The General's Daughter, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider). Basically many of America's most violent criminals society has created are being flown the toughest maximum security prison/facility ever built. These criminals include: Nathan 'Diamond Dog' Jones (Ving Rhames) - life sentence for murder, William 'Billy Bedlam' Bedford (Nick Chinlund), and the most deadly, who has done almost everything, Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom (a fantastic John Malkovich). All these criminals are going away, besides paroled ex-U.S. Army Ranger Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage), heading home to his wife Tricia (Monica Potter) and daughter Casey. Along with the police and army, U.S. Marshal Vince Larkin (John Cusack) is making sure the flight goes smoothly. Soon enough though, the criminals manage to escape their locks and the plane is now in their hands, and are now heading to another airport for freedom. They do stop off to get more criminals, including the deadly serial killer Garland 'The Marietta Mangler' Greene (a sinister Steve Buscemi), but then they are off again, and the feds are trying everything they can to catch them, while Larkin is trying to stop them himself and save Poe, who did not leave the plane when he had the chance. The best line of the film in my opinion is when Cage says "I'm gonna save the f***in' day!" Also starring Colm Meaney as DEA Agent Duncan Malloy, Total Recall's Rachel Ticotin as Guard Sally Bishop, The Nutty Professor's Dave Chappelle as Joe 'Pinball' Parker, Forrest Gump's Mykelti Williamson as Mike 'Baby-O' O'Dell and Desperado's Danny Trejo as Johnny 'Johnny-23' Baca. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Song for "How Do I Live" and Best Sound. John Malkovich was number 59, John Cusack number 48 and Nicolas Cage number 33 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Malkovich was also number 53 on The 100 Greatest Sex Symbols. Very good!