By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Many people were surprised when Nicolas Cage was cast as Spider-Noir in Into the Spider-Verse, a role he later reprized for the live-action Spider-Noir series on Prime Video. For the skeptics, it was hard to imagine Cage as a high-flying superhero, especially when so much of his work is defined by amazing films (including Raising Arizona again From Las Vegas) and weird movies (like Vampire’s Kiss again Long Legs). However, Cage as a hero isn’t so crazy if you remember some of his best movies from the ’90s. For a while, he helped redefine action cinema thanks to balls-to-the-wall classics like Face off again A rock.
Those movies were great and helped establish Cage as an action hero. However, none of them have had such a lasting complaint Con Air (1997), a film produced by blockbuster writer Jerry Bruckheimer. This is arguably Cage at his best: kicking butt and dropping one-liners, all the while panting for the camera and letting the wind blow through luxurious locks worthy of the best hair metal bands. Also, the movie is packed with more talent than is legally allowed on one plane. Ready for the ride of your life? Take your boarding pass, because Con Air now streaming on Hulu.
Your Man Memes
The foundation of Con Air that Cage’s character was an Army Ranger who killed a man in self-defense. Surprisingly, he is sentenced to eight years, during which he writes to his wife and daughter. It’s the happiest day of his life when he’s finally released, and he boards a plane filled with some of the world’s most dangerous criminals. Soon, criminals hijack the plane, forcing the ex-Army Ranger to find a way to fight back when he’s trapped thousands of miles from the ground.
Obviously, this is a conspiracy Con Air is something you are crazyit began with the idea that a decorated military man would be sentenced to nearly ten years in prison for defending himself against multiple attackers. But this is all just an excuse to take Cage away from other great people. It works, too, thanks to this movie’s insane talent bench. This is a movie where Star Trek legend Colm Meaney plays a DEA agent and comedy icon Dave Chappele plays a wisecracking prisoner. Meanwhile, Danny Trejo plays a very good man who has intimately beaten nearly two dozen women.
Scary Good Cast
Other big names include John Malkovich as the mastermind behind the hijacking. Ving Rhames plays the terrorist, while Steve Buscemi steals scene after scene as a sarcastic killer with a funny outlook. John Cusack plays a US Marshal who becomes the reluctant partner of Nicolas Cage’s character. As for Cage, he is very goodtransforming his usual awkward aura into macho bravado. He honestly never looked that aggressive on screen, and he is shining to see, especially when he gets the perfect action hero lines. For example, when asked what he’s going to do next, Cage casually replies, “I’m going to save the f***ing day.”
One of the things is that Con Air is rightfully known for its action, and these scenes hold up very well. The carjacking is really fun to watch, and it’s hard not to get very excited in your living room whenever Cage unleashes his special forces attack. But what keeps the film strong is that Cage’s character has to play a constant game of cat and mouse with the other inmates, thwarting their plans without letting them see that he is a good man. This adds to the tension of each scene which builds to a wildly thrilling climax that offers both a crash landing and a blistering motorcycle chase.
A Movie That Will Make You Smile
One way or another, Con Air a forerunner of the modern, self-conscious act. For example, the completely unusual inclusion of Trisha Yearwood’s “How Am I Living” for an emotional reunion after nearly two hours of insanity is a clear inspiration for films like Deadpool and Wolverine we use Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” as a way to drop the ironic needle for the climax. Con Air and he feels familiar with comedy, as when Steve Buscemi comments on the inmates listening to “Sweet Home Alabama:” “Explain the irony. A group of idiots dancing on a plane singing a song made famous by a group that died in a plane crash.” Long before Whedon-esque dialogue became the norm, Con Air the trail blazed.
Trust me, Con Air a film that really fires on all cylinders. Every actor gives it their all, the high action feels just the right amount of weight, and the music fills each scene with piercing energy. Furthermore, without telling the honest truth, the film often winks at the audience, as if to say, “Yes, we know this is bad, and we know you like it!” Ultimately, this movie is incredibly entertaining, delivering a high-octane ride that you won’t want to put down. But you can’t board until you’re on the plane, so be sure to stream this R-rated ’90s masterpiece yourself on Hulu!
