Con Air Hits Some Turbulence

Until last year's action movie The Rock, Nicholas Cage seemed typecast for life as angst-filled loner. Unfortunately, he was unable to make the transition to action hero, perhaps a result of his Oscar-winning performance which was still the buzz in Hollywood last year. Whatever failings Cage had in The Rock, he has overcome them in Con Air by playing Cameron Poe less as an action hero, and more as a man out-of-place. Something at which Cage excels.

Con Air is the latest summer fare in the Mission: Impossible tradition. Hit the audience with a quick moving plot, lots of explosions, and don't sweat the small stuff. Unfortunately, some things have to be sacrificed - like character development and realism. Oh well, it's summer.

The plot of Con Air goes like this. Ex-Army Ranger Cameron Poe (Cage) is in jail for accidentally killing a man. On the day he is paroled, he is placed on a transfer plane with an arsenal of bad guys who have nicknames like "Cyrus the Virus," "Diamond Dog," and "Pinball." All the more reason to fear them, I guess. Needless to say, the bad guys take control of the plane and plan their escape.

Don't get me wrong. I love mindless summer fun as much as the next guy, but there is a point when I have to say "Woah! I can't suspend my disbelief any more." Con Air just pushed me a little too far.

To its credit, Con Air has a delightful cast including Cage, John Malkovich, Ving Rhames, and Steve Buscemi. Malkovich is cold and calculating, Rhames is a loose cannon, and the chilling normality of Buscemi's serial killer is frighting. As mentioned, Cage gives us a quirky action hero we can believe in. Unfortunately, the writing does nothing to develop these characters beyond what is necessary for its thin plot.

Also staring in the Con Air are John Cusack and Colm Meaney (Chief Miles O'Brien on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"). Cusack plays the US Marshall with a typical solid performance, while Meaney seems to have been reduced to a stereotypical foul-mouthed, hot-headed DEA agent.

If you are looking for plot, substance, or insight into the human condition, this is the wrong movie for you. If, on the other hand, you like mindless violence, silly catch-phrases, and simple plots then take a trip on Con Air. Be warned, this isn't first class.

MY RATING: 4 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME:110 min.