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Con Air

Con Air

Action · Thriller · Crime · 1997

Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.

Movie details

Con Air

“They were deadly on the ground. Now they have wings.”

1997 Action · Thriller · Crime 1h 56m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

Newly-paroled former US Army ranger Cameron Poe is headed back to his wife, but must fly home aboard a prison transport flight dubbed "Jailbird" taking the “worst of the worst” prisoners, a group described as “pure predators”, to a new super-prison. Poe faces impossible odds when the transport plane is skyjacked mid-flight by the most vicious criminals in the country led by the mastermind — genius serial killer Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom, and backed by black militant Diamond Dog and psychopath Billy Bedlam.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Con Air?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Simon West

Written by

Scott Rosenberg

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage

Cameron Poe

John Cusack

John Cusack

Agent Vince Larkin

John Malkovich

John Malkovich

Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom

Ving Rhames

Ving Rhames

Nathan "Diamond Dog" Jones

Mykelti Williamson

Mykelti Williamson

"Baby-O" O'Dell

Dave Chappelle

Dave Chappelle

"Pinball" Parker

Colm Meaney

Colm Meaney

Agent Duncan Malloy

Court is in session

Put Con Air on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.