Our first Cage Match takes flight with a 90’s heavyweight: the over-the-top action flick “Con Air” and the Southern charms of Nicolas Cage.
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IN THIS CORNER: KELLY MINTZER
The Lowdown
Con Air. Oh boy, was this movie dumb. I want to preface anything and everything I have to say by acknowledging that a LOT of people love this movie… hard. Intensely. My partner, who is the smartest, kindest, most insightful person I know, described it as “an excellent movie” (there may have been some irony, but I think, overwhelmingly, they were being sincere). So look. I get it. I’m taking a controversial stance here. But I did not care for this movie.
I’m on board with the initial premise, though I’m not entirely convinced that a judge would sentence a guy to that much jail for the act of not getting killed. We’ll allow it. However, it is awfully easy for the cons to take over the plane. Whatever, I’ll suspend my disbelief in the name of Bruckheimer’s nonsense. My general antipathy to the movie can be credited to two major factors: one, it’s pretty damn bigoted, and two, there’s just too many ticking clocks.
Look, maybe no cocaine was involved in this movie. It’s possible! I’d be shocked, but it could be. And I can see how an audience might enjoy it. I did not. Boy, oh boy, is it stupid. Stupid can be fun! I sometimes love stupid! In fact, this movie made me really excited to rewatch The Rock, which I think is closer to what I hoped this movie would be. But for me personally, this was a pretty painful 2 hours.
*Important and weird reminder that the song “How Do I Live” was somehow written FOR this movie.
The Cage Factor:
That’s what we’re all here for, right? I tend to like my Cage performances either deeply bonkers or profoundly good. This is neither. There’s a difficult-to-discern accent at play, and he’s much more reserved than you might expect from a movie with such a ludicrous premise. That said, it’s not a bad performance. He’s watchable! His wig is BANANAS! I actually feel a bit like John Cusack is giving a more Cage-y performance in this particular movie, but I have to give credit where it’s due; Cage manages to deliver lines like: “What are you going to do?” “Save the fucking day” with as much gravity as you could reasonably expect. Overall, our guy acquits himself well enough.
AND IN THIS CORNER: STEPHANIE MALONE
The Lowdown
Sure, I understand that taste is subjective, and one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I acknowledge it’s technically feasible that Con Air might not make everyone’s heart soar. My colleague, Kelly—a brilliant lady whom I respect and admire—failed to succumb to its charms. She’s wickedly smart and finds Con Air to be wildly dumb. Perhaps that’s true. But if loving Con Air is wrong, Lord, don’t let me be right.
This over-the-top action flick has achieved cult classic status for good reason. It epitomizes a certain style of 90s action movies — big, bold, and unapologetically entertaining. It masterfully blends bonkers hijinks, memorable characters, endlessly quotable dialogue, and a certain self-aware campiness that makes it high-flying fun.
Con Air perfectly captures the spirit of the Gay ’90s with its big hair, big explosions, and Big D energy. In short, it’s a guilty pleasure that delivers on all fronts. It’s a movie you can’t help but enjoy, no matter how far it veers off the runway. And, oh yeah, it really sticks the landing — in the cheesiest but most satisfying way possible.
The Cage Factor:
Nicolas Cage’s performance as Cameron Poe is central to the film’s cult status. His choice to give Poe a thick, somewhat cartoonish Southern drawl adds to the film’s over-the-top nature and provides many quotable moments. His ridiculous hair, muscular physique, and intense facial expressions create a memorable visual presence that’s become rightfully iconic. Cage manages to make Poe both a believable action hero and a slight parody of one. He plays the role straight enough to drive the plot forward but with enough winks to the audience to acknowledge the film’s absurdity.
Nicolas Cage’s performance in CON AIR exemplifies the kind of role he became known for — intense, slightly unhinged, yet endearingly captivating.
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