Why It Ranks
Con Air is the most entertaining bad movie ever made. Cage’s Southern accent, Malkovich’s villainy, Buscemi’s deadpan, and a plane crashing into the Las Vegas Strip combine to create something that transcends quality metrics. It is pure, uncut 1990s Bruckheimer joy.
The Film
Con Air is the Platonic ideal of a 1990s Jerry Bruckheimer production: loud, ridiculous, star-studded, and utterly irresistible. Nicolas Cage plays Cameron Poe, an Army Ranger who just wants to get home to his daughter after serving time for an accidental killing. Unfortunately, his prison transport plane is hijacked by the most dangerous convicts in the federal system, led by John Malkovich’s magnificently theatrical Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom.
The cast is staggeringly good for a film this dumb. Malkovich chews scenery with gourmet precision. Steve Buscemi is hilarious as a Hannibal Lecter–type serial killer. Ving Rhames brings genuine menace. Dave Chappelle provides comic relief. And Cage, God bless him, delivers every line in a bewildering Southern accent that nobody asked for and nobody can forget. ‘Put the bunny back in the box’ is peak Cage — absolutely serious, absolutely absurd.
The climax involves a plane crash-landing on the Las Vegas Strip, a firetruck chase, and a motorcycle crashing through a casino. Con Air knows exactly what it is, and it executes its insanity with a $75 million budget and zero shame.
Fun Facts
Nicolas Cage’s Southern accent was his own choice. Director Simon West tried to talk him out of it repeatedly and failed.
The plane crash on the Las Vegas Strip was one of the most expensive practical stunts of the 1990s.
Steve Buscemi’s subplot about befriending a little girl at a trailer park was added late in production to humanize the villain roster.
The stuffed bunny that Cage carries throughout the film became a genuine pop culture artifact and is referenced in dozens of later films.
Get Glen's Musings
Occasional thoughts on AI, Claude, investing, and building things. Free. No spam.
Unsubscribe anytime. I respect your inbox more than Congress respects property rights.
Keep Exploring
Top 25 Action Movies
See the full ranked list of the greatest action films ever made.
Read moreTop 25 Movie Villains
The greatest antagonists in cinema history, ranked.
Read moreTom Cruise
The last real movie star and his commitment to practical stunts.
Read moreArnold Schwarzenegger
Bodybuilder, movie star, Governor. The ultimate self-made man.
Read moreConsulting
Salesforce development and technical consulting.
Read moreWins
Track record of wins across investing, building, and creating.
Read more