‘Spiritual Awakening’: Why Con Air is the feel-good movie | Nicolas Cage

It’s easy to make fun of Nicolas Cage. Between his breakup memes, dodgy hairstyles and his most taxman-friendly choices, he has often made himself the target of ridicule among the masses.

After winning an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas, the actor’s decision to pursue three action films must have seemed baffling at the time. But this gambit paid off. Comprising the blockbusters of The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off, this unofficial “trilogy” will showcase the essential ignorance of Nicolas Cage.

Simon West’s Con Air was my first exposure – a spiritual awakening facilitated by my father when I was 15 years old. “Fill your boots,” he said, handing over the tape with a knowing smile. This experience would be a coming-of-age moment, resulting in a love of Cage’s work that still prevails. It’s been particularly busy since then, but Con Air is the one I keep coming back to, as it awakens the teenage boy in me every time.

At its core, Con Air is pure, distilled Nicolas Cage. Cameron Poe is actually the straight man to a whole plane of lunatics, and Cage’s performance is completely in keeping with the movie he stars in. Mullet, southern fried accent and all, he approaches the role with absolute sincerity. Reflecting on his so-called “neo-shamanic” acting style, the star once said: “I tried my best not to be cynical and, at the risk of sounding ridiculous, to be really emotionally naked.”

West harnesses this authenticity in a way that makes his excesses seem entirely logical. Con Air is clearly in on this silly joke, but it’s also playing along well if you want to take the action at face value. Naturally, if a sequel comes along, the director wants to set it in space.

Cage is backed in turn by a group of killer talent, led by the scenery-consuming John Malkovich as Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom, and the eerily delightful Ving Rhames as his right-hand man. Along for the ride are Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo, Dave Chappelle and MC Gainey, each bringing their own distinct flavor of chaos to the party.

What a glorious mess it was. Bodies and cars fall from the sky in equal measure. A child shares a surprisingly healthy teddy bear outing with a monster. Nicolas Cage fights Malkovich aboard a fire truck above the Las Vegas Strip. It’s all accompanied by an anthemic score from Trevor Rabin and Mark Mancina, which gets the blood pumping between the beats of the jukebox.

Scott Rosenberg’s screenplay is packed with so much action that it rarely needs to interchange the famous “rabbit in the box.” Even the acrimonious brawl between rival government agents Larkin and Malloy (John Cusack and Colm Meaney) shines, demonstrating moments of depth and resounding luxury. One can understand why Malkovich didn’t finish reading the script before agreeing to sign on.

For all its top-notch violence and satire, Con Air’s earnestness is its greatest strength. Defying the trope of the reluctant hero, it’s refreshing to see a man do the right thing without hesitation, risking his life and freedom to save his best friend Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson) and guard Bishop (Rachel Ticotin). As a reward, Beau will be able to share an intimate reunion with his family, to the tune of the 1997 song “How Do I Live.”

What does this leave for the bad guys? Their just deserts, which are doubly appreciated now, in our age in which scum and villainy flourish. It’s only fitting that West knows who his next generation of Air Cons might be targeting if the sequel takes off — the very wealthy. “It’s an area ripe for chaos,” the director recently joked, “and audiences will enjoy seeing people like this exposed.”

In the decades following its release, there was a tendency to mock Cage for his career choices. “Money is a factor,” he once candidly admitted of his live-to-DVD work. However, one should never count out Nicolas Cage, and he’s returned with the most successful revamp of his career since Trinity – carving out a new niche in horror with the likes of Mandy and the Longlegs.

While each era of his work has created something special, Con Air will always hold a precious place in my heart. It’s comfort food for the soul, not the pre-packaged, reheated airplane food that most modern action movies offer.

Con Air is the perfect work for a star who refuses to be boxed in.