7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
Newly paroled ex-con and former U.S. Ranger Cameron Poe finds himself trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control.
Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Ving RhamesAction | 100% |
Thriller | 91% |
Crime | 52% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I’ve never been a huge fan of Jerry Bruckheimer, but I will say this: when you go see a JB-produced film, you know exactly what you’re going to get—a big budget blockbuster crammed with impressive set pieces and punctuated by mammoth explosions. And obviously, as audiences have attested year after year, there’s a market for this kind of filmmaking. People want mindless, salt ‘n butter-coated popcorn fun, and no one has mastered the glossy art of eye-gouging, ear-piercing escapism—and it is an art—quite like Jerry Bruckheimer. The man was on a roll during the mid 90’s, giving us Bad Boys, The Rock, Con Air, and Armageddon in less than five years. Con Air is probably my second favorite of the four—it’s hard to touch The Rock— but it’s also problematic. The action sequences are frenetic and tight, but the emotional elements drag and the plot has more holes than the socks I wore in college.
"On your left, coming through, pardon me!"
With a 1080p, AVC-encoded transfer of its 2.35:1 OAR image, Con Air takes flight on Blu- ray, but stops just shy of soaring. Gone are the dull colors of the DVD release, replaced by a rich palette. Most of the film flies by in dusty desert hues—see the sandstorm in Carson City—and the textured blues of prison denim. Then, when we get to Vegas, the Strip comes alive with nicely saturated neon reds and purples. Black levels are tight and strong, as evidenced in the early fight outside the bar, and the image throughout has a decent sense of depth for a mid-90's title. Skin tones are warm and natural. The negatives then are few, but noticeable. For one, the film looks sharper than I had expected, but this comes with a price: the rampant, sometimes black sometimes white haloing that accompanies edge enhancement. Other than that—and some slight wavering during a few scenes—this transfer is crisp, bold, and provides plenty of explosive eye candy.
Con Air lands on Blu-ray with a pounding and volatile Linear PCM 5.1 surround track that takes no prisoners in its sonic assault. A brawny low-end presence rumbles beneath the entire film, bringing explosions and dramatic accents to thunderous life. The mid-range pops with crisp rounds of gunfire and well-articulated vocal work. And high-end sound effects—like the brisk click of a shotgun's pump action—are detailed and clear. There's rarely a dull moment in Con Air, and the rear channels are put to frequent use, handling both the grim rock score and a never ending ambient stream of whizzes, pans, and cross-fades. There's not a lot of subtlety in the mix—it's overwhelming more than anything—and though there's plenty of immersive action, if you listen closely, sometimes the movement of the audio doesn't exactly match up with what's happening on screen. Still, the lossless mix is a powerful, heart-pounding affair, and it makes the also-included Dolby Digital track sound thin and lifeless in comparison.
Movie Showcase
Movie Showcase is basically a series of bookmarks that lets you demo the HD picture and sound
by selecting three big cinematic moments. While it is presented in 1080p, the audio is in Dolby
Digital, so you're not really getting the full HD experience.
A View From Above (SD, 4:39)
This is the very definition of EPK featurette, and offers nothing to anyone who has seen the film
before. Most of the scant running time is composed of footage from the film, with a few brief,
substance-free interviews from key cast members.
The Destruction of Las Vegas (SD, 2:41)
The first forty seconds of this piece are rehashed from the previous feature, and we really only
get a glimpse of the destruction of Las Vegas for about a minute.
Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:28)
Con Air definitely belongs in the cinematic kiddy pool—shallow and fun—but it's a decent enough way to pass a couple of hours on a lazy weekend afternoon. Nicholas Cage gives another "white trash nobility" performance, John Malkovitch seethes with uncorked rage, and the film offers up more than a few hold-on-to-your-butts action sequences. This Blu-ray release brings the goods with a full-bodied AV package, but the lack of extra features, and the non-inclusion of the unrated, extended cut keep me from giving Con Air a hearty recommendation. Unless you're really jonesing for a Nick Cage fix, I'd hold out for the inevitable re-release.
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