Simon West is your man if you like things that go boom. His oeuvre is one hefty collection of action films. Not all are great and few of them are stand-out genre pieces, but if you're looking for decent action filler, West has you covered.
Movies
West follows the money and ends up in China. Turns out that wasn't the worst decision, because with a hefty budget to his disposal he cranks out a pretty amusing disaster flick. The CG isn't perfect and there is some cheesy melodrama, but the action is riveting and the pacing is splendid. A pretty nice surprise.
Con Air is one of the quintessential action films of the 90s. It's one of those films that most people have seen at one time or another, present company included, though that was well before I became serious about film. I didn't expect too much from this revision, turns out it's actually a pretty decent watch. At least, when you're in the mood for some simple, over-the-top action antics. Con Air isn't to be taken serious, though that's hardly a big surprise with Nicolas Cage headlining the film. I would even go as far as to say it's exactly what makes this film bearable, a more serious approach would've sucked the fun right out of it. Crazy characters, random explosions and a solid mix of action and thriller elements are the main ingredients here. The film's a bit long maybe, but West makes sure it never slows down too much. John Malkovich also deserves a bit of praise for his part as the bad guy, apart from that there's not much to say about Con Air. A decent action flick, nothing more, nothing less.Read all
A truly standard action flick. You'd think Simon West would be capable of more by now, but the action scenes are tepid and fail to excite. The editing is bad, the continuity is a joke and the action choreography is dull. Don't expect too much from the actors either, but at least the pacing is decent and the film is short. Borderline acceptable filler.
