Seriously, it has all the elements. All of them!! Big name stars, lots of explosions, slow moving camera shots right before something dramatic is about to happen, and the CLINCHER, several shots of three helicoptors flying together in front of a scenic background. I couldn't believe when the credits rolled and this movie wasnt his. It was even released in 1997, a year after The Rock and a year before Armageddon.
Baffling...
Agreed. I always just assumed it was a Michael Bay movie. Maybe it's like how Stephen King wrote some books under another name; this was Michael Bay "directing as" Simon West.
Same here, I always assumed it was his movie.
shareIf this movie had been directed by Bay, it wouldn't had that wonderful ending with the encounter of Cage with his family, and no characters like the one played by Buscemi, but more shootouts, explosions, and a huge and looong climatic battle in Las Vegas.
because this is a great movie
shareWest must have been channeling Bay at the time.
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Because while stupid and shallow, this movie is also fun, witty in a smartass way, filled with funny, different characters and has a decent rythm and sense of action.
That`s why it isn`t a Michael Bay movie.
Back in my day vampires sucked blood, not cock.
The Rock is similar, and that was a Michael Bay movie, so...
shareCount me amongst those who thought this was a Bay flick. I hadn't seen it since it was first released, so imagine my surprise when I watched it last night and it said "Directed by Simon West".
It's easy to see why we were fooled. It has so many classic Bay via Bruckheimer hallmarks.
- Nick Cage had starred in Bay/Bruckheimer's "The Rock" the previous year and Steve Buscemi would go on to co-star in Bay/Bruckheimer's "Armageddon" the following year.
- The music is by Mark Mancina, who worked on Bay/Bruckheimer's "Bad Boys and Trevor Rabin, who would go on to work with them on "Armageddon".
- It has the same guns and giggles tone Bay is known for.
- It was sandwiched right in between "The Rock" and "Armageddon".
Now playing: Visionaries http://saturdayshowcase.blogspot.com/
It does feel like a Michael Bay movie but just not quite as grating and not full of the stereotyped idiotic characters that plague Bay movies.
shareIt was a 90's movie. Most action flicks in the 90's had these elements. Look at John woo's Face Off, Speed was directed by Jan de Bont. It wasn't just Michael Bay doing these types of movies. Only difference is Bay hasn't changed his style after all these years.
Edit: I forgot about True Lies which was a James Cameron film from 1994 and Air Force One wasn't Bay either. Oh and Die Hard 2 and Die Hard with a Vengeance all not Bay and all good old R rated fun action films. Gotta love the 90's.
I believe in Steve Austin and his plan to put a casino on the moon
Bruckheimer's movies tend to have a certain style and simularities going all the way back to Top Gun. That's (for me anyways) the first appearance of the orange skies and other classic Jerry Bruckheimerisms.
As much flak as people give Michael Bay, Bay took all of those elements and elevated it to where it's firmly his. Tony Scott (another of Jerry's goto directors) films somewhat like Bay but lacks the energy of Bay's style.
I thought Simon West did a wonderful job on Con Air tho' and I can't wait to see what he does with Expendables 2.
Just my one cent since I can't afford two.
I had vague memories about this movie and me 2 thought it was a bay movie! Seeing it was rated R was a surprise though, gotta watch it again if not for the only thing I remember from it, Cage jumping trough a window surviving a HUGE explosion! He sports the same mullet as JCVD in Hard Target too.
shareExcept in JCVD, Van Dammne's not using a hair piece. lol.
Just my one cent since I can't afford two.
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"Gotta love the 90's"
i cannot agree more...Air Force One, the rock, conair, executive decision. 90s were great. action movies used to be badass then ...
Why couldn't you put the bunny back in the box?
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