10 Nicolas Cage Films That Know Exactly What They Are

With hair so sultry it's almost a crime for it to be on screen, Con Air sees our star take on a plane full of convicted felons as he tries to return home to his family. A honourably discharged army ranger, Cameron Poe was convicted of manslaughter for protecting his pregnant wife from a drunken man's attack. With his parole coming through and an eight year old daughter he's never met waiting for him, Poe boards the aeroplane prison transport with high hopes - that soon become compromised by a carefully laid out hijacking by criminal genius 'The Virus', John Malkovich.

Con Air is the film that turned Cage into the gonzo action hero we all know and love, and it did so in unparalleled style. With stuffed rabbits under threat, some seriously twisted criminals on the loose, and his diabetic pal in need of insulin - Cage inevitably steps in to save the day with a sophisticated swish of his well-maintained mane.

In fact, Con Air is one of the few films that feature Cage in a role where he doesn't fall into bug-eyed episodes of mania, instead the film recognises its wacky plot and lets that lead the way in place of wild character scenarios. He's practically UNDER-acting in this film, which is almost weirder than his usual brand of Cage Rage that has defined him so well over the years.