The Rock (1996) vs Con Air (1997) – Face Off

At the onset of Nicolas Cage’s career, he established himself as a comedic star with a great stage presence in movies like Raising Arizona. From there, he found success in other genres before receiving critical acclaim and winning an Oscar for his role in 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas. So once you achieve your industry’s highest honor, where do you go from there? You go to mayhem maestro Michael Bay, that’s what. The very next year, Cage teamed up with Bay and transformed himself into a dependable action star in 1996’s The Rock.

With James Bond himself – Sean Connery – as his co-star, the film was a massive hit critically and commercially. Cage wasn’t quite done yet though, as he immediately followed it up with another blockbuster hit in 1997’s Con Air, directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Across both films, Cage’s distinct style with his quirky presentation and moody close-ups would make audiences (and studio shareholders) cheer! It’s incredible to see how Cage came out swinging as a bona fide action star with the one-two punch of these movies, but which puts up more of a fight? Only one way to find out: FACE OFF!

This episode of Face Off is written by Bryan Wolford, narrated by Dave Davis and edited by John Nguyen. Watch previous episodes below and let us know in the comments what you prefer – The Rock or Con Air!