Customer Reviews

Con Express [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"Con Express" has lots of action in it, which is great because this hides the poor writing and uninteresting characters. Unfortunately, the action isn't enough, and in between stunt pieces and shoot-outs, the audience is tempted to doze off. City Heat Productions isn't really known for producing films of the highest quality, so usually I go easy on them. If this were a big-budget company producing this, I'd be inclined to pan it entirely. But I wasn't expecting much and got a little more than I bargained for. The action is, for the most part, pretty good but nothing competitive with your usual dumb action movie. Flanery and Vosloo are perfectly casted, but everyone else seems to stiff to add any more flow to the movie. Vosloo especially appears to be enjoying himself as an over-the-top bad guy hijacking a train containing deadly chemicals. The film moves fast and contains shades of better movies like Under Siege 2, Con Air, Spy Game, and Speed. If you liked those, you probably won't mind this one too much. Just go easy on it.

Con Express is one of the better direct-to-video
DVDs i have seen in a long time. The characters are
credible, the story moves along at a good pace and
the directing was good for a movie of this type.
In many ways the plot was a combination of Under
Siege 2 and Cliff Hanger. In fact, some of the the
scenes of the jet crashing into the ground seem to
be directly "borrowed" from the latter. Arnold Vosloo
from the Mummy movies is an excellent choice as Russian
general/mobster Simconov. Ursula Karven is luscious. A
bit of macabre humour involves one of Simconov's men -
apparently something of a vampire, he enjoys biting
into and mutilating men he has shot. The film has a surprise
ending that make the story more interesting. A good DVD to see.

This DVD offers little in the way of features, a trailer being all you get, but perhaps that is normal on a straight to DVD release, I do not know.
I have to admit, I watched this for the Flannery factor and he did not disappoint, but bar the cannibal Russian, there were no truly interesting characters developed here.
Arnold Vosloo was a great bad guy, but that can probably be attributed more to his legacy as the evil mummy than to anything he did in this film. By his mere presence, you just *know* he is a cool, evil dude without him ever speaking.
Dealing with the subject of terrorism and even referring to Sept 11 at one point, you get the feeling that either this movie was played down in lieu of the attacks, (I have no idea when this movie was written or filmed), or else simply lacks any feeling of real danger. Even the Long Kiss Goodnight did it better at the end with stressing the audience. Whatever it is, the dire threat does not seem too terrible or fantastical at all, perhaps not when we know the world is capable of far greater evil, perhaps because it's all been done before on film.
It does, however, steam along at a great pace though and has plenty of action to carry you along.
Worth it if only to see Agent Brooks (Flannery) in nothing but his bracelet <g>. Hey, I'm a woman, what can I say :-)

As mentioned in another review, stolen scenes from Runaway Train. Not just clips, but entire scenes. Also the plane crash scene from Cliffhanger. Still worth $3 - $4 for a DVD just for the other action.

I have seen some bad ones in my day but this is the worst. I couldn't believe I wasted 2 hours of my life on it.

They literally stole scenes from Runaway Train in this. Not the ideas, they stole the filmed scenes. The train kept going from one engine to the four in RT. The continuity was a joke. Had a semi truck go from tandem axle to single back to tandem.

Seems like some of the actors must have had a house payment coming up.

This movie really isn't that bad.

The acting isn't ponderous or terribly compelling, the story line is interesting, perhaps a little predictable.

What kills the movie is the huge number of continuity problems.

The soundtrack is terrible. Typical canned background score.

I don't want to say too much about this movie. Watch it once. Or not. Its not the end of the world either way.

I loved this movie for one reason: Sean Patrick Flanery. He is great as agent Alex Brooks. Very sexy. Lots of Action. If you are a SPF fan this movie is worth a look for no other reason than to see Sean wearing nothing but a blanket around his waist. (Hey, I'm a woman).

This far-fetched, formulaic actioneer about an indestructible Alaskan Customs agent, Alex Brooks (Sean Patrick Flanery of "The Boondock Saints"), who tangles with a renegade Russian general, Anton Simeonov (Arnold Vosloo of "The Mummy"), over three barrels of highly toxic Sarin gas has some surprises but not enough to redeem it. Odorless, colorless and 26 times more deadly than cyanide, this lethal biochemical material has been stolen from a Russian facility, and Simeonov and his trigger-happy band of terrorists not only wipe out the Defense Department troops assigned to guard the deadly cargo on the Yukon Express but also take over the train. Simeonov learns that the plans of mice and men rarely work out.

Director Terry Cunningham and "Escape Velocity" scenarist Paul A. Birkett sabotage what little suspense that they drum up early into this 94-minute melodrama with a garrulous question and answer dialogue scene between Brooks and two senior bureaucrats. Mind you, these two buttoned-down, suit-and-tie executives, Agent Rowe (J. Patrick McCormack of "Zodiac") and Commissioner Dunn (Michael Kagan of "The Chaos Factor"), are grilling our hero after the fact. Rowe wants to establish beyond a shadow of a doubt the moral and ethical values by which our hero conducts his life. Consequently, suspense gets the short shrift because it is clear that our hero has survived the obstacle course-laden adventure. Eventually, Cunningham and Birkett shift from this long-winded expository scene to the bullet-riddled action.

A sexy Russian agent, Natalya (German actress Ursula Karven), who is pretty handy with a pair of automatic pistols in her fists, teams up reluctantly with Brooks to apprehend Simeonov. Brooks and his team are checking out suspected barrels of contraband material when all hell breaks loose about 15 minutes into the story and everybody starting blasting away at each other. Brooks learns that he has interfered with an FBI undercover operation. They capture Simeonov, but evil Russian escapes from them on a flight to Washington, D.C. Brooks and Natalya survive a plane crash in the middle of the snow-swept Alaska countryside. She manages to land the plane on a mountain cliff. They trudge through the wilderness and warm up at a convenient cabin with all the amenities. This allows Cunningham to let both Brooks and Natalya to strip off their sodden clothing and parade around naked in front of each other.

Predictably, Natalya doesn't trust Brooks and they have a tough time bonding. Meanwhile, Simeonov sends a squad of his henchmen armed with assault rifles to check the plane crash to assure him that Natalya is kaput. When they cannot locate her body or Brooks, they cruise off to the cabin. A gunfight erupts and our hero and heroine triumph over twice their number and take an SUV to catch up with Simeonov. By how, Simeonov has commandeered the train and everything is looking good, until he realizes that the throttle on the locomotive is jammed and there is no way to halt the runaway train.

Before it is all over, including the train careening out of control and an avalanche roaring down on top of him, Brooks has to contend with another villain who has pulled a fast one on everybody. He arrives at a nearby airport as the villains are trying to get away on a twin-engine plane and uses to a semi-truck to stop the plane from taking off. Veteran actor Tim Thomerson of "Dollman vs. Demonic Toys" has a small role as Brooks' superior.

Cunningham seamlessly integrates stock footage from three theatrical releases, including "Runaway Train," "Cliffhanger," and--believe it or not--"Stop or My Mom Will Shoot." Dependable heavy Arnold Vosloo delivers the best performance, while Flanery maintains his unflappable cool throughout the mayhem. Altogether, this forgettable potboiler may take your mind off your problems, but don't expect much more than a minor distraction.

To be honest with you I thought the movie was really bad. the acting was ok but the only good part about the movie was that ricky (Rodney Eastman) was in the movie. (for about 5 mins) but i would not suggest renting this movie and waisting 4 dollars.