Con Express

Not to be confused with ConeXpress.

Con Express is a 2002 direct-to-video action film with a political edge, starring Arnold Vosloo, Sean Patrick Flanery, and Tim Thomerson. It was written by Paul A. Birkett and Terry Cunningham and directed by Cunningham. The movie uses film footage from Runaway Train (1985) and Cliffhanger (1993).^[1]

Con Express
Film Poster
Directed by	Terry Cunningham
Written by	Paul A. Birkett Terry Cunningham
Produced by	Vince Ravine
Starring	Arnold Vosloo Sean Patrick Flanery Tim Thomerson
Cinematography	David Bridges
Edited by	David Byron Lloyd David H. Lloyd
Music by	Sean Murray
Production company	PM Entertainment
Distributed by	Artisan Entertainment (DVD, 2002) 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (DVD, 2003) CineTel Films (non-USA)
Release date	July 23, 2002 (2002-07-23)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

US Customs agent Alex Brooks uncovers the plot of Russian arms dealers who planned to smuggle nerve gas into the U.S. In order to avoid publicity, the boss of the small customs station in Alaska decides that the dangerous barrels should be sent to a safe compound by train. Meanwhile, a Russian General turned terrorist who is responsible for the smuggling, Simeonov, is being delivered via plane to Washington until a group of his henchmen rescue him. Brooks and the Russian agent Natalya are the only people capable of stopping Simeonov and his group of terrorists from keeping control of the train carrying the deadly nerve gas.

Cast

• Sean Patrick Flanery as Alex Brooks
• Arnold Vosloo as General Anton Semenov
• Ursula Karven as Natalya Batalova
• Eyal Podell as Rudy
• David Lea as Mironov
• Joel West as Zednik
• Tim Thomerson as Bill Barnes
• Ed Cameron as Leon
• Michael Kagan as Commissioner Dunn
• J. Patrick McCormack as Agent Rowe (as John Patrick McCormack)
• Rodney Eastman as Ricky
• Chato as Sanchez
• Michael Flynn as Jeffreys
• Frank Gerrish as Bruno
• Alisa Harris as Lola
• Stevie Johnson as Jensen
• Sean Marble as Jesse
• Steve O'Neill as Colonel Bennett
• Dave Shipp as Razvan
• Scott Subiono as O'Shea
• Lance C. Williams as Carl

Reception

Comeuppance Reviews gave it three stars and stated: "This is one of the last movies produced by PM entertainment. It looks like they spared no expense (except the stock footage of Runaway Train, 1985). The action scenes are well-shot. The stand-out is the gunfight in the cabin. Flanery, Karven, and Vosloo put in good performances for the silly material."^[2]

Robert Pardi from TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars and wrote: "The stunt crew earn their pay in this action-packed exercise in unorthodox heroics. Unfortunately, the excitement is undermined by a screenplay that crosscuts between hopped-up flashbacks to colorless present-day scenes."^[3]