Face/Off
| Directed by: | John Woo |
|---|---|
| Written by: | Mike Werb, Michael Colleary |
| Cast: | John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, Alessandro Nivola, Dominique Swain, Nick Cassavetes, Robert Wisdom, CCH Pounder, Harve Presnell, Colm Feore, John Carroll Lynch, Margaret Cho |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Genre: | Action |
| Official Site: |
Face/Off has such a ridiculous premise that it should be a science fiction plot or some kind of cheesy 80's horror movie. It is hard to swallow being such an out there concept, but it offers up some interesting ideas and action scenes along with some crazy Travolta/Cage performances.
First off, this movie gets really cheesy and over the top quickly with Nic Cage alone. Castor Troy is such a batshit insane character and Cage doesn't just eat the scenery, he swallows it. His actions when he becomes Sean Archer do not make any sense and seems like he's just dicking around rather actually ruining his rival's life. Hell, he even strengthens Archer's relationship with his daughter. Not a good form of revenge there, but it just adds to the cheese factor thanks to both mens performances. Travolta acting nutty is great and Nic Cage acting mellow or trying to be crazy is hilariously entertaining. It makes for some great moments whenever they meet. Joan Allen and Gina Gershon offer up some actual good and anchoring performances among the craziness.
The action scenes are very much John Woo (the wires, the doves), but they are well-done and fun to watch. The last action scene with the speedboat chase and the church shootout is action-packed to say the least. Some of the stunts bothered me because the wire jumps were way too obvious and I think I saw the string a couple of times.
Plot (8/10): It is such an out there concept and the movie has fun with it and I went along for the ride.
Acting (7/10): Travolta and Cage aren't what I would say "good", but they were extremely entertaining to watch as they try to mimic each other.
Action (9/10): Great shootouts and chases. Woo never disappoints in this section.
Direction (8/10): The wire throwing got a bit overdone and it does get a bit too long, but it knows what it is and has fun with it.
Eye Candy (8/10): Gina Gershon is so sexy. Too bad she's been relegated to direct to DVD land.
Overall, it is a goofy and out there action movie. Good if you want some crazy Cage in your diet.
I really like this and John Woo's best American film (though Hard Target is a much loved guilty pleasure).
I love this movie haha