I don't know what it is about Hong Kong directors coming to Hollywood that doesn't resonate with me the way their Chinese-language work does, but Face/Off isn't as memorable an experience for me as it is for most action fans. I'm almost sure that if John Woo had made this face-changing movie with Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau, with the same fireworks squibs, insane villainy, explosive boat chases, and riffs on the Mexican standoff, I'd have eaten it up. (Maybe cut the doves in a church bit, which just feels like a producer told Woo he could repeat himself because audiences likely hadn't seen his HK stuff.) Underwhelmed though I may be, I can't deny the film is often effective. There's real tension when the bad guy meets the good guy's family. Nicholas Cage is a good hero, and Travolta a good villain (though I don't think we get enough of Cage's antics as the villain to really make the switch sing). There are some fun action sequences - the prison break is likely underrated - and Woo knows how to spin a good leitmotif (pointing their guns at the mirror, for example). The more I think about it, the more virtues I find, but it's no Hard-Boiled or anything.
Great idea for a movie with two stars who would not appear logically to be in a movie together. I feel this is worth it solely for Nicolas Cage's performance.
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Comments 1 - 15 of 19
Dieguito
just a regular movie..Virpi
I did not like, box office stuff.nick-samuel
Awful ending.Siskoid
I don't know what it is about Hong Kong directors coming to Hollywood that doesn't resonate with me the way their Chinese-language work does, but Face/Off isn't as memorable an experience for me as it is for most action fans. I'm almost sure that if John Woo had made this face-changing movie with Chow Yun Fat and Andy Lau, with the same fireworks squibs, insane villainy, explosive boat chases, and riffs on the Mexican standoff, I'd have eaten it up. (Maybe cut the doves in a church bit, which just feels like a producer told Woo he could repeat himself because audiences likely hadn't seen his HK stuff.) Underwhelmed though I may be, I can't deny the film is often effective. There's real tension when the bad guy meets the good guy's family. Nicholas Cage is a good hero, and Travolta a good villain (though I don't think we get enough of Cage's antics as the villain to really make the switch sing). There are some fun action sequences - the prison break is likely underrated - and Woo knows how to spin a good leitmotif (pointing their guns at the mirror, for example). The more I think about it, the more virtues I find, but it's no Hard-Boiled or anything.VChile
Preposterous action flick, with doves.mikaelrev
I can't take this movie seriously. Cage is just too fucking weirdbeasterne
The best worst movie ever made.MikeyLou
It's just so gloriously bad...nurum
They were so good!. They replaced both caracter without lack of sense. I mean they increased power of their acting after every turn.aussieflickfan
Great idea for a movie with two stars who would not appear logically to be in a movie together. I feel this is worth it solely for Nicolas Cage's performance.thestuman101694
A very touching movie . . . face touching that is.maggidan
This movie is too great.The Doctor
John Travolta and Nicholas Cage at their hammy bestc0t0d0s2
This movie is action cheese elevated to brilliant cinema.dchauvin
Nicolas Cage.Showing items 1 – 15 of 19