John Woo knows, if anybody, how to make good, stylish action. And that's exactly what this film is; good, cool, stylish action. The plot is great; fairly psychological and quite interesting. It has a fast(and remarkably even) pace, I don't think more than 30 minutes passes at any point in the movie without a giant action scene. All in all, I'd guess there are about four or five major shootouts, and two chase scenes which are each several minutes long(without getting repetitive, fortunately). The acting is excellent; every single major part is well-played. John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola, Gina Gershon, Dominique Swain... all give great, entirely believable performances. The best are definitely Travolta and Cage, though; fantastic, truly stellar performances. The characters are all well-written and credible, right down to the most minor one. The action is cool and very stylish, in every single action-scene. The theme of the film is great; of course, the story is completely unlikely, with the face-switching and all, but once you get past that, once you suspend disbelief, you'll most likely enjoy the film thoroughly. The script is excellent, plenty of action, drama, and thriller parts. Also, you gotta love the sharp contrast 3/4's into the movie, with the kid listening to sugary pop-music, while people are shooting intensely at each other. Great film. I recommend it to any fan of John Woo, Nicholas Cage, John Travolta and action films. 8/10
699 Reviews
This is how you do silly.
mahmus20 May 2020
Woo's US breakthrough: A triumph!
Libretio26 January 2000
FACE/OFF
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS
This magnificent thriller represents director John Woo's triumphant return to the kind of hyperkinetic, emotionally charged film-making which made him such a hot property in the first place. Following the artistic bankruptcy of his first two Hollywood projects, this one is a marriage of high-octane movie-making and mind-twisting narrative complexities. It's also one of the few American action movies which manages to strike a balance between crowd-pleasing set-pieces and domestic interludes, and renders them equally important. John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are perfectly matched as hero/villain (and vice versa!), whilst heavyweight theatre actress Joan Allen provides the narrative with much of its dramatic backbone in the role of Travolta's wife (the scene in which she is first confronted with her husband in Cage's body is almost identical to a similar scene in Terence Fisher's FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED [1969]).
Technically, the film is a blast, and Woo stages the action highlights with a visual grace and dexterity that is often breathtaking to behold. The climactic speedboat battle is probably the finest set-piece of Woo's career to date, and the script is overflowing with visual and thematic ironies that underscore the action highlights. In fact, the production has arguably more dramatic resonance than any other Hollywood blockbuster of the 1990s, but the dictates of American commercialism mean that Woo is only able to skate over the emotional surface of his characters and their moral dilemmas. The two main protagonists are much too cold and heartless to fully engage the audience's sympathies, and there's nothing here that matches the scorching human drama of, say, BULLET IN THE HEAD (1990). But for all that, FACE/OFF dares to go deeper than your average Hollywood action picture. It's clever, witty and thrilling, and it manages to accomplish the difficult task of feeding the brain whilst entertaining the eye.
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS
This magnificent thriller represents director John Woo's triumphant return to the kind of hyperkinetic, emotionally charged film-making which made him such a hot property in the first place. Following the artistic bankruptcy of his first two Hollywood projects, this one is a marriage of high-octane movie-making and mind-twisting narrative complexities. It's also one of the few American action movies which manages to strike a balance between crowd-pleasing set-pieces and domestic interludes, and renders them equally important. John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are perfectly matched as hero/villain (and vice versa!), whilst heavyweight theatre actress Joan Allen provides the narrative with much of its dramatic backbone in the role of Travolta's wife (the scene in which she is first confronted with her husband in Cage's body is almost identical to a similar scene in Terence Fisher's FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED [1969]).
Technically, the film is a blast, and Woo stages the action highlights with a visual grace and dexterity that is often breathtaking to behold. The climactic speedboat battle is probably the finest set-piece of Woo's career to date, and the script is overflowing with visual and thematic ironies that underscore the action highlights. In fact, the production has arguably more dramatic resonance than any other Hollywood blockbuster of the 1990s, but the dictates of American commercialism mean that Woo is only able to skate over the emotional surface of his characters and their moral dilemmas. The two main protagonists are much too cold and heartless to fully engage the audience's sympathies, and there's nothing here that matches the scorching human drama of, say, BULLET IN THE HEAD (1990). But for all that, FACE/OFF dares to go deeper than your average Hollywood action picture. It's clever, witty and thrilling, and it manages to accomplish the difficult task of feeding the brain whilst entertaining the eye.
Face/Off
0U5 March 2020
This is an epic action movie with everything and more: plane explosions, a jail break, boat chases, the latest scientific advances, and of course, the white doves flying off before a gun fight. It also has the premise of putting on someone else's face, which is an insane plot twist, which somehow turns out amazing. Also, if you don't already appreciate the gem to American cinema that Nicholas Cage is, prepare to be blown away.
As dumb as they come but twice as fun.
Pjtaylor-96-1380447 June 2019
I guess this is what people mean when they say "so bad, it's good". In reality, the phrase simply means "dumb but fun" because if the film is good, then it, inherently, can't be bad. I suppose the phrase could also refer to a bad film that one enjoys regardless of its sub-par nature, but even this is slightly flawed logic: art is subjective and if you think a film is good, then it is good (there are no 'guilty pleasures'). In any case, John Woo's 'Face/Off (1997)' is an expertly-made piece of 'B-movie' entertainment, one with a well-written script that may be silly but is only smartly so. It's as 'schlocky' as it is precise. That is to say that it's as dumb as they come but it's twice as fun. Every moment feels hand-crafted to be just as over-the-top as it needs to, sublimely toeing the line between self-serious and almost satirical, and the overall result is undeniably a blast. From the extended, smoky set-pieces to the balls-to-the-wall but emotive performances to Woo's ostentatious auteur signatures, the picture just flies by and keeps you smiling, essentially, every step of the way. Travolta as Cage and Cage as Travolta is as iconic and complex a cinematic pairing as there has ever been and it is pulled off impeccably. I'd even go so far as to say this is Cage's best performance, as he excels in both of his roles. Travolta is fine, but he stands out far more when he's in his villainous position. Still, the characters, quite remarkably, always come before the actors (the protagonist always seems like the protagonist, no matter who is playing him and vice versa). Indeed, there are actually some pretty intelligent ideas at play here and the way in which the narrative undercuts itself at certain points really is inspired. At the same time, though, the plot itself doesn't necessarily hold up to all that much scrutiny outside of its basic beats and requires a considerable amount of suspension of disbelief even within its own world. At the end of the day, I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a surprisingly good feature that takes the best elements of its disparate aspects and mashes them together rather successfully. It's entertaining. 7/10
Corny. Crazy. Cool.
Angry_Arguer10 July 2003
Face/Off is amazing because it mixes an outrageously cornball plot with some of the best acting in an action movie. How John Woo pulled it off is beyond me. His visual imagery is flamboyant and decorative, yet never fails to deliver the goods. There is always a flurry of images to grasp our attention. Granted, his typical trademarks are here, but never does the script suffer from the same problems as in his other works.
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are phenomenal in their dual roles each. The rest of the cast isn't very deep and is more filler than anything else. The editing job feels underdone, particularly when the action sequences get to the "overcooked" staged. Still, how many speedboat chases or airplane crashes are you going to see in a slow-motion?
Overall, a summer action movie that delivers in acting, directing, and most other departments. 4 out of 5 stars.
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta are phenomenal in their dual roles each. The rest of the cast isn't very deep and is more filler than anything else. The editing job feels underdone, particularly when the action sequences get to the "overcooked" staged. Still, how many speedboat chases or airplane crashes are you going to see in a slow-motion?
Overall, a summer action movie that delivers in acting, directing, and most other departments. 4 out of 5 stars.
Woo Never Saw An Explosion He Didn't Like
ccthemovieman-113 May 2006
Yes, make no mistake: this is a very entertaining, very stylish film, done by Hong Kong action guru John Wood and featuring two fine actors. However, its almost too much to watch in one viewing. It just wears you out! If this film was cut from 140 minutes to 120 it would have been much easier to watch.
Woo's action scenes includes tons of explosions and breaking glass. This director just can't get enough of those explosion scenes. Some of those segments are excellent but many of them go on too long, particularly at the end of the film where it went on what seemed like forever.
The best part of the film are the two lead actors and the interchangeable characters they play. John Travolta and Nicholas Cage are extremely entertaining in here. If they kept the story more about those guys and their switched identities and didn't have eight thousand explosions, this could have a super movie.
Woo's action scenes includes tons of explosions and breaking glass. This director just can't get enough of those explosion scenes. Some of those segments are excellent but many of them go on too long, particularly at the end of the film where it went on what seemed like forever.
The best part of the film are the two lead actors and the interchangeable characters they play. John Travolta and Nicholas Cage are extremely entertaining in here. If they kept the story more about those guys and their switched identities and didn't have eight thousand explosions, this could have a super movie.
John and Nicholas make quite a pair in Face/Off
Smells_Like_Cheese28 November 2003
"Face/Off" is an excellent movie that will never get out of your head, it's that memorable. I saw this movie probably 6 or 7 years ago and I still think about it and finally bought it the other day.
The performances, this is it, folks. We have two of the finest and very popular actors: John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. These two are amazing, to transfer back and forth. John had to go from this kind, loving, and very sensitive man to a looney, cold-blooded, heartless maniac. Nicholas went from being the scary and perverted psycho to a helpless and struggling man trapped in this killer's body. My kudos to Nicholas, that was a tough performance to capture. I felt his pain, no one would believe that he was Sean Archer, who would after all? His body has been kidnapped from Castor Troy who is now playing around with his job, his daughter, and his wife. I felt so scarred for him, because I cannot imagine in a million years what that must feel like, the isolation, the abuse, and the feeling of utter helplessness. In my opinion, these are one of the best performances in 1997. The supporting cast of: Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, and Alessandro Nivola add so much, you get into the film entirely.
This is a very scary movie. This is identity theft gone terribly wrong and beyond any borders. I loved this movie and any other film fanatic will definitely enjoy it as well. It has great action, drama, romance, and dark comedy that bring together a terrific film.
10/10
The performances, this is it, folks. We have two of the finest and very popular actors: John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. These two are amazing, to transfer back and forth. John had to go from this kind, loving, and very sensitive man to a looney, cold-blooded, heartless maniac. Nicholas went from being the scary and perverted psycho to a helpless and struggling man trapped in this killer's body. My kudos to Nicholas, that was a tough performance to capture. I felt his pain, no one would believe that he was Sean Archer, who would after all? His body has been kidnapped from Castor Troy who is now playing around with his job, his daughter, and his wife. I felt so scarred for him, because I cannot imagine in a million years what that must feel like, the isolation, the abuse, and the feeling of utter helplessness. In my opinion, these are one of the best performances in 1997. The supporting cast of: Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, and Alessandro Nivola add so much, you get into the film entirely.
This is a very scary movie. This is identity theft gone terribly wrong and beyond any borders. I loved this movie and any other film fanatic will definitely enjoy it as well. It has great action, drama, romance, and dark comedy that bring together a terrific film.
10/10
Drivel, but entertaining drivel
neil-4765 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I mean, come on, but even those of you who enjoyed it (and I count myself among them) must have recognised what unmitigated b*ll*cks this film was, surely? It had a good basic concept, admittedly, albeit scientifically implausible, and fairly poorly executed within the movie (ie. not very believable to start off with, completely unbelievable by the time the film finished with it).
But I struggled on and did my best to suspend my substantial disbelief (not an easy task) and watched a film which would have worked better with a touch of knowing humour running through it played absolutely straight, by Cage especially.
My wife kept howling with laughter as each event more ludicrous than the last hove into view. She particularly found the much-vaunted action sequences hilarious, as millions of rounds of ammunition were expended in loving slow motion, destroying vast quantities of fixtures, fittings and decor, motor vehicles, and anything else which was capable of having at least 20 squibs planted in it, but with no one capable of hitting the people they were aiming at, other than the Castor Troy character (whoever happened to be playing him at the time). Oh, and the Archer character (as played by Cage) being able to wound the good guys with pinpoint accuracy, so as to remain a good guy himself.
The vomit-inducing appearance of the ironic replacement son at the end was - well, vomit-inducing, and nearly as funny as the incredibly obvious set up when Gina Gershon was killed.
Joan Allen had the single most unflattering hairdo ever committed to celluloid.
And for all that, it was fairly entertaining, with Travolta looking as if he was having fun.
But don't ever get taken in by those reviews which count this one of the all-time great action thrillers. It's not. It's drivel. Seriously, it's major drivel - fun, perhaps, but complete tosh from start to finish.
But I struggled on and did my best to suspend my substantial disbelief (not an easy task) and watched a film which would have worked better with a touch of knowing humour running through it played absolutely straight, by Cage especially.
My wife kept howling with laughter as each event more ludicrous than the last hove into view. She particularly found the much-vaunted action sequences hilarious, as millions of rounds of ammunition were expended in loving slow motion, destroying vast quantities of fixtures, fittings and decor, motor vehicles, and anything else which was capable of having at least 20 squibs planted in it, but with no one capable of hitting the people they were aiming at, other than the Castor Troy character (whoever happened to be playing him at the time). Oh, and the Archer character (as played by Cage) being able to wound the good guys with pinpoint accuracy, so as to remain a good guy himself.
The vomit-inducing appearance of the ironic replacement son at the end was - well, vomit-inducing, and nearly as funny as the incredibly obvious set up when Gina Gershon was killed.
Joan Allen had the single most unflattering hairdo ever committed to celluloid.
And for all that, it was fairly entertaining, with Travolta looking as if he was having fun.
But don't ever get taken in by those reviews which count this one of the all-time great action thrillers. It's not. It's drivel. Seriously, it's major drivel - fun, perhaps, but complete tosh from start to finish.
Greatest action movie ever made, period.
Castor-3023 March 2000
This is simply the best action movie I have ever seen. Very few movies come close, but don't overtake, this masterpiece. John Woo has unleashed an action movie that all should see at least once. And all action fans should own. The action scenes are fast and furious, the script is great, and the story is pretty good, and John Travolta and Nicholas Cage give excellent performances. See this movie now if you haven't already, or if you just haven't seen it recently you will not be disappointed. This movie would get 10 out of 10 from me.
This aged terribly, but it's fun
cvogelaar8 March 2020
Growing up in the 90s, I had heard this movie mentioned by a lot of average joes as being an awesome movie, commonly revered in conversation. The core of my formative movie-viewing experience comes from this time period (late-90s to early-2000s). But I missed this one.
I often watch old movies and have no problem adjusting my expectations to the time period, almost all movies are timeless to me.
However, I first watched this in 2012 and...my goodness...the action is severely dated and so over-the-top and awful it comes off as campy. The single-sample-non-variant gunfire audio alone is enough to make me laugh; they should update these sounds if/when they make a 4K transfer. Watch it and you'll see what I mean. The above doesn't help when the main plot is already trying to walk a fine line between acceptable and ridiculous, and there are enough plot holes to drive a boat chase through. Throw in Nicholas Cage and John Travolta, who at the time were not both widely panned by critics (personally I like them sometimes), and you have something...epic. Not "epic" as in a great movie, but "epic" in an entertaining and different way.
I assume Hollywood will probably reboot this movie in the coming decade. Could be good.
I often watch old movies and have no problem adjusting my expectations to the time period, almost all movies are timeless to me.
However, I first watched this in 2012 and...my goodness...the action is severely dated and so over-the-top and awful it comes off as campy. The single-sample-non-variant gunfire audio alone is enough to make me laugh; they should update these sounds if/when they make a 4K transfer. Watch it and you'll see what I mean. The above doesn't help when the main plot is already trying to walk a fine line between acceptable and ridiculous, and there are enough plot holes to drive a boat chase through. Throw in Nicholas Cage and John Travolta, who at the time were not both widely panned by critics (personally I like them sometimes), and you have something...epic. Not "epic" as in a great movie, but "epic" in an entertaining and different way.
I assume Hollywood will probably reboot this movie in the coming decade. Could be good.
getting philosophical about an action film
ariah0129 January 2003
First of all, this is an action film; if anyone wants to see a movie challenging intelectualy, please watch something else. As an action film, this should be viewed and judged among its so to say 'species' - and as for me - it gets 5/5.
Why?
I'm pondering on it myself. I'm a girl; I should hate action movies and go watch romantic comedies instead (yuck!). I should search the screen for handsome hunks with bare torso and do other crazy, girlish things like that. 'Face/Off' doesn't have handsome men (come on! Travolta in his 40's and the ever sad, puppy-eyed Cage? No fun!). So what is in this film, that makes me watch it whenever I have a chance?
Let's see. The plot - no big deal. Good guy, bad guy, tragedy in the past, revenge, remorse etc. Been there, done that, in dozens of movies before. So what is there left?
Actors. Travolta playing Cage and vice versa. Fun to watch, especially Travolta the good bad guy (or the other way round, the bad good guy). Gershon - liked her in 'Bound', now she's straight. Too bad there's so little of her.
Directing. It's Johny Woo. It was the first film by him I saw, it stayed with me a long way. Why other directors can't stage a simple scene the way he does it - beats me. It's pure poetry; the music, the motion - at one time You forget the people are shooting there, because it all looks like a ballet... Yet, it's 'just' an action film; there's no need in getting too philosophical about it...Or is there?
The split personality. The fact that your worst enemy knows you better than you know yourself... Oh, stop it. It's just an action film.
I wish more action films were like that. Wishful thinking?...
Why?
I'm pondering on it myself. I'm a girl; I should hate action movies and go watch romantic comedies instead (yuck!). I should search the screen for handsome hunks with bare torso and do other crazy, girlish things like that. 'Face/Off' doesn't have handsome men (come on! Travolta in his 40's and the ever sad, puppy-eyed Cage? No fun!). So what is in this film, that makes me watch it whenever I have a chance?
Let's see. The plot - no big deal. Good guy, bad guy, tragedy in the past, revenge, remorse etc. Been there, done that, in dozens of movies before. So what is there left?
Actors. Travolta playing Cage and vice versa. Fun to watch, especially Travolta the good bad guy (or the other way round, the bad good guy). Gershon - liked her in 'Bound', now she's straight. Too bad there's so little of her.
Directing. It's Johny Woo. It was the first film by him I saw, it stayed with me a long way. Why other directors can't stage a simple scene the way he does it - beats me. It's pure poetry; the music, the motion - at one time You forget the people are shooting there, because it all looks like a ballet... Yet, it's 'just' an action film; there's no need in getting too philosophical about it...Or is there?
The split personality. The fact that your worst enemy knows you better than you know yourself... Oh, stop it. It's just an action film.
I wish more action films were like that. Wishful thinking?...
Great Movie, but only back in the day
sumanth05325 October 2019
I remember watching this movie when I was in my teens and had been thrilled by it! Recently, I decided on rewatching it and it left an impression very different from my first time watching it. It seemed pretty ridiculous, and the acting seemed subpar after the faces get swapped. Overall I didn't really enjoy the movie the second time. Guess it was a pretty good movie for when it was made.
Way too over the top
rab4021 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The first time I saw this movie I thought to myself "hey, this is pretty exciting." After the first fight scene it quickly dawned on me, however that the action in this movie is all the same and none of it makes any sense (like every John Woo movie). First of all, lets examine the movie's main premise. Taking a face from one person and grafting it on another will not make them look exactly like them: there's their entire facial structure underneath to consider. The movie tries to briefly explain this and their two very different body types but it's very sketchy. Also, apparently medical science has progressed past scarring and major surgery patients can drive themselves home from the hospital the very same day.
Then there's the action. There are like three scenes where bad-John Travolta is in a 20 x 20 room with good-Nicholas Cage and both fail to shoot the other even with automatic weapons, yet John can kill 4 cops while simultaneously driving a high-speed boat. I understand that the good guy has to make it to the end, but the shootouts are so poorly coordinated that it's hard to believe a cross-eyed kid in a wheelchair could have fired as much as our two stars and failed to hit someone, especially when the squibs go off directly behind the person being shot at. The end seals the ridiculous deal: after missing with about 1000 gun shots, good-Cage finally finishes off his foe with the second of 2 harpoon guns that happened to be on a private leisure boat(why?), but only after John exerts about 500lbs of force with his hand on the gun's springs and staves off death for another few seconds. In conclusion, this movie is a bunch of cliché action that is too ludicrous to be entertaining. Don't waste your time with this or any other John Woo movie unless you enjoy seeing people not get shot and plenty of doves flying.
Then there's the action. There are like three scenes where bad-John Travolta is in a 20 x 20 room with good-Nicholas Cage and both fail to shoot the other even with automatic weapons, yet John can kill 4 cops while simultaneously driving a high-speed boat. I understand that the good guy has to make it to the end, but the shootouts are so poorly coordinated that it's hard to believe a cross-eyed kid in a wheelchair could have fired as much as our two stars and failed to hit someone, especially when the squibs go off directly behind the person being shot at. The end seals the ridiculous deal: after missing with about 1000 gun shots, good-Cage finally finishes off his foe with the second of 2 harpoon guns that happened to be on a private leisure boat(why?), but only after John exerts about 500lbs of force with his hand on the gun's springs and staves off death for another few seconds. In conclusion, this movie is a bunch of cliché action that is too ludicrous to be entertaining. Don't waste your time with this or any other John Woo movie unless you enjoy seeing people not get shot and plenty of doves flying.
a great action experience
Special-K8814 February 2002
From director John Woo comes this exhilarating action movie that takes a deadly cat-and-mouse game to the next level! A tortured federal agent, haunted by a painful tragedy and obsessed with catching the slick sociopathic terrorist who's eluded him for years and years, is forced to take the face of his mortal enemy in order to acquire vital information. The daring plan quickly goes awry when he loses his own identity in the process, and discovers his arch-enemy is cohabiting with his family. Film's enjoyment depends on the viewer: you'll either condemn the story as absurd and far-fetched, or you'll buy into it and go along for this supercharged, over-the-top action extravaganza. Travolta and Cage are both extraordinarily good, and with Woo at the helm you know that you'd better hang on for dear life! Occasionally silly, with a plot that tosses credibility out the window, but still a helluva lot of fun. ***
Not as good as I remember back in the day.
poolandrews22 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Face/Off starts in Los Angeles where international terrorist & all round bad guy Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) has just planted a huge bomb at an exhibition center that will has the potential to kill thousands, however special ops agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) & his team have been tracking Troy for years & after a lead comes good they discover that Troy is about to take off in a private jet. Archer & his team get there in time & stop Troy from leaving Los Angeles but Troy is badly injured in a shoot-out & ends up in a coma. On a computer disk found on Troy there are plans for the bomb & Archer know's that Troy has planted it somewhere. The only other person who would know where the bomb is happens to be Troy's brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola) but he obviously won't talk to Archer or the authorities so in an elaborate plan to fool Pollux into revealing the location of the bomb cutting edge medical procedures are used to surgically attach Troy's face onto Archer but the plan goes awry when Troy wakes up from his coma & has Archer's face surgically attached & takes over his life as the real Archer is trapped in prison as everyone thinks he's the real Castor Troy...
Directed by John Woo this was originally released back in 1997 & I saw it around that time when it came out on DVD & since then I hadn't seen it again until last night & I have to confess that I was rather disappointed with Face/Off & it's one of those films that is nowhere near as good as I remember it. I guess when we are younger we are more easily pleased & the two impressive action scenes which bookend the film are most people's overriding memory of Face/Off which conceals the fact that the hour & a half between those two sequences in my opinion is rather dry & boring. The script features the usual Woo trademarks of honour, revenge, trust, loss & flying doves but I must admit I found it all a bit pedestrian. The initial shoot-out at the airport & the switching of faces is neat & pacey but after that the films slows right down as the drama kicks in & in a film with a fairly silly premise serious drama just doesn't quite work. The basic idea of having the hero & villain swap identities to the extent where they assume each other's lives & what effect that has on them is amusing for a short time but it wears thin pretty quickly as you count down the minutes the inevitable showdown between the two. Having said that the film is perfectly entertaining & has a few excellent stand-out action set-pieces that really stay in the memory.
The film has some very impressive action scenes & they are stylishly shot with an actual steadicam you we can actually see what's going on! The violence is moderate consisting of mostly shoot-outs but they are choreographed with flair & panache. The science involved in the face transplant scenes is total nonsense & didn't sit well with me, what about Castor's teeth? Did they take all of Archer's own teeth out & replace them? You really do have to suspend your disbelief & just about everything you know about medical science to believe the procedures on show here & that's a big problem, since you don't believe it the film never quite recovers or works as it is intended. Apparently Face/Off was going to be set in the future but it was changed to the present & I definitely think the story as a whole would have been a lot more plausible set at some point in the near future.
With a supposed budget of about $80,000,000 this actually turned a profit which slightly surprises me, to be honest eighty big ones sounds like a lot of money to me & apart from the opening & closing action scenes I am not quite sure where it all went although Travolta was paid apparently paid a cool $15,000,000 while Cage got a more modest yet still not bad $6,000,000 so that's over twenty million of the budget gone already. The acting is alright, Travolta puts in a good performance while Cage less so.
Face/Off is a film you will remember for several excellent action set-pieces that stay in the memory much longer than the sub standard soap opera drama that passes for much of the middle ninety minutes. Not too bad overall but not as good as I remember from the first time around.
Directed by John Woo this was originally released back in 1997 & I saw it around that time when it came out on DVD & since then I hadn't seen it again until last night & I have to confess that I was rather disappointed with Face/Off & it's one of those films that is nowhere near as good as I remember it. I guess when we are younger we are more easily pleased & the two impressive action scenes which bookend the film are most people's overriding memory of Face/Off which conceals the fact that the hour & a half between those two sequences in my opinion is rather dry & boring. The script features the usual Woo trademarks of honour, revenge, trust, loss & flying doves but I must admit I found it all a bit pedestrian. The initial shoot-out at the airport & the switching of faces is neat & pacey but after that the films slows right down as the drama kicks in & in a film with a fairly silly premise serious drama just doesn't quite work. The basic idea of having the hero & villain swap identities to the extent where they assume each other's lives & what effect that has on them is amusing for a short time but it wears thin pretty quickly as you count down the minutes the inevitable showdown between the two. Having said that the film is perfectly entertaining & has a few excellent stand-out action set-pieces that really stay in the memory.
The film has some very impressive action scenes & they are stylishly shot with an actual steadicam you we can actually see what's going on! The violence is moderate consisting of mostly shoot-outs but they are choreographed with flair & panache. The science involved in the face transplant scenes is total nonsense & didn't sit well with me, what about Castor's teeth? Did they take all of Archer's own teeth out & replace them? You really do have to suspend your disbelief & just about everything you know about medical science to believe the procedures on show here & that's a big problem, since you don't believe it the film never quite recovers or works as it is intended. Apparently Face/Off was going to be set in the future but it was changed to the present & I definitely think the story as a whole would have been a lot more plausible set at some point in the near future.
With a supposed budget of about $80,000,000 this actually turned a profit which slightly surprises me, to be honest eighty big ones sounds like a lot of money to me & apart from the opening & closing action scenes I am not quite sure where it all went although Travolta was paid apparently paid a cool $15,000,000 while Cage got a more modest yet still not bad $6,000,000 so that's over twenty million of the budget gone already. The acting is alright, Travolta puts in a good performance while Cage less so.
Face/Off is a film you will remember for several excellent action set-pieces that stay in the memory much longer than the sub standard soap opera drama that passes for much of the middle ninety minutes. Not too bad overall but not as good as I remember from the first time around.
In my top 3 best Movies.
balgeorge27 July 2010
What can I say?! One of the best movies I have ever seen. The Storyline is superb, and the acting is of the finest actors there is. Cage and Travolta deserve Oscars for their performances; how Cage changed from a murdering criminal to a determined good cop in the way he did, I will never know.
Another great element of this film is the action: Guns, knives, grenade launchers, AK-47s and so on! Some of the greatest gun fights I have ever seen in any movie take place here, specifically the the cop vs criminal fight in the mansion, is it? Anyway, these are just a few things I have mentioned that put this in my top 3 movies. But I must emphasise the acting once more, and how tremendous both Travolta and Cage are in this master-piece.
10/10, or in other words, brilliant!
Another great element of this film is the action: Guns, knives, grenade launchers, AK-47s and so on! Some of the greatest gun fights I have ever seen in any movie take place here, specifically the the cop vs criminal fight in the mansion, is it? Anyway, these are just a few things I have mentioned that put this in my top 3 movies. But I must emphasise the acting once more, and how tremendous both Travolta and Cage are in this master-piece.
10/10, or in other words, brilliant!
Nicholas Cage could have given the Joker a run for his money!
GirishGowda2 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage) is an accomplished international assassin & Shaun Archer (John Travolta) is the head of an anti-terrorism police force. While on a mission to kill Shaun, Troy accidentally kills Shaun's little son. So, Shaun now makes it his life's mission to bring Troy to justice & gain peace of mind for himself. When Troy goes into a coma during his escape from the police, Shaun learns that he is planning to blow up a square mile of the city. So, with the help of ultramodern technology, Shaun transforms into Troy to get the information about the location of the bomb from Troy's younger brother & only three people know about this. Then Troy wakes up from his coma, transforms himself into Shaun, kills everyone who knows about the procedure & goes to live in Shaun's home. Can the real Shaun protect his family and thousands of people and show he is not Troy to everybody?
Nicholas Cage is one of my favorite actors and this was coming on TV last night and I decided to see it as it had been close to a decade the last time I saw it and I didn't remember anything. Some of my friends told me that Cage could have played the Joker in Batman, if this performance was anything to go by and provided he still looked like it (he is not this good looking now). I completely agree with them on this. The level of insanity and brilliance produced by Nicholas Cage in this movie is simply mind-blowing for its time. I mean, the Joker was not the standard bar for maniac characters on screen at the time this movie was made and Cage made Troy such a chilling presence. Even as Shaun, Cage was perfect. John Travolta (this is my second Travolta movie after 'The Taking Of Pelham 123' last year) couldn't carry out Troy's maniac part very convincingly (or I should say, as convincingly as Cage), except in the climax with Shaun's daughter. But, he was perfect as Shaun. I thought that Troy was beginning to have good feelings for the daughter, while he was teaching her how to defend herself and was trying to look at life from a fresh perspective. But, that was blown out of the window and I found out that he never had any sort of feelings for anybody but himself and his brother. Joan Allen as Shaun's wife, Eve was fine in her short role. Pollux Troy also was very convincing as the nerdy and somewhat maniac brother of Castor Troy.
Though the premise of the story is too far-fetched and the shoot-out between the main protagonists, whenever they meet, is insanely non-stop throughout the movie, it still entertains because of the powerhouse performance by Nicholas Cage and very credible acting from John Travolta. I hated the fact that most of the action scenes were made just to satisfy the fans, the climax was half an hour for god's sake. With this concept and these incredible actors, Face/Off's acting and dramatic scenes were so good that it would still be a great film without the shoot outs.
7/10
Nicholas Cage is one of my favorite actors and this was coming on TV last night and I decided to see it as it had been close to a decade the last time I saw it and I didn't remember anything. Some of my friends told me that Cage could have played the Joker in Batman, if this performance was anything to go by and provided he still looked like it (he is not this good looking now). I completely agree with them on this. The level of insanity and brilliance produced by Nicholas Cage in this movie is simply mind-blowing for its time. I mean, the Joker was not the standard bar for maniac characters on screen at the time this movie was made and Cage made Troy such a chilling presence. Even as Shaun, Cage was perfect. John Travolta (this is my second Travolta movie after 'The Taking Of Pelham 123' last year) couldn't carry out Troy's maniac part very convincingly (or I should say, as convincingly as Cage), except in the climax with Shaun's daughter. But, he was perfect as Shaun. I thought that Troy was beginning to have good feelings for the daughter, while he was teaching her how to defend herself and was trying to look at life from a fresh perspective. But, that was blown out of the window and I found out that he never had any sort of feelings for anybody but himself and his brother. Joan Allen as Shaun's wife, Eve was fine in her short role. Pollux Troy also was very convincing as the nerdy and somewhat maniac brother of Castor Troy.
Though the premise of the story is too far-fetched and the shoot-out between the main protagonists, whenever they meet, is insanely non-stop throughout the movie, it still entertains because of the powerhouse performance by Nicholas Cage and very credible acting from John Travolta. I hated the fact that most of the action scenes were made just to satisfy the fans, the climax was half an hour for god's sake. With this concept and these incredible actors, Face/Off's acting and dramatic scenes were so good that it would still be a great film without the shoot outs.
7/10
Face/Off, a master piece of the 90's, is a must watch film
mazzjo13 January 2017
Face/Off, a master piece of the 90's, is a must watch film. This sweeping drama stars two paragons of Hollywood, Oscar Winner, Nicolas Cage, and John Travolta, of Michael fame. Nicolas Cage knows no bounds when playing a cheeky, but unsettling, Castor Troy, yet is able to capture family man Sean Archer with a profound execution. Not to be outdone, John Travolta's daring portrayal of Caster brings out this family man's inner demons. When one hoodwinks the other, the game is afoot. All in all, Cage and Travolta deliver a performance that dances into our souls that would make Curious George and The Man With The Yellow Hat proud. However, John Travolta's actual dancing is sorely missed from this film. Despite this sole flaw, this IS a must watch.
Extremely unrealistic, but a lot of fun at times
Horst_In_Translation7 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Face/Off" is an American (mostly) English-language live action film from 1997, so this one is already over 20 years old, getting closer to 25 in fact, and it is a pretty long movie at almost 2 hours and 20 minutes. The director is John Woo and, fittingly with Asian filmmakers also making big waves these days, here we have a really successful and prolific Chinese director who made many films in his own country, but this one here is maybe his most known Hollywood movie. It is also a definite contender for most known for writers Werb and Colleary. As for the cast: You see the two big players already on the poster here on imdb. Reading this is about a cop and a terrorist, I initially thought Travolta would be the bad guy, but nope it is the other way around. Or is it really? Actually I was right if we consider the face change for the majority of the film. Just not in terms of beginning and end. Okay, I listed the actors already. Travolta was an Oscar nominee at that point and Cage just won his Oscar for "Leaving Las Vegas" right before this film was made. The biggest supporting player is Joan Allen, actually the only supporting player with decent baity material, and if we believe awards bodies she was also at her peak back then scoring two Oscar nominations in the mid-90s. But this film here did not score any acting Academy Award noms. It did get in for sound though and it seems accurate, for it is maybe the film's best aspect. Technically, it is a pretty good film for sure. I am generally not too big on action sequences and I must say I did not enjoy them as much here as others did maybe, but the early scene with the airplane, then the big spectacular shootout at the terrorists' headquarter and finally the boat scene weren't too bad. As for the shootout I mentioned in the middle, they used a somewhat different version of Judy Garland's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and that was an interesting pick obviously chosen to create a great deal of contrast there because all we see is bullets flying around, people being killed and lots of screaming and at the same time we hear such a harmonic tune. I wished it could have really worked, but it did not. At least not for me.
Anyway, I already said in the title that this is a very unrealistic film. It definitely is. Even if we do not focus too much on the general idea of scientists being able to give one character's face to another and people really think immediately it is him, there is a lot more I can only accept from the guilty pleasure perspective. Like the moment Cage's character sees his bloody face, he immediately knows what to do and has a plan. I mean I don't say they should have him go insane like many probably would, but come on at least give him like a day or two to calm down and understand what happened. Yes he is a very capable and straight-forward guy, but still. Next example would be how they actually managed to kill everybody who knew about the face change (somewhat perfect title for this film really). I mean how would they know who was involved. And also how does his boss not know (the one with the heart attack later on). Archer (not Sterling) seems like such a role model who would always follow protocol, so I think the boss definitely should have known. Another thing I found hard to believe is that there is apparently no time for the face to recover and it is all fixed immediately, no pain, no rest, nothing. I mean Travolta's character even gets punched hard to the face when in jail and this may not be the very best idea taking into account the surgery he just had. And still it's not a problem. Also the film takes place in 1997 as we see on one occasion, so if they had moved it to the year 2030 or so, then maybe I could say okay with what according to them science could do in 2030 it is acceptable, but just telling us there are secret programs that made this possible in 1997 does not work for me. Speaking about the prison, there I thought it was unrealistic that he somewhat manages to bond with the guy who really hated him because he slept with his wife and sister and this came so out of nowhere before he got the electric shocks that I find it difficult to believe this was all his plan and he knew it would work. Too much concidence. Also not very credible how he really got away from the island in the end. Sometimes he felt like a superhero and his thirst for revenge and for getting his life/wife back can only explain so much. So yeah, I think it is a very unrealistic film all in all, even if we accept the idea that a guy actually agrees to give up his face (even if just for a while) and it all works out from the surgery perspective. I mean even that in the end he gets his old face back as if nothing happened. Unreal.
But there are good moments too, many actually. I liked all the parts that involved Allen's character. Her not knowing that she stands at her son's grave with the actual killer was a really tense moment. Or also her actual husband trying to convince her who he really is. This was nicely done and handled, also the way Allen acted in all these scenes. If anybody deserved an acting nomination from the cast, then it would have been her. It was a challenging role and I cannot criticize anything. I mean the idea of her not knowing it is somebody else when seeing him naked or even having sex is difficult to grasp, but let's be real here. How could she? The truth is so absurd. So as for the two leads, I am writing this as somebody who likes Travolta. More than Cage at least, but both had okay moments. The scenes with the daughter were awkwardly funny like how he would really be interested in screwing her, but it may be difficult as she thinks he is her dad, even if all of a sudden a much more virile version. Also I mention the scene with the suitor in the car. Now it's always fun to see Travolta beat up others no denying. How actually the bad guy gives her the knife afterwards was also a smart inclusion with how she uses it against him eventually. Or how she apologises to her real dad at the very end worked well too, comedically and dramatically. Maybe storywise they could have done more with the scar Travolta's character has. And there are some smart parallels here. Like how both characters act towards the other's kids. Made me also wonder if Cage's character could have turned out differently had he known he has a boy. Or how they act towards each other's loves. Not sure if "love" is the right word for Cage's character. At the end, there is of course the super happy ending that the orphan boy now gets a new family and the family at the center of the film gets a new member. Not a replacament for the son, but maybe something they can give all the love that was taken from them back in the day. So overall, this film is not a failure. You just should not watch it if you are in the mood for an authentic realistic crime thriller because for that, it is just too absurd on many occasions. I explained these occasions before. Still, if you like Travolta and Cage or love at least one from the duo, then this is absolutely worth seeing. The supporting cast is also solid, even if most of them have only one scene. I can see why it has such a high rating here on imdb, but the fact that also critics loved it apparently I must admit surprises me a bit. I thought they would have been harsher here. So from me it is a thumbs-up for this movie. Not one of my favorites from its year, but I say that you can go watch it if you haven't already.
Anyway, I already said in the title that this is a very unrealistic film. It definitely is. Even if we do not focus too much on the general idea of scientists being able to give one character's face to another and people really think immediately it is him, there is a lot more I can only accept from the guilty pleasure perspective. Like the moment Cage's character sees his bloody face, he immediately knows what to do and has a plan. I mean I don't say they should have him go insane like many probably would, but come on at least give him like a day or two to calm down and understand what happened. Yes he is a very capable and straight-forward guy, but still. Next example would be how they actually managed to kill everybody who knew about the face change (somewhat perfect title for this film really). I mean how would they know who was involved. And also how does his boss not know (the one with the heart attack later on). Archer (not Sterling) seems like such a role model who would always follow protocol, so I think the boss definitely should have known. Another thing I found hard to believe is that there is apparently no time for the face to recover and it is all fixed immediately, no pain, no rest, nothing. I mean Travolta's character even gets punched hard to the face when in jail and this may not be the very best idea taking into account the surgery he just had. And still it's not a problem. Also the film takes place in 1997 as we see on one occasion, so if they had moved it to the year 2030 or so, then maybe I could say okay with what according to them science could do in 2030 it is acceptable, but just telling us there are secret programs that made this possible in 1997 does not work for me. Speaking about the prison, there I thought it was unrealistic that he somewhat manages to bond with the guy who really hated him because he slept with his wife and sister and this came so out of nowhere before he got the electric shocks that I find it difficult to believe this was all his plan and he knew it would work. Too much concidence. Also not very credible how he really got away from the island in the end. Sometimes he felt like a superhero and his thirst for revenge and for getting his life/wife back can only explain so much. So yeah, I think it is a very unrealistic film all in all, even if we accept the idea that a guy actually agrees to give up his face (even if just for a while) and it all works out from the surgery perspective. I mean even that in the end he gets his old face back as if nothing happened. Unreal.
But there are good moments too, many actually. I liked all the parts that involved Allen's character. Her not knowing that she stands at her son's grave with the actual killer was a really tense moment. Or also her actual husband trying to convince her who he really is. This was nicely done and handled, also the way Allen acted in all these scenes. If anybody deserved an acting nomination from the cast, then it would have been her. It was a challenging role and I cannot criticize anything. I mean the idea of her not knowing it is somebody else when seeing him naked or even having sex is difficult to grasp, but let's be real here. How could she? The truth is so absurd. So as for the two leads, I am writing this as somebody who likes Travolta. More than Cage at least, but both had okay moments. The scenes with the daughter were awkwardly funny like how he would really be interested in screwing her, but it may be difficult as she thinks he is her dad, even if all of a sudden a much more virile version. Also I mention the scene with the suitor in the car. Now it's always fun to see Travolta beat up others no denying. How actually the bad guy gives her the knife afterwards was also a smart inclusion with how she uses it against him eventually. Or how she apologises to her real dad at the very end worked well too, comedically and dramatically. Maybe storywise they could have done more with the scar Travolta's character has. And there are some smart parallels here. Like how both characters act towards the other's kids. Made me also wonder if Cage's character could have turned out differently had he known he has a boy. Or how they act towards each other's loves. Not sure if "love" is the right word for Cage's character. At the end, there is of course the super happy ending that the orphan boy now gets a new family and the family at the center of the film gets a new member. Not a replacament for the son, but maybe something they can give all the love that was taken from them back in the day. So overall, this film is not a failure. You just should not watch it if you are in the mood for an authentic realistic crime thriller because for that, it is just too absurd on many occasions. I explained these occasions before. Still, if you like Travolta and Cage or love at least one from the duo, then this is absolutely worth seeing. The supporting cast is also solid, even if most of them have only one scene. I can see why it has such a high rating here on imdb, but the fact that also critics loved it apparently I must admit surprises me a bit. I thought they would have been harsher here. So from me it is a thumbs-up for this movie. Not one of my favorites from its year, but I say that you can go watch it if you haven't already.
What a marvel
abdiluqman-4759316 July 2020
I first watched this movie as a young boy back in the early 00s and it really blew my mind.I liked every aspect of it from the storyline to the action to the slow mo church scene with pigeons flying around before a shootout.Nearly 20 years layer I watched it again and it never disappoints and never seems to age.
It's time for Cage and Travolta to face/off! Is this trading faces movie, any good? It's fun, but kinda cheesy. It's time to face your worst enemy!
ironhorse_iv24 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Magic Mirror on the wall, is this in your face action movie, the fairest one of all? Not really. Most of the time, I was laughing my face off due to the tongue-in-cheek action. Not to be confused with the series Face/Off, a makeup-F/X reality competition on the SyFy Channel. The movie, Face/Off is more like brain off, pay off film. Directed by John Woo, the silly premise movie tells the story of an FBI agent, Sean Archer (John Travolta) who goes undercover and assumes the identity of a ruthless terrorist, Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) to foil a terrorist bomb threat. Soon, the plan backfires when the same criminal impersonates the cop with the same method, a face-transplant surgery. Now, it's up to Archer to prove that, he's the real Archer, and stop Castor from stealing his life. Without spoiling the movie too much, the film is full of director Woo's signature tiresome clichés like the overused of doves and over the top Gun Fu action sequences. It's nice to see Travolta and Cage each playing two different personalities, making both actors the protagonists and antagonists. In my opinion Nicolas Cage's acting is better than John Travolta's acting in this. Cage's gotten a lot of credit as a pretty good actor in a lot of good films in the past. But with the birth of the internet, people started to notice compilation videos of Cage's acting that showcased a certain craziness. Travolta's not so much. In this film, Cage goes total insane in certain scenes. The acting from these two was a bit over the top, but it's one of the charms of the film. The female characters are some of the worst written. Joan Allen as Archer's wife, Eve is just awful. She supposed to be a doctor, but she can't tell that Archer been replaced by somebody else. She's the wife, I would think she would know, every detail of her husband's body. She needed to do a blood test, just to prove that it isn't him. Honestly, how did Troy not notice that a needle's been stuck in him for a blood test? Does he not feel pain? Anyways, she discovers the truth, and waits forever to tell people about it, causing more death and mayhem. Not the best written character. There are bits in the movie that makes you scratch your head, puzzling, like how is Castor Troy, hard to find. He supposed to be the most secretive terrorist ever, yet he has a personal jet, nice suits and expensive rent-a-car. Another WTF moment is church choir scene at the LA Convention Center. Why are they there, and how did Castor Troy got away with groping with one of the choir girls, while wearing a priest outfit? So, he's OK about groping this choir girl, but help beat up Archer's daughter's boyfriend when he became a bit, too touchy toward Jamie (Dominique Swain). That doesn't make sense!? Also, didn't Troy earlier in the film, say and threatened to rape Jamie to her father's face. That was a bit odd. I have to criticize the fact that the film makes the villain more likable than the protagonist. It's weird that the villain makes a better father than the real hero who is never there. The protagonist seem a little bit creepier than Troy to his own family. He has the nerves to adopt a boy that mirror his dead kid without his wife, knowing. Then he has that awkward hand rub to the face. It's disturbing. No wonder, why Jamie is so mess up. The movie really goes crazy in its Sci-fiction premise, despite the settling of the film being 1997. The face surgery is bit out there in science fiction land. Don't ask how the surgery is reversed for the hero, toward the end, despite the Walsh institute being burned down. It's never explained. I like how the Walsh institute has no security just in case, Castor Troy wake up. I'm not even kidding: They leave Castor Troy with little to no security watching him throughout the majority of the first part of the film. Talking about security. That maximum, high tech secret oil rig prison that Archer-as-Castor Troy is sent to, is so surreal. Reusing props like the electric shock therapy and magnetic boots from 1993's Super Mario Bros the movie! Come on! The action is a hit than a miss. There were very entertaining. I like the Mexican stand-off at the church, it was pretty cool. I like the Mexican stand-off at the church, it was pretty cool. The Gun Fu action really did work. Still, there were some misses, I like how the stunt doubles, don't look anything like the real actors, during some of the action scenes or how a person that clearly got shot in the neck, is able to speak, very well. For a very silly movie, there were a lot of good scenes. The opening scene is a good example of this, where Troy tries to shoot Archer but kills Archer's son instead. To this film's credit, this is a pretty dramatic and emotional scene. John Travolta was able to show more emotional range. It's seem that the movie was trying to go with bigger themes like Christ references. Another is brotherhood, using Greek mythology names. Castor and Pollux were twin brothers of Helen of Troy that form the Gemini constellation, which is on the opposite side of the night sky from Sagittarius the Archer. The music score was mostly alright. I like the main theme. I dislike the use of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" playing over a gunfight. It was a bit jarring. Overall: I acknowledges that the corniness is what makes the film so fun. Only John Woo and these two unique actors, Cage & Travolta could pull something this whacky off. Great movie to watch. Good popcorn film to escape reality in.
Brilliant. High Class Action.
mooncheese_431 October 2005
Possibly John Woo's greatest American film yet. Watching it brings out my emotions from start to finish and the action scenes were done with the style of a master director known as John Woo. Even though he has made some movies that are not that impressive, it seems that he uses the style of A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2, the emotions of The Killer and the action of Hard Boiled, and incorporates all of this to make one awesome blockbuster featuring top actors such as John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. These two actors make the movie work and if Woo used different actors it would not have worked. Travolta and Cage changing roles from good to bad and bad to good is superb as both actors change their emotions as the characters change their identities. A must see for all John Woo and action fans and definitely the movie to have as a collectors item. John Woo's American Masterpiece is worth every dollar you spend on it.
A very nice action movie with plenty of breathtaking moments
philip_vanderveken23 February 2005
It's been a while since I've had some good fun with an action movie that didn't annoy me too much for I don't know what reasons. And I have to admit: even though it didn't have the strongest start, "Face/Off" gave me a very good time thanks to the very good acting from John Travolta and Nicholas Cage and the interesting directing and camera work by John Woo.
Sean Archer (Travolta) is an FBI agent who has been chasing Caster Troy (Cage) for six years. He has been chasing Troy for six years, because Troy tried to shoot Archer and was able to hit him, but ended up killing Archer's son instead. When Archer finally succeeds in apprehending Troy, Troy tells him that, even though Archer arrests him, he has lost anyway, because Troy has planted a bomb somewhere. First they are convinced that he's bluffing, but when they arrest Troy's brother Pollux, they find out he was telling the truth and that there is a biological bomb somewhere. To find out where exactly, Archer will have to do something that has never been done before. Because Caster got in a deep coma and his fellows (who are all in jail now) think he's dead, Archer will take over his face. Thanks to some experimental cosmetic surgery, doctors are able to peel of Troy's face and put it on Archer's head. Archer, who now looks like Troy, goes to the jail, tries to find out everything about the bomb by questioning "his" accomplices, but of course something goes wrong. Troy awakes from his coma, takes over Archer's face (which was being preserved for the duration of the mission) and takes over Archer's life...
In the beginning, the movie isn't all that excellent. Only when both men have switched faces and identity, the real fun starts, reaching a climax during the last 45 minutes. Then there is plenty of action in the movie and often John Woo has portrayed it in a very original and spectacular way. But the real stars of this movie are Nicholas Cage and John Travolta. In the beginning of the movie I thought they weren't exactly casted perfectly. I thought it would be better for Cage to play the FBI agent and Travolta the terrorist (I didn't know yet what was to come), and was very pleased to see them play each other afterwards. It's very clear that they had a lot of fun doing that, which is very positive for the movie.
All in all this was one of the best action movies I've seen lately. And despite the fact that the beginning wasn't the strongest, I still had some great fun with it. That's why I give it a 7/10, perhaps even a 7.5/10
Sean Archer (Travolta) is an FBI agent who has been chasing Caster Troy (Cage) for six years. He has been chasing Troy for six years, because Troy tried to shoot Archer and was able to hit him, but ended up killing Archer's son instead. When Archer finally succeeds in apprehending Troy, Troy tells him that, even though Archer arrests him, he has lost anyway, because Troy has planted a bomb somewhere. First they are convinced that he's bluffing, but when they arrest Troy's brother Pollux, they find out he was telling the truth and that there is a biological bomb somewhere. To find out where exactly, Archer will have to do something that has never been done before. Because Caster got in a deep coma and his fellows (who are all in jail now) think he's dead, Archer will take over his face. Thanks to some experimental cosmetic surgery, doctors are able to peel of Troy's face and put it on Archer's head. Archer, who now looks like Troy, goes to the jail, tries to find out everything about the bomb by questioning "his" accomplices, but of course something goes wrong. Troy awakes from his coma, takes over Archer's face (which was being preserved for the duration of the mission) and takes over Archer's life...
In the beginning, the movie isn't all that excellent. Only when both men have switched faces and identity, the real fun starts, reaching a climax during the last 45 minutes. Then there is plenty of action in the movie and often John Woo has portrayed it in a very original and spectacular way. But the real stars of this movie are Nicholas Cage and John Travolta. In the beginning of the movie I thought they weren't exactly casted perfectly. I thought it would be better for Cage to play the FBI agent and Travolta the terrorist (I didn't know yet what was to come), and was very pleased to see them play each other afterwards. It's very clear that they had a lot of fun doing that, which is very positive for the movie.
All in all this was one of the best action movies I've seen lately. And despite the fact that the beginning wasn't the strongest, I still had some great fun with it. That's why I give it a 7/10, perhaps even a 7.5/10
Redefines the word "implausible"
EvMcc1 February 1999
Plenty of action yes, of the 1000 bullets per second with no-one getting hurt variety, but a laughable plot. Cage's face is removed and grafted onto Travolta; Travolta's original face is then saved for replacing at the end of his mission. Obviously the face would be locked away somewhere safe and out of harm's way? No, when Cage unexpectedly comes around he gets out of bed, looks through the window, and there, in the room right next to him and in a brightly illuminated jar is Travolta's face! At this point I watched the video for a little longer to see if it could get any more ridiculous and when it started to, I turned it off.
One of the worst films I have seen in a long time.
One of the worst films I have seen in a long time.
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