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Face/Off

Face/Off

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: F*c*/Off
Review: I remember watching this in the cinema in November 1997 with 698 other people (a full house) and only me and my pal hated it. Which is weird because I expected it to be great. The original script for the film had it set in the future but Woo insisted it be written in present day to not distract the audience. But the only thing that distracted me was how dull the film was.

Since coming to Hollywood John Woo has done little to impress. He mad a very strong debut with Hard Target but the film was cut to shreds and the impact severely muted. Broken Arrow was thoroughly unexciting and Face/Off is not much better.

The bulk of the blame lies not with Woo but with Travolta. As Sean Archer he's fine. But as soon as he becomes Castor Troy he turns the camp all the way up to 11. Face/Off eventually becomes an unashamed pantomime. Cage, as both characters, is very good. But Travolta takes Troy to the same place he took Vic Deakins in Broken Arrow. It's like he assumes that no matter what he does, it's automatically cool because IT'S A JOHN WOO FILM. Sorry, but that logic doesn't work out in real life.

The plot, while being crafty, doesn't really do much. Exactly what does Troy plan after becoming Archer? To look like his enemy for the rest of his life? If not it was a bad idea burning down the Plastic Surgery Joint then. Some interesting imagery is used and the subtext gives the movie a sharper edge despite its superficial appearance. All the 'gun ballet' stuff does is glamorise guns. And that's becoming real old hat.

Weird tho, when you think that this film is written by the folks that gave us The Mask and Death Wish V: The Face of Death. And John Woo would also dabble in face swapping later on with Mission: Impossible 2.

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. The only extra is a trailer.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Best John Woo film
Review: I thought this film would be a lot more confusing than it actually was. I was expecting them to be constantly changing faces, rather than keeping the switched faces for the duration of the film.

After realising John Woo directed this, and after not liking MI:2, I was expecting to sit back and yawn right the way through it. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of Nicolas Cage, and a little bird told me that John Travolta was so camp in this film! But instead, I found myself on the edge of my seat. It's action right through from start to finish. A very concept for a film, although there a few bits I could criticise - possibly a brain transplant to ACT that much like the other person?! And of course there were the predictable moments - of course, Nicolas Cage would have John Travolta's face transplanted onto his. How weird. And of course I was sickened by the glimpses of Nicolas's cage meatiness without a face - UGH!!!

I actually found myself liking Nicolas in this film, and John managed to capture his moves and gestures down to a T - although he became too evil for me at one point, and I found myself not liking the character he was playing.

It reminded me a lot of the Matrix with the moves, and True Lies, with the fact the daughter was involved.

Not much of extras, but the theatrical trailer was great! For once, I enjoyed the shortness of a theatrical trailer. If I'd seen that when this originally came out, I would definitely have gone to see it.

If you like your action movies, you have to see this. You won't be disappointed.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Let's get one thing straight.....
Review: This was a terribly interesting movie, but it was also the first movie that managed to erase every coherent intelligent thought from my brain. That said, I am sure you can find reviews and summaries for this movie from any of the numerous reviews litering this page, but one must not forget to have a handy book on differential equations, your driver's license, and a napkin to wipe the drool from the corner of your lips close by. OKAY?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Suspend your Disbelief, and Enjoy
Review: Under the category of movies with singularly absurd premises, there are two sub-categories: those that are unwatchable precisely because of their absurd premise, and those that are thoroughly enjoyable precisely because of their absurd premise.

Face/Off falls in the latter sub-category. The singularly absurd premise: FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) has his face removed by high-technology laser surgery, kept in a preservative bath, and replaced with that of comatose killer Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). His mission: to pose as Troy in a high-security prison for the most dangerous criminals alive, and get vital information on the whereabouts of a time bomb somewhere in LA from Troy's brother Pollux. The mission is so top-secret that even the prison officials don't know. Nor do Archer's wife and daughter.

Now, here's where the absurdity mounts, and with it the fun: Castor, confined in the secret facility where the surgery was performed, suddenly wakes from his coma. He feels no face, sees Archer's face in the glass liquid container, puts two and two together, and phones his henchmen, who kidnap the facility's staff and the few others who know about the operation, have them attach Archer's face where Castor's once was, and then kill them. Castor Troy becomes Sean Archer, Sean Archer becomes Castor Troy, at least in face. Troy visits Archer at the prison to tell him to expect to spend the rest of his life behind bars, so Archer must find a way to get out.

Whew. It's actually a lot less complicated to watch, which is exactly what makes it so much fun. Plus, the high-tech laser surgery scenes lend the whole face-swapping scenario a respectable degree of credibility. Throw in John Woo's inimitable directorial style, wherein violence is treated poetically, and you have a movie that's flat-out fun to watch.

And let's not overlook the demands of the script on the two lead actors. Travolta had to play the good guy, and then the bad guy pretending to be the good guy, but only when among the real good guys. Cage had to play the bad guy, and then the good guy pretending to be the bad guy, but only when among the real bad guys.

Get it?

You don't?

Then I strongly urge you to give this piece of barbaric lunacy a try. It's not the sort of film that earns Oscar nominations, but it's definitely a lot of fun, the kind we all have to treat ourselves to now and then.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The greatest nick cage movie alive!
Review: John Woo did an great job on face/off! i love the scene when nick cage is walking up the beach toward the curch. that one tiny scene was put togeather so well i watched it over and over again. the dvd ... though! i wish it had a commentary!!! the movie is very cool and dezerves an award. i mean hey the gold colts cage has in the begining of the movie are sweat. but the movie is NOT FOR KIDS! this movie has everything forom cage waking up with out a face and they show it! and to a fat guy throughing up while geting his skull fried! NOT FOR KIDS. so get the dvd, but not the soundtrack! thats all i have to say.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Woo could do better!
Review: john woo tried to make this top noch movie. but it was not really that great. i saw a lot of film errors. and every time a big action scene was going like the boat exploion you could see that there where stunt men! but the story line was good, and i loved nick cage's gold colt.1911s that he was carrying aroud in the begining of the movie. if i where eport and ropert i would give it a thumbs up!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Just another opinion from Woo's fan of his old action epics
Review: I used to like this movie when it came out. I must've been about 14 when it saw it, and I found the acion scenes to be nice, some explosions and stunts were good, the story was entertaining, and the acting wasn't that bad!

That was until I saw John Woo's classics "Hard Boiled" and "The Killer" years afterward. I mean, of course when Hollywood gets ahold of Woo after noticing his ground-breaking material, would they decide to make him (and themselves, more importantly) rich with repitition.

Uggh, I'll stick with his Hong Kong classics before I step foot into this pile again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Better than 5 Stars- One of the best action movies ever
Review: I have seen alot of action movies, and this one of the best of them. I think this is Woo's best movie also. Travolta and Cage light up the screen with memorable performances, I love their action roles more than all the rest. The movie has it all: action, drama, depth (good/evil, loss of child), innovation, great musical score, great cinematography. I'll admit the plot is bit unrealistic, but only if you dwell on it too long, Woo masks the unrealistic plot well. Remember that this is an action movie, not an Academy Award nominee for best picture, so the little plot problems should be excusable and disregarded. Anybody who criticizes this movie too much has either forgotten that this is a fictional action movie or is insane. Buy this on dvd if you haven't already, even if you haven't seen it yet. Its sad that the nineties was the last decade of great action flicks like this, since the new decade hasn't seen really any yet.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: HAM AND CHEESE
Review: FACE/OFF, directed by Hong-Kong star director, John Woo, is a scientific thriller deserving to be in the top ten american movies of 1997. Destined to a larger public than the usual John Woo aficionados, FACE/OFF has been carefully written in order to please the average moviegoer looking for the bang-bang ride promised by the name of the director, as well as the movie buff expecting a little more than an outstanding visual feast.

Castor and Pollux, greek heroes of the Troy-an war, Adam (Castor's son) and Eve (Archer's wife) are well-known couples of our western cultural background. Mirrors, lost identities, bad and evil, black and white are also literary and cinematographical themes we have often encountered in our lives of curious movie lovers. So what ! Let's admit that it's the first time I've seen so important themes treated in a so flamboyant manner.

Just a final word regarding the actors : Nicolas Cage clearly steals the show by pushing John Travolta to his limits which are, alas, too visible. A great salute to the editors and the stuntmen also.

A DVD zone your library.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Reeks like a Bum
Review: This movie is predictable and terrible. ...Mindless shootings and explosions.. Wish i could give it zero.


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