Summary:
An FBI agent undergoes a facial transplant surgery to work his way into a terrorist sect, but the plan goes awry when the terrorist whose face he stole impersonates the FBI agent.
My Thoughts:
John Woo’s “Face/Off” has characters constantly doing physically impossible things, more explosions and fireworks than most Michael Bay movies, and a plot that would fall apart under the smallest bit of scrutiny, but at the same time, it features some of the most hilariously over the top performances I’ve ever seen from John Travolta (“Pulp Fiction”) and Nicolas Cage (“Mandy”) and the reality-defying action sequences make “Face/Off” one of the most fun action flicks from the 90s. “Face/Off” isn’t a great film, but it is an absolute riot.
It’s like looking in a mirror- only not.
A terrorist named Castor Troy (Cage) kills FBI agent Sean Archer’s (Travolta) son. It takes Archer a long time before he catches Troy, but when he does, Troy is injured and left in a coma. Troy’s brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola, “Disobedience”) has information regarding another impending terrorist attack, but refuses to give out any information to anyone but Troy. Archer undergoes an experimental surgery that replaces his own face with Troy’s face in an attempt to convince Pollux to reveal where the next attack will be. As Archer goes undercover as Troy, the real Troy wakes up and forces the doctor whom performed the surgery to put Archer’s face on Troy. As the time for the attack draws nearer, Troy and Archer find themselves wrapped up in each other’s lives and it becomes obvious that their rivalry will end in one of their deaths.
John Woo has made some legitimately good movies (“Hard Boiled”, “The Killer”), but he’s also made some pretty dismal ones (“Mission: Impossible II”, “Paycheck”); I think “Face/Off” falls just about in the middle as far as quality. As far as plot goes, this movie is totally farfetched, to the point where even explaining the film makes me laugh. As far as action goes, this movie is like the “John Wick” of the 90s. There’s just so much ridiculous action that it almost becomes overwhelming, and the viewer just has to sit back, open-mouthed, and enjoy what’s being thrown at them. I think the lack of restraint in this movie in particular is completely refreshing. This isn’t a film that you watch with your brain fully engaged, this if a film that requires you to completely suspend your disbelief before you walk through the doors.
Where this film really succeeds is with the performances of the leads, which are both incredibly bizarre. Both Travolta and Cage are known for their peculiar acting choices (Cage more so than Travolta), but the performances in this film might be some of their most memorable to date. Cage in particular seems to just have a lot of fun with the role; he looks certifiably crazy in more than half the scenes he’s on screen. Travolta tries to match that crazy, and for the most part he succeeds. In the end it feels like we’re watching two escapees from a nuthouse running around try to kill each other.
The action sequences in this movie are a blast (both literally and figuratively). Some of the sequences last upwards of ten minutes, and some of the things that happen within these action sequences are completely bonkers and oftentimes make little sense. At the same time, I couldn’t have cared less that plausibility was tossed out the window. From the very beginning we’re informed that reality really has no sway over the rules of this world (it’s a movie about two people swapping faces), so I’m fine with the action going far beyond what could actually happen. Some of my favorite parts of this film are the moments when Woo just lets loose and goes crazy. Moments like when Archer turns on a jet and kicks Troy into the airstream, sending him flying backwards into a fence feel almost farcical, but at the same time, they feel very indicative of what was considered cool in the 90s. So much of this movie feels hokey, but I’m sure twenty years ago, moviegoers thought this was one of the most bad*ss films to ever hit the cinema.
Verdict:
I don’t think this movie is good, but it is a wonderful example of what happens when too much of everything goes right. This movie is too long, too loud, and too ridiculously farfetched, but it still, somehow, ends up being one of the most memorable action movies of the 90s.
Review Written By: