FaceOff | | Cast : | John Travolta, Nicolas Cage | | Director : | John Woo | | Studio : | Paramount Studio | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | June 27, 1997 | | DVD Released Date : | January 08, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 09, 2005 | | Summary | Greatest Movie Ever! | Content
 | I have watched this movie over and over again, and it gets better each time I watch it. It's very action-filled and suspenseful, keeps you on the edge of your seat. I highly recommend this movie! I love Nicholas Cage as Castor Troy and John Travolta as Sean Archer in this movie! I especially love it when they switch faces and identities. So cool! |
| Rating | | | Date | August 06, 2005 | | Summary | An Intelligent, Fast Paced Adrenaline Rush Of A Movie | Content
| Rarely does an action movie manage to rise above its mindless shoot em up execution and offer an indepth character study of both the protagonist and the antagonist that helps us better understand them. John Woo managed to do this with his 1997 movie "Face/Off", an absurd but well thought out movie that many modern action movies should be modelled after.
As I said the plot is absurd. Sean Archer (John Travolta) is a ruthless FBI agent out to capture and, if possible, kill Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage), a homeland terrorist who accidentally killed Archer's young son in a botched assassination attempt. When Archer succeeds in his goal, he thinks it's time to retire and go home to his troubled daughter and his wife (Joan Allen). But, as Pacino would he say, just when he think he's out they pull him back in. It turns out that Troy is still alive and has planted a bomb set to go off at the L.A. Civics Center (at least I think that's where it was). Using new science, Archer and Troy trade faces. Archer, as Troy, will infiltrate a maximum security prison and get the scoop on the bombing from Castor's brother, Pollux. Of course, as expected, Castor emerges from his coma and realizes his face is gone. He forces the surgeons to give him Archer's face and then kills them. He torches all the files that proves who's who. When Troy finds out what happened, he goes ballistic. He stages a daring prison escape and delves deeper into the life of Castor Troy. Troy, meanwhile, has a ball being Archer, sleeping with his wife and getting heaps of praise showered on him as he defuses the bomb he planted. Archer will stop at nothing to get his true identity back and kil Archer before it's too late.
As I said, the plot couldn't be more absurd. However, it is very easy to understand. It's more unrealistic than it is absurd. It also does a very good job at examining the pysches of both Archer and Troy. Woo gives us revealing looks at the inner aspects of the two, what makes them tick, why they won't stop until one of them is dead. Most action films are just mindless shootout movies with a few bad catchphrases and weak characters. Woo managed to go beyond this and create one of the most intelligent action movies ever.
The film is violent and bloody as hell. However, the violence is very stylized and is not overused, as the violence adds a lot to the tension. "Face/Off" is a relentlessly entertaining action thriller that I would highly recommend.
|
| Rating | | | Date | July 29, 2005 | | Summary | Face it! This movie is cool! | Content
| One of the most preposterous story concepts in history results in one of the best action films of the past 20 years: What would happen if a terrorist and the agent hunting him surgically switch faces? How can you even make that movie? John Woo (who also boosted up Mission Impossible 2) takes the reigns of the clever screenplay and has a blast. This film has way-cool Woo action and a couple over-the-top performances as well as a wild screenplay filled with twists that always manage to be one-step ahead.
Director Woo fills the screen with slow motion gun battles and even slower motion character reveals. His action is usually immune to things like logic, physics and gravity but that never gets in the way. If you thought it was in the way, a stray bullet'd probably fly off the screen and hit you. Pretentious elements adorn the screen as much as gunfire. From a tremendous battle of good vs. evil to the sound of 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' to white doves filling a church during a shootout. He puts a lot of respect toward the films top performances. In doing so, he sorts out the potentially confusing screenplay leaving only the most inattentive behind.
John Travolta has the responsibility of setting up the character of covert agent Sean Archer. Nicholas Cage, the terrorist Castor Troy. Both have to reveal not only the character but also their identifiable quirks, as they will quickly switch roles. Both actors appear to be having a blast at each other's expense. Closing out the confusing triangle is Joan Allen as Archer's brilliant wife. She is willing to allow the story to take its course, only getting involved when she is forced.
The screenplay nicely increases the stakes after the face Switch when both men use each others power to escalate their own needs. Woo's presentation of the final stand-off in the church is sure to bring a smile to your face with it's clever reveals. This is the stuff that elevates the story above most action fodder.
FACE-OFF is a great film with a lot to offer, especially to your sub-woofer. The audio transfer carries it well but the video transfer could use a remaster. There are no special features other than the trailer. Enjoy FACE-OFF.
|
| Rating | | | Date | July 18, 2005 | | Summary | explosive trill ride | Content
| Sean Archer has no other choice but to disguse his face and body into his worst arc enemy Caster Troy in order to get his brother to tell were the bomb is hidden some were in LA. Caster Troy woke up from sleep and got into Sean Archers body bailed his brother out of jail and he stoped his own bomb from going off so he can be famous. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 15, 2005 | | Summary | Great Movie | Content
| Face Off is a great movie. Its about a man who's trying to take down a terrorits group so he takes the face of one of the terrorits captured (Cage). But Cage's character somehow gets the face of the man who took his (Travolta), and nothing is the same from there. The good guy is in a prisoner and the bad guy is among the good people, living with the guys face he has family, ect. The ending action scence is terrific and the movie is awesome. |
|
Picture 01 (20)
