Face/Off [Blu-ray] Reviews

• Great action film

  
  By A3236NRM5H8Q94 on 2007-07-27
  This is one of the best action flicks released in the last ten years. Great fun.
  Don't be fooled by the reviewer giving this film one star. That prude dude must
  think that watching Die Hard is a sin and should be punished as a crime.
  I wish they do a great HD DVD transfer and I'll be happy.
  
  

• The perfect action movie!

  
  By A2VGKGXSG81KAS on 2000-01-22
  Fans of Hong Kong actor star John Woo were disappointed by his U.S. debut, the tepid "Broken Arrow". They should have far fewer bad things to say about his 1997 action film "Face/Off", one of the best action films this reviewer has ever seen.

  The plot of "Face/Off" is, to say the least, rather original- FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) undergoes an operation to switch faces and identities with international terrorist Castor Troy. The two immerse themselves in the other's identity and go to war. The action scenes are exciting, if a little bloody ("Face/Off" must feature the highest on-screen bodycount in movie history). Woo's skills as a director are considerable, but the real fun with "Face/Off" is watching the acting duel between Nicholas Cage and John Travolta. The two essentially switch roles halfway through, but the ironies are even better than that! Each actor is pretending to pretend to be the other, and Cage and Travolta are fantastic at it.

  Action fans will be positively giddy watching Woo's elaborately choreographed shootouts (though the harbor boat chase was a little over the top for my taste). Unlike most action flicks, "Face/Off" features some outstanding acting. Cage, Travolta and their supporting cast (Joan Allen pulls off a tough part as Travolta's wife) are all terrific and deserve real praise. "Face/Off" won't disappoint.
  
  

• John Woo's Best Hollywood Film

  
  By A21B2TJBWCSK1R on 2007-09-18
  It took two Hollywood films (Hard Target and Broken Arrow) before John Woo was allowed to cut loose with his trademark style on Face/Off. The result was his most commercially and critically successful American film at that point in his career. However, for fans of his Hong Kong films, this one seemed like a highlight reel from his earlier work as Woo recycled many of his signature shots Birds flying in slow motion? Check. Guy Leaping in the air while firing two guns simultaneously? Check. Unfortunately, Face/Off marks the apex of his Hollywood career. Woo has done nothing since that's been as good. So, to celebrate the film's 10th anniversary, Paramount has revisited the film with a brand new special edition.
  
  Woo works hard to sell the film's admittedly outlandish gimmick by throwing all kinds of scientific mumbo jumbo at us and lingering on shots of spiffy looking technology. The swapping of identities also allows the filmmaker to examine one of his favourite themes: how two people can exhibit similar characteristics but be on opposite sides of the law and on opposite sides of the moral spectrum. It is nice to see Woo finally given a decent-sized budget to play with and two big-time movie stars like Cage and Travolta to work with. Despite a few audacious glimmers, like staging a chaotic gunfight around a child listening to "Under the Rainbow," we still get a recycling of Woo's stylistic trademarks. However, this can be somewhat forgiven as it was the first real exposure for many North Americans to his work on a mainstream level.
  
  The first disc features an audio commentary by director John Woo and screenwriters Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. Woo says that he initially passed on the project because he didn't think that he could do a science fiction film, but after working with CGI on Broken Arrow, felt more comfortable with the idea. The writers say that Woo concentrated on the characters and their emotions in their conversations together.
  
  Also included is an additional commentary with Werb and Colleary that features a lot of repeated comments from the previous track. Werb and Colleary stress that they wanted to write an action film with a villain that was just as interesting as the hero.
  
  There are six deleted scenes and alternate ending with optional commentary by Woo, Werb and Colleary. There's a nice, reflective moment where Archer spends the night in his dead son's room before his surgery and also two action sequences that are extended.
  
  The second disc has a well-made documentary entitled, "The Light and The Dark: Making Face/Off" that can be viewed in five separate featurettes or altogether. Cage and Travolta talk about how they approached their roles, mimicking each other. Cast and crew praise Woo and his signature style and how well he works with actors. The film's elaborate practical, visual effects and stunts are all examined. Finally, Woo sums up the film - for him, it's all about family and how Archer achieves closure with his.
  
  "John Woo: A Life in Pictures" is a 30-minute profile of the filmmaker, from his humble childhood, living poor in a bad neighbourhood to a successful Hollywood director. It also takes a brief look at some of his key Hong Kong work but nothing too detailed for hardcore fans. This doc acts mainly as a primer for newcomers to his work.
  
  Finally, a theatrical trailer.
  
  

• What a disappointment!

  
  By A1HJ6WXIM7QZ31 on 1999-12-29
  This DVD is such a disappointment! Don't get me wrong, the movie is fabulous, but where in the world are the special features? There's absolutely nothing! Let's face it, a DVD with a whole lot of bonuses is way better than with the movie alone, isn't it?
  
  

• Great action film with awesome plot twist!

  
  By AMZ3KO54YESWG on 2007-08-10
  This is one of my favorite action films. For its time, the concept of "face off" and how both Travolta and Cage can act so good and so evil makes this one of the best action films. Definitely will get it as soon as the HD DVD comes out!
  
  
• possibly the best action movie of all time
  By A2QRB6L1MCJ53G on 2000-02-02
  I can't really say what my favorite movie of all time is because there's so many great ones. But if I had to choose just one, it would definitely be Face/Off. I knew Nicolas Cage was a good action actor, but I wasn't sure that John Travolta could be a good one after being in so many dance and comedy films. I was big time wrong, Travolta is probably a better action movie actor than he is comedy. This movie is AWESOME! It has great special effects, a challenging story line, and most of all some awesome action sequences. It's better than most action movies in that it adds a twist to the plot that actually challenges the audience to remember who's travolta and who's cage. The scene where they're doing surgery to trade faces, it's some of the best special f/x ever.

  I recommend this movie to any suspense or action movie fan, or anyone who just likes a great movie. It deserves 10 or 20 stars!
  
  

• 1 star is too many
  By A3KA0LH7SUBY1Z on 2004-08-03
  This movie was a first for me. After 15 minutes, I turned the VCR off, returned the video to the store, and never looked back. I can count on one hand the number of movies I have ever stopped watching before the end. This one has the dubious honor of being the one requiring the fewest minutes of viewing to conclude that I was completely wasting my time. And, no I do not hate all action movies, nor do I have anything against John Travolta or Nicholas Cage. This was just so bad from the beginning that I couldn't suffer through the whole thing.
  
  
• ...But you are still not having fun
  By A1SCD2NYTIAQTY on 2005-10-18
  "Face/Off" is a dynamite-packed action powerhouse, with loads of stuff being blown to Kingdom Come, lots of people getting shot at and shot and loads of fun tossed in for good measure.
  
  The basic plot takes you along with obsessive FBI agent Sean Archer in his all-consuming chase for arch-enemy and criminal nasty type, Castor Troy, backed up by his genius brother, Pollux. Part of this chase requires Archer to assume Troy's identity via surgery, completely off the record and totally "black bag". Of course, it all goes wrong.
  
  "Face/Off" almost seems choreographed in its fight sequences and shoot outs, which is pretty usual for director John Woo's style. However, the action is fast, furious and volatile. There is also lots of it.
  
  Both John Travolta and Nicholas Cage are brilliant as Sean Archer and Castor Troy, a challenging duality of personalities to act. Both actors did a marvelous job of it.
  
  Under all the violence, there are glimpses of Archer's personal journey as he delves into Castor Troy's world. Archer's dealings with Sasha, (Troy's girlfriend), promote some realisation and increased humanity in him.
  
  I have seen this movie a whole heap of times, and find that the years have not diminished it as a great action movie. It is one that can be seen again and again, with the same sense of relish and entertainment.
  
  
  
• A big thanks to Paramount for selling out....
  By A3RXEC0IF3NFHI on 2007-08-21
  If you haven't heard the reason why this won't be released it's this:Without going into a huge amount of detail,Microsoft paid Paramount/Dreamworks 150 million dollars to go HD-DVD exclusive with absolutely no support for Blu-ray in the near future even though BD is outselling HD-DVD 2 to 1.That now means that any Paramount Blu-rays that are listed for pre-order on Amazon are now null...So basically Paramount is in Bill Gates pocket right now and will remain there for at least the next 18 months.Well,all I can say is that Paramount has lost a customer in me and my guess is that they will regret their decision eventually in lost profits and since many are very critical of their short-sightedness including Michael Bay and Steven Speilberg (who now won't let Paramount release any of his films in HD-DVD)....So thanks again Paramount.
  
  
• A Superb Action Film.
  By A3N3SN2DDD4HCJ on 2000-02-14
  John Woo's "Face/Off" is one of the best of all action films because it isn't just driven by great action sequences and style, its true force is behind the great performances by Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. What's amazing here is how we are completely convinced that one character is suddenly playing another with the other's face on. This isn't just a showcase of superb, hyper action, but also of great acting. Travolta incredibly seems to have Cage's first role and Cage seems to perfectly be Travolta's first role. Now about the action, it's also superbly done. No one films violence like John Woo, who gives gunfights here an artistic quality in the moves, the guns, the clothes, the way the camera moves. There is a shoot-out near the end inside a chapel and Woo let's us see the bullets in slow motion blast out from the barrels. He doesn't make action boring as do some other action filmmakers, he gives it tremendous art potential. "Face/Off" is never boring, always active and has enough plot for an entire series. The screenplay is full of imagination and the entire film is rich in detail. I have seen few action films done so well. Many of that kind are rare like "The Rock." Woo has a great eye for style that vibrates off the screen. "Face/Off" is a fantastic action piece because it's driven more by it's actors and performances than by it's action sequences. This one deserves to be seen more than twice!
  
  
• The Greatest Travolta/Cage Action movie ever made.
  By on 1999-09-12
  John Woo's Special effects filled Violent Masterpiece "FACE/OFF" is the film that will defanly rock your world, Travolta and Cage star in this film as twisty characters. Travolta is FBI agent Sean Archer, his son has been assassinated by Hitman Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Years later, Troy is Captured by Archer, after a highspeed chase and getting put outcold by a Ballastic Jet Engine. Only Archer's life is more trouble, only to discover Troy has placed a Bomb somewhere in San Franscoe. (In a Intense scene done by Special effects) The two under Surgery supervison, swap identity's, Archer is Troy, Troy is Archer. Archer is sent to A Futuristic like Prison. And Troy undergoes his plans as Archer. When Archer Escapes, the two battle in the Ultimate violent showdown. The best film about this Futuristic Identity thriller, don't judge it, Just enjoy it. The film should also be called: "Identity Showdown"
  
  
• Hard boiled action
  By on 2000-08-03
  Castor Troy a terrorist has planted a deadly bomb somewhere in L.A and now he is in a coma,The FBI has to dispose it and save the city, How!.You could ask his brother phollex but this guy is a paranoid and would not talk to anyone besides his brother.So what do you do, Simple you ask Sean Archer a Fellow FBI agent who knows troy very well to do a special surgery that takes his face off and replaces it with that of castor troy. Everything goes fine but Troy wakes up from the coma and bullied the doctors to put the face of archer.And Now we have two guys running arround with each others face.

  The plot is yes as plausable as winged pigs,Then how does it works because john travolta and nick cage makes us belive.The film is directed by ace hongkong director john Woo. And not surprisingly it has one of the best action sences ever seen in a hollywood film. An extended helicopter stunt,A climatic boat chase,A dizzy seuence on an oil rig.The action sences are truely poetric.But the action doesnt quite swamp the story line.

  Do you know the writers actually wrote the for arnold and stallone why didnt that happen it could be more interesting that way.
  
  

• Woo at his best
  By A28W2RTSUBYSM5 on 2001-03-11
  Face/Off has to be, without doubt, one of the greatest action movies ever made. It's a fact. Anyone can cobble together a half-decent action movie when provided with sufficient budget, but Woo does it with such style and flair that it just takes your breath away. The plot is original, though fairly superfluous, with some face swapping shennanigans. It's basically an excuse for plenty of explosions and awesome combat sequences. There's the usual Woo trademark 'leaping through the air in slow motion with a gun in each hand'. But none of the action is clunky or feels out of place (Broken Arrow). A destructive shootout with Over The Rainbow playing is a particularly memorable scene. Then there's the actors. Charismatic John Travolta basically spends most of the film as the villian, which gives him much more time to have fun and come out with some great lines. "Your son was an accident, I wanted to kill you. But you took it so personally." He has real presence on screen, which sometimes causes him to overshadow his partner, Cage. Nicolas Cage, currently flavour of the month in Hollywood and one of the most versatile actors around, does most of the work playing the good guy, which is just as well since he looks rather uncomfortable as the villain. Still, he's perfect playing an honest man trapped in the body of a criminal, he can look both vulnerable and dominant when the occasion calls for it. Overall, both actors give great performances, learning to copy each others style so that it really does look like they've swapped faces. Basically, Face/Off is everything you could want from an action film. It's got two great main characters, explosions by the bucketload, enough guns to invade a small country, and a climax that blows away the competition (as well as a dozen people, two speedboats, a police boat...)
  
  
• Put the face back on... actually never take it off
  By A3KUWXMG9C1IB6 on 2004-04-20
  This movie has a great premise. Take the face of your enemy and become him to destory him. But I promise you, if you have any intelligence what so ever you will realize that this the dumbest idea ever. At least whoever the hell wrote the movie, tried to make sense out of it, tried to make sense out of cutting your d*mn face off. But the whole thing could have been avoided if they had just beat the crap outta who they needed to get the info from. Nick Cage and John Travolta have no where near the same body. How'd they change that? Yeah, John lost weight but how'd Nick gain weight? You'd have to smoking rocks in order to believe they could pull this movie off, and then smoke more rocks to think that someone could be talked into having their face cut OFF. If you buy this movie, you should also buy some Enron stock and book your flight for Iraq for that mid-summer vacation. Trust me and keep your face on.
  
  
• Special Features include no new interviews with Cage or Travolta.....
  By A23LCEFE2BWE5F on 2007-10-10
  We already know this is a great action film with superb performances from both Travolta and Cage so I will just comment on the features:
  
  Featurettes includes a decent amount information on all aspects of the script development, making of, locations, casting, set designs, special effects, weapons and the 'mimic' acting strategies for Cage/Travlota playing each other. Also includes 7 deleted scenes, a biography-type feature covering the life and career of director John Woo, and the original theatrical trailer.
  
  The greatest disappointment here is that while several cast/crew members appear in newly filmed interviews, both Travolta and Cage participate only by way of vintage interviews filmed back when the movie was actually being made. You would think they would have been proud enough of this great film to come back to document it for posterity sake...
  
  This DVD is probably worth the upgrade for fans, especially if you can manage to get a few bucks for your old copy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Get Real.
  By ANI9D1L9SZ69N on 2000-04-13
  Okay, I'll suspend belief and accept that our government has a way to take the face off one person and put it on another in a way that all the muscles and nerves work perfectly. But that's not all this movie wants you to believe. We then have to believe that the Nicholas Cage character, who is considered a highly dangerous terrorist, is left alone in the lab, free to get up and roam around. We then have to believe that he figures out what happened to him and is able to round up his cronies, locate the surgeon, kidnap him, and force him to perform the operation that puts John Travolta's face on his head. And the doctor, performs the delicate surgery, knowing full well that he will be killed afterwards. Next, we are to believe that a crack FBI team is lured into the lab and killed off. Of course, these are the only people who know that John Travolta is now wearing Nicholas Cage's face. Cage, now wearing Travolta's face, goes to the prison where Travolta (wearing Cage's face) is undercover and lets him know he's on to the whole scam and Travolta is in there for the duration. Now, the prisoners there all wear magnetic boots (that's right) that only come off when they are in the hospital ward. Travolta gets in there easily. There's a guy there who tried to kill him because Cage had slept with his wife. In an instant, Travolta manages to convince him that he didn't and that the guy should help him escape. In a flash, the escape starts without benefit of a plan. Innocent people are killed and he escapes. On and on it goes. Violence prevails. Yet the principles are never killed. At one point, the two leads jump into speedboats for a chase. Both drive like they are experienced racers. While this chase is going on, they are shooting automatic weapons at each other and can't hit a thing. Then, a harbor patrol boat comes along and the bad guy wipes out the whole crew with a spray of bullets but still can't hit the good guy. The whole movie is like this. One implausible thing after another. What a waste of the talented leads.
  
  
• The Most Ridiculous Idea for an action movie
  By A2UTXTQ7C0LBOC on 2000-06-07
  This overblown excuse for a movie makes Delta Force Seven look like a documentary. All action movies are a bit far fetched, but this has face transplants and action sequences where the viewer couldn't be suprised if the main characters sprouted wings and fangs. I guess its Woo's comic book action style on steroids. I'm sure all the twelve year olds out there will hate to hear this but there are only half as many slo-mo replays during an entire Sunday of NFL Football. All the stylish acting and clever dialouge can't make up for the boring silly plotline that goes from unusal to just plain dumb. Don't bother wasting your money here.
  
  
• Face/Off is a breakthrough in the action genre
  By on 1999-07-05
  Nick Cage and John Travolta team up with Chinese director John Woo to make one of the most original action movies in years. Face/Off far surpasses Woo's first big American release, Broken Arrow, and showcases his trademark direction of action sequences, which is a finely choreographed mixture of violence, explosions, testosterone, and ballet. This film is also unique because both Cage and Travolta get to play the hero and the villian. The whole face transplantation surgery thing is a little farfetched, but hey, just look at what doctors have done with Pam Anderson. As long as you're not one of those people who sit in the back of the theater and say, "that could never happen" about something that happens in the first 5 minutes and then refuse to pay attention to the rest of the movie, you'll really enjoy it. I put it on a pedestal along with Lethal Weapon and Die Hard as one of the best action movies ever made.
  
  
• You got to be kidding me!
  By on 1999-08-10
  This is easily the worst movie either Travolta or Cage has ever made. It is action without realism, shooting for the sake of shooting (with very little hitting), the camera work and action scenes are ripped off from other movies, and the plot line is totally stupid. I can't stress enough what a smelly peice of hollywood big money trash this is!
  
  
• A masterpiece
  By A1C07ZQCIXYP47 on 1999-12-12
  Face/Off is a spectacular film. It is a definite classic in terms of modern action films. Face/Off, like many action films, has enough explosive action scenes to leave you on the edge of your seat. However, unlike most action films, Face/Off's brilliance is found in its story,its direction, and its acting, not in its action sequences. With superb acting by two very talented actors, Nicholas Cage and John Travolta, the viewer is caught up in the story rather than the action, it almost deserves the category of "action drama." Although, being a John Woo movie, the action sequences are nothing short of spectacular. Face/Off, a combination of great acting, a great story, and well-choreographed action, is a must see for any action lover.
  
  
• Excuse me Amazon, where is the zero star option?
  By on 1999-09-15
  Like 'Con Air', 'Face/Off' is really really bad. Why? Let me elaborate. I am a fan of 'The Rock', I think things really came together in that movie: direction, filming, sound, script. However, 'Face/Off' did not enjoy similar success (luck?). The script is just soooo bad that it goes beyond a joke. Trevolta (supercop) persues Cage (ametuer villan). Cage is captured. Trevolta swaps faces with Cage in an attempt to go undercover to gain incriminating evidence. Cage (now Trevolta) awakes and plays around with Trevolta's (now Cage) family and life. Gun battles follow. The two meet. They duel. Supervillan Trevolta (Cage) is killed by an anchor or speargun or something alone those maratime lines. Predictable, shallow and transparently manipulative, 'Face/Off' fails to win me over with its 'hard' violence and dialogue. Instead, it makes the director and writer(s) look like teenagers, playing around with guns and F-words but not really knowing what to do with them. Whatsmore, the severe lack of plot and character development left me at the end of the movie wondering two things: (a) Is that it? and (b) Why did I pay new-release rates for this travesty? I now have an answer to one of those questions, unfortunately not the second one. If you want wotan violence try something like 'Lock, Stock and Two-Smoking Barrels', if its rude words your after try 'Pulp Fiction' or 'South Park', if its depth your after try 'A Clockwork Orange' or 'Apocalypse Now'. Just don't even give this movie a chance because it simply does not deserve one.
  
  
• This is a horrible, horrible "movie"
  By AU946O7UPM2GN on 2000-11-19
  Let me start off by saying I have nothing against John Travolta (although i did not like Pulp Fiction), and Nicholas Cage is still one of my favorite performers. Actually, they both give good, twisting performances in this film. That said, Face/Off is an overblown, mind-numbing experiment gone wrong.

  Granted, the first 15-20 minutes proceed well, with Cage as a dancing priest and the first-half of the airport chase/shootout. But this film so rapidly deteriorates into a series of almost every bad action movie cliche sewn together. Poorly.

  There are far too many bad moments to list here. Is it the easy escape from the inescapable prison? Is it the heavy-handed use of a Disney tune during a shootout? Is it the fact that even the even the most disinterested of wives could tell if someone were impersonating her husband? Maybe an exhausting boat chase. No wait, perhaps a standoff at a church? This movie takes "ridiculous" to a whole new level.

  People will say that often we need to check our brains at the door, and just enjoy a movie. With Face/Off, that is not possible (as it is with say, Independence Day) because it seems like it wants to be taken seriously, and it doesn't have enough of a sense of humor for us (me) to take it otherwise.

  Fans of this flick are more often that not fans of the two leads, or worship at the feet of director John Woo. I don't know much about Mr. Woo -- except that M:I 2 was mediocre, but not offensively bad like this -- but his brand of so-called stylized violence can't save this sinking ship of a film any more than nice clothes could rescue Wild Wild West.

  Please, do yourself a favor...avoid Face/Off on film, tape, dvd, cable, and/or broadcast tv. It is just that BAD!
  
  

• Monumentally Boring, Monumentally Preposterous
  By A2OD3MQXALEYMS on 2000-12-01
  This is one of the worst things I've ever seen. It's not just the silliness of the plot premise, but the massive holes throughout the plot, even if you could accept the premise.

  And after the 12th slow motion, 10-minute long gun battle scene this thing gets reaaaallllllly boooorrrrrring.

  Has to be one of the most over-rated films ever.
  
  

• The dumbest plot I've ever seen!
  By AWAJZ1YT3BGNQ on 2001-07-22
  "Face/Off" was so stupid that I didn't even care what happened to the characters.....if one killed the other that would've been good but if they both committed suicide then that would've been MUCH BETTER......When in society do you take the risk of being someone "else" in order to catch a killer.......the guy was in prison but he wanted to "trade places" what a stupid plot! This was surely a waste of my money!
  
  
• Reeks like a Bum
  By on 2003-06-07
  This movie is predictable and terrible. ...Mindless shootings and explosions.. Wish i could give it zero.
  
  
• F*c*/Off
  By A319SKSB556033 on 2003-11-29
  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.
  
  

• Face Off? Take my eyes and ears with it!
  By A101ZPPW91BVNH on 2004-02-20
  I can't stand John Woo films. All his "action" sequences are done in such a long, drawn-out, slow motion, way that they become simply painful. They are so slow, they don't feel like action at all. In my opinion, you don't get the feel of the impacts in the way he does things. If you like action that looks and feels like real action, and real stunt work, go for Jackie Chan's Rumble in the Bronx, or Brandon Lee's Rapid Fire, or The Crow.
  
  
• One of my favorite action movies of all time.
  By ABAZFH25304ZG on 2005-10-06
  (Attn ** Spoilers Ahead!)
  
  Improbable? Yes? Fun to watch? Double yes. A movie with impossible and illogical lunacy better do something special to make it work and keep you glued to the screen. Well, Face Off is one of those movies, it's amazing how good the movie is (out of line logic aside) John Woo is a genius! Face Off starts out with a very morbid scene of Travolta's (Sean Archer's) son getting killed by Cage (Castor Troy) and may even draw some tears to the ladies, but from that point on, it's just non-stop action movie to boot and a massive battle between the good guy and the bad guy!
  
  The movie indulges itself with a very good (but crazy script) and some very clever lines. Fine acting from the newbies and of course Cage and Travolta are the perfect match for this one. How could anyone seriously not love this movie? Case in point, my girlfriend watched this for the first time a few nights ago and she had tears, laughed, and jumped out of her seat about 5 times and said "that was amazing, that's Cage's best movie." I also heard "oh my God, oh my God" out of her a dozen times. The movie simply keeps you involved and that's why it's so great. It's about being fun, and Face Off is one of those movies that you'll want to watch over again. It's fast, funny, morbid, but most importantly, fun! You'll see crazy things like Cage getting dressed up as a priest and doing a dance to the Halleilujah chorus, you'll see an FBI agent and a psychological madman trade faces and bodies and battle it out, you'll see speed boats crashing into eachother on a lake and colliding with other boats, you'll see planes get blown up, crazy gun fights between Cage and Travolta, you'll see guns and more guns too, you'll see Cage tell a story about his wife cracking a tooth on a rice seed, you'll see Travolta *Archer* throw a guy on a corvette and beat the crap out of him for attacking his daughter, you'll see the final clash between Archer and Troy in one of the best action sequences I've ever seen.
  
  The music in the movie is very well orchestrated, it's a bit reminiscent of the "Speed" movies and really gets your blood churning. I do have a minor nitpick in the movie. Toward the end some of the stunt devils look pretty bad and don't look like Cage and Travolta at all, people with big screens watching these movies will laugh seeing these guys, they really don't look anything like them. The movie is nearly over two hours though and you'll truly never get bored once, I guarantee it. Anyone who says this movie isn't fun doesn't enjoy movies, because this is what movies should be like, just fun and crazy! Do yourself a favor and buy this movie before people forget out it. It's my personal favorite action movie of all time!
  
  
• The Duet That Couldn't Shoot Straight
  By A1SVXJZ3386U2D on 2006-06-28
  I watched the last third of "Face/Off" a few years ago while changing channels on TV. I thought that what I saw was ridiculous and was glad I hadn't tried to watch the whole movie. I saw some praise for it later and started to doubt the credibility of the source. However, I thought I would see what I thought about it by watching it from the beginning. It certainly made a big difference.
  
  This movie was a lot more complicated that I had originally understood. The pace is fast-moving but the director makes sure that we see and hear enough to know enough about how we arrive at a technological twist to be able to buy into it. The bad guy is bad and the good guy is good and the stakes are high. It's hard to catch your breath in this movie (although I benefitted from commercial breaks). There are twists and turns that keep you on your toes and the role-changing that takes place is ripe with many interesting possibilities. The basic premise is that a top cop had a criminal's face grafted to his in order to go underground to prevent a major disaster. Unforseen events keep popping up and then the movie got to the place that I had joined it several years ago. I could see why I was unimpressed by having missed the story up to that point. The fast pace continues to the very end.
  
  This is a good action movie but it suffers from the indistructibility of the main characters. These two guys get shot at so much, often at close range with machine guns, that you want to scream (or at least I did). Consider the action in such movies as "High Noon" or the original "Cape Fear" where a minimum of shots are fired (if at all) yet we are rivetted to the screen from the suspenseful excitement. I don't know how many score of bullets missed the mark of the Travolta and Cage characters but the shooting was clearly over done. The closing scenes were the worst examples and probably caused most of my initial negative reactions. Seeing it from the beginning added more such excessive scenes but it also weaved together a plot that was worth following.
  
  
• john and nick
  By A1NUS6VSAP25FH on 2007-08-15
  THE MOVIE IS PACTED WITH GREAT ACTION AND TWO EXCELLENT ACTORS AND I JUST DON'T GIVE IT 5 STARS BUT A GREAT DEAL OF 100 STARS SO BUY THIS DVD BECAUSE IT GREAT LOVE THOSE ACTORS SIGN YANELYS
  
  

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