Brought to us by John Woo and starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta, Face/Off is one of the most badass and cool action movies of the late 90s. The premise of this movie is kind of ridiculous, but it is just so much fun and full of action and two leads that are having a whole lot of fun.
How to Download Face/Off
Face/Off was released on June 27, 1997. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check out also other movies with Nicolas Cage that we have reviewed, for example, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent or Dream Scenario. John Travolta fans, on the other hand, should see him in Pulp Fiction or Wild Hogs.
The Movie Review
The Setup and the Story
I remember when this came out. I was in high school and in computing class and a friend had seen this via a pirate copy and he was just going on and on about it and to me, it sounded like the most amazing movie ever and I was desperate to see it. He invited me over and he was not exaggerating, at the time I saw this, it was one of the greatest movies I had ever seen!
By this point, I would wager at the very least, most people know that the premise of Face/Off is that two characters swap faces and that is what it is. However, things are deeper than that and the plot is kind of complex and a bit of a “cat and mouse” kind of action thriller when you really look at it.
Key Characters and Performances
John Travolta plays the role of Sean Archer. Sean is a decorated FBI agent and he is nearly killed by a terrorist called Caster Troy. Caster Troy is played by Nicolas Cage. The assassination attempt fails, but Archer’s son is killed by accident and Archer vows to catch Troy and put him behind bars, which he does.
While this is great, having a monster like this off the playing field. Troy reveals that there is a devastating bomb and only he and his brother know where it is. Troy’s brother also knows of the bombs location and it is decided that an experimental procedure will be done to swap Archer’s face with Troy’s so that he can get the bomb’s location.
This plan is nuts, but it works…. Until Troy manages to get Archer’s face and he vows to destroy his life. This is just all awesome stuff and there are actually a lot of little details that I had forgotten about until I watched it again recently. Travolta playing Troy and messing with Archer’s family is so much fun and uncomfortable. On the flip side, Cage playing Archer and manipulating Troy’s brother is also great stuff.
Legacy and Cinematic Impact
One of the things that is most clever about Face/Off is that it works on two levels. It works as an over-the-top, fun, and crazy action movie that goes balls to the wall. However, if you really pay attention, it actually has far more depth than people give it credit for. I feel like some people cannot get over the crazy premise that the movie has.
In my humble opinion, Face/Off holds up really well and I stick by saying that it is one of the best action movies of the late 90s. It is fun, has great characters and it has some epic and memorable scenes too. I recently picked this up on 4K as I managed to get it for a great price and the transfer is amazing, one of the best looking 90s movies I have seen given the 4K treatment so it is well worth getting and adding to your collection.
