Face/Off

[DJ Sack]

What a great film this is. Lots of fancy effects, lots of action, lots of death and a great story behind it all even if it is a little dumb and stupid at times.

Sadly it does suffer from multiple ending syndrome many action films have, where just as it ends it starts back up again. But certainly an enjoyable film with some great acting from cage and travolta.

[Belbo]

I really didn't enjoy it too much the first time, so I think I'll just watch Big Brother instead.

I can see how it is a poopular film though - it just didn't seem to grip me like I predicted it to.

[Links]

My favourite film ever. I know quite a few people have issues with it (the soggy ending in particular) which is fair enough.

Love the gun-fight in the loft with "Over the Rainbow" playing, utterly surreal and brilliant.

I see the BBC are also continuing the fine tradition of breaking the film in two. Good stuff.

Cocks.

[Garibaldi]

Didn't care for it much, nothing was really pulled off well; Travolta's inner torment over his dead son was handled with embarassing triteness, shootouts are overdone to comical proportions ( I don't care how good a gun-fighter you are, if you're facing off an entire Special Ops team, you will die ), and we have nice over-acting by the two leads but in the end it all just rings hollow.

Not to mention, my hugest gripes with the film: The ending. Castor Troy kills the entire team responsible for the breakthrough face transplant surgery ( and their research ) after he's nabbed Sean Archer's visage. Yet, when Troy grabs the harpoon and comments 'everytime you look in the mirror you'll see my face', a potentially powerful ending is fumbled by Archer getting his own face back when a totally unrelated surgical team is able to re-attach it. Then it gets even worse as Archer enters his home in an angelic beam of light with Troy's son in tow.

The film left me apathetic for the most part, but those bits I openly despise.

[Vemsie]

I really like it. Great performances from Cage and Travolta, but also from Joan Allen. Allesandro Nivola, Gina 'mmmm' Gershon, Dominique Swain and Nick Cassavetes. Original script, ace action scenes (the 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' scene and the greatest speedboat chase of all time in particular), more heart than your average blockbuster and some great Woo touches are all responsible for one of the better US action films of recent times.

"Well, I've gotta go. I've got a government job to abuse, and a lonely wife to fuck."

Troy is a great villain, not a great film.

[Caleb Newcastle]

If only Kerraig hadn't butchered that shot with the knife.

[Lazychu]

If only Kerraig hadn't butchered that shot with the knife.

No doubt tonight's cut will be even worse.

[Links]

On a Woo-related note, I got Bullet in the Head through the post today. Do I watch that or Hard Boiled tonight?

Or screw them both and watch Hero which also came today?

[Grimnir]

On a Woo-related note, I got Bullet in the Head through the post today. Do I watch that or Hard Boiled tonight?

Or screw them both and watch Hero which also came today?

Bullet in the head. Incredible film. I need to order the remastered version as the sound is pretty pants on the one I have.

As for Face/Off, I love it. It's everything an action film should be, and more. It's just as entertaining every time I watch it, and I've watched it loads!

[pretentious_helvetica]

Mindless and dumb.

Which is either good or not depending on whether you want to use those 2 hours of film constructively or passively.

[Vemsie]

No doubt tonight's cut will be even worse.

It's cut ot shreds.

Watching it now, it also has some wicked music. The prison break is aces.

[Qazimod]

OTT and very corny/cheesy, but worth watching for the guns.

Garibaldi Biscuit: that would have been brilliant.

[Pob]

I really can't see the appeal of this film. It was getting 5 stars across the board when it first came out, but I thought it was lame.

I've got it on in the background now, and it's worse than I remember. The action scenes in John Woo films all look blatantly like they are filmed on sets, with stuntmen jumping through breakaway glass and falling down stairs.

It's not funny, the chracters are all annoying, it's way too long and the 'ingenious' bits like 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' are rubbish.

I hate John Woo - though I've never seen any of his Hong Kong films, and I did like Hard Target

[Alex W.]

It's a good enough idea but it just doesn't feel like anyone really got into it... it's shallow and not nearly as satisfying as a crazy face-swap movie directed by John Woo should be.

I mean, compare Travolta in this and Travolta in Broken Arrow.

Edit- That boat crash: not only were they the most obvious stunt-men ever, but they showed you the whole thing in slow-motion from about six different angles to reinforce the fact.

[Pob]

Edit- That boat crash: not only were they the most obvious stunt-men ever, but they showed you the whole thing in slow-motion from about six different angles to reinforce the fact.

That's what I mean! All the stunts in Woo films are like those live stunt shows you see at Disneyworld - you just think"oooh, what brave stuntmen" and imagine where the off-screen crash mats might be located.

Still rather that than CGI though.

Cage is much better as the baddie - they should have swapped the roles round so he played Troy for the majority of the film.

[Pob]

...although Dominique Swain is hot! Can't believe she's only a year younger than me. I remember feeling guilty that I fancied her when she in Lolita - all for nothing!

[Rin]

First time I saw it, I just thought it was a really bad film.

After just re-watching it, I can now confirm that it is the worst film I have ever seen.

[Vemsie]

I hate John Woo

Yes, because there's evry reason to hate one of the nicest and most gentle people on this planet who might very well be the greatest action film director of all time.

[Pob]

Yes, because there's evry reason to hate one of the nicest and most gentle people on this planet who might very well be the greatest action film director of all time.

...his films, I mean

[Vemsie]

After just re-watching it, I can now confirm that it is the worst film I have ever seen.

Don't be daft You may dislike it, but you can't honestly say it's the worst film of all time.

[Vemsie]

...his films, I mean

But you've seen none of his HK stuff? That's like saying: 'I've just seen Around the World in 80 Days' and I hate Jackie Chan'. Because you never saw Drunken Master II or Project A.

Go see The Killer, Hard Boiled, A Better Tomorrow (II), Bullet in the Head. Than come back.

[Rin]

I'd just like to reiterate how bad this film is.

The clichés, the poor acting, the terrible plot, the dire script, the unsuitable score, the pathetic slow-down camera trickery, the length, the totally laughable explosion and explosion action scenes, the boring obvious and drawn-out battle at the end, the predictable jailbreak, the typical badly narrated sideplots...

I could list all night. Every single minute of it is unwatchable, dire rubbish. "Mindless action" is not an excuse. Die Hard is mindless action and that's one of the best action films ever. This is regurgitated over-the-top Hollywood shite.

[Vemsie]

I disagree with with almost all of your points. And what do all those critics know about movies, right? Ah well, horses and all that.

And don't forget this famous quote:

Hard Boiled. More exciting than a dozen Die Hards

Which is true btw.

[Pob]

But you've seen none of his HK stuff? That's like saying: 'I've just seen Around the World in 80 Days' and I hate Jackie Chan'. Because you never saw Drunken Master II or Project A.

Go see The Killer, Hard Boiled, A Better Tomorrow (II), Bullet in the Head. Than come back.

But isn't Face/Off considered 'good' John Woo? I don't think I want to see anything else of his based on what I've seen so far.

There are only so many slo-mo shots of smashing glass and people jumping through the air with two guns before i fall asleep.

[Rin]

Hard Boiled well deserves its place in my collection.

However it shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as this shit unless you're pointing out how an action film should and shouldn't be done, by using the best and worst examples of the genre.

[Vemsie]

But isn't Face/Off considered 'good' John Woo? I don't think I want to see anything else of his based on what I've seen so far.

There are only so many slo-mo shots of smashing glass and people jumping through the air with two guns before i fall asleep.

If you look at the reviews, yes. But it doesn't come close to his HK stuff. But if you don't want to give it a chance, that's your loss.

[Vemsie]

Hard Boiled well deserves its place in my collection.

However it shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as this shit unless you're pointing out how an action film should and shouldn't be done, by using the best and worst examples of the genre.

The Killer > Hard Boiled > Face/Off > most action movies.

Btw Manic, you said you like Hard Target?

[Rin]

Don't be daft You may dislike it, but you can't honestly say it's the worst film of all time.

Although I use RottenTomatoes a great deal, I have to say; the American critics don't have a fucking clue about anything.

[Vemsie]

Although I use RottenTomatoes a great deal, I have to say; the American critics don't have a fucking clue about anything.

Of course not. They know nothing about movies. All 40 of them. Including a certain Pulitzer Price winner. But you do of course.

And if you look carefully, you'll see positive reviews from other countries too. In fact, I know Face/Off was very well received over here as well. But Dutch critics eh, what do they know about movies?

[JohnC]

I have a love/hate relationship with Face/Off. I enjoy the movie. I like it. But I dislike how it is so full of every action cliche ever. I hate that. But it still manages to be good and makes the cliches work. As I said, it's a love/hate thing for me.