John Woo's 1997 shoot 'em up, "Face/Off," is now available in a 2-disc collectors edition.
When I worked in a large corporate office back in the late-90s, my supervisor brought in movies from Hong Kong during lunch time. A group of us guys would crowd into an empty conference room, throw his VHS tapes into the VCR, and wonder at the marvels of Hong Kong cinema. Being the resident film critic, I usually watched all of these Hong Kong films with a critical eye.The films were low budget and the sound was horrible. I could see lots of the wire in the wire work. Not my cup of tea. I could admire the ambition, but the critical praise for these movies left me stumped.
One of the movies my supervisor had on tape was a bootleg copy of John Woo's "Hard Boiled." He let me borrow it.
I had heard a lot about Woo and how incredible his films were. I had seen his American film debut, "Hard Target," and came away unimpressed. "Hard Boiled" had some great moments, but it didn't turn me into a John Woo fan.
When "Face/Off" came out in 1997, I was already tired of the praise Woo was getting from hardcore fans and critics. The films I had seen weren't that good, in my opinion. I could only tolerate so many shots of two guys standing on opposite sides of a wall, guns drawn, ready to kill each other. So with "Face/Off," I didn't bother to see the movie, until now. 
With fresh eyes and "Hard Target" long cleared from my memory, I watched the Travolta/Cage movie with some skepticism, yet with an open mind. The premise was almost too wild. A face changing operation, mixed with some science fiction, blended with Woo's action style...a mess. Right? Not necessarily. After I got beyond Nicolas Cage's over-the-top performance as Castor Troy (now that's a screenwriter's name if there ever was one), and fairly standard Woo-style action sequences, I discovered what a fun ultra budget B-movie this was.
Travolta and Cage, especially when they've changed identities, transform this film from being possibly ludicrous, to an enjoyable action piece. Cage, in the beginning of the movie as Castor, is typical Cage, overacting to the point where you just want to leave the theatre (or your movie room). He doesn't seem too villainous and cold hearted, despite his disdain for human life. He's more humorous than scary. Yet once the identities change faces, ahem, the movie becomes more interesting.
Travolta and Cage can be somewhat predictable in their roles. Travolta is Travolta and Cage is Cage. I've watched both actors in various roles over the years and admired a lot of their work. I always liked Cage in "Wild At Heart" (1990), a movie so over-the-top that one wonders how David Lynch ever got it made. I also liked him in "Raising Arizona" (1987) and "The Rock" (1995), a rare film from Michael Bay that was good. Travolta has had hits and misses over the years, but when he nails a role, he nails it. But often times, they seem more like themselves rather than the roles they play. In "Face/Off," the actors do a superb job of taking on the other's persona and mannerisms.
There have been a lot of great action film where acting is just as important to the film as the explosions. The first two "Lethal Weapon" movies demonstrated that on-screen chemistry can be an important part of the action sequences. In this film, Travolta being Cage, and Cage being Travolta, their chemistry works. Much to my surprise, I especially got into Cage's version of the character of Sean Archer. I thought he was very believable in the role of a man trying desperately to get back his identity. Travolta, as Castor, clearly relishes his evil personality and runs with it. 
The movie has a lot of Woo's signature shots and wild stunts, but as a whole, the film keeps you glued to your seat. The gun play and stunts are wild, even though there are numerous shots where I could see the stunt double. Better yet, there is a stunt in an airplane hanger where I could clearly, in two shots, see a huge wire harness sticking out of a stuntman's back. Before I could blurt out, "Wire removal needed," I was right back into the action.
I don't know if over the years I've become a John Woo fan. "Face/Off" certainly gets my respect, though.
Bill Kallay
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photos: © Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.
