"Everytime you look in the mirror, you'll see my face."

FACE/OFF (R) *

Reviewed June 27, 1997 - Check out the Face/Off web site.

Undercover FBI Agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) has been tracking down notorious terrorist Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage) for six years.  Ever since Archer's young son was killed by Troy during an attempt at Archer's life, the hunt for Troy has not only been a part of Archer's job, it's also been personal.

Then, finally and after the loss of many men, Archer bags Troy.  With Troy in custody and in a coma, it appears for a moment that Archer's quest is finally over...over, that is, until Archer learns of a biochemical bomb that Troy has planted somewhere in downtown L.A.  Where's the bomb, when will it go off, how many people will die??  With Troy in a coma and his cohorts unwilling to talk, Archer is convinced by his colleagues that there's only one way to uncover Troy's plan--Archer must become Troy.

Directed by acclaimed action director John Woo, Face/Off is, first and foremost, an action flick.  Woo has become famous for creating highly elaborate and amazingly choreographed stunt sequences, and Face/Off provides these in spades.  It doesn't take more than a few minutes before the first shot is fired in this film, and the stunt sequences simply escalate through its 140 minute running time.  There is, to be sure, a lot of gunplay in Face/Off, and whether this ultimately adds or detracts from the film will depend on your personal tastes.  However, when you start to wonder (as I did) how many rounds can be fired at both Archer and Troy without either one of them getting hit, and when you actually start to recognize the faces of Travolta and Cage's stunt doubles, it's possible the action might be going a bit long...

Fortunately for Face/Off, action is not the only thing offered in this film.  Plot developments as they are, Archer and Troy do trade faces and trade places in Face/Off, and the opportunity to watch Travolta and Cage play each other is in itself almost worth the price of admission.  Both actors turn in lively, entertaining, and fun performances in this film, with the Troy/Archer switch forcing the audience to constantly pay attention not only to the face they see on screen, but the personality underneath it.  The switch also makes it more difficult to place one's sympathies solely on either character, as the boundaries between "the good guy" and "the bad guy" become blurred, and as each character struggles with their own identities.

An action flick with an intriguing psychological element.  That's Face/Off.  Cage and Travolta are a joy to watch, John Woo is in over-the-top form, and the plot is actually fairly engaging.  Good enough for government work, right?


Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!!

anonymous entry says: "The best Film i have seen. Nicolas Cage(One of my favorite actors)acts his best performance yet. John Travolta who i think is Underrated as an actor is also very good. The change over between their acting when their faces are changed over is brilliant " (12/12/00)

kennethjs@yougotemail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "Cag and Travolta RULES. Best Action-Movie ever. I recommend it!!!!" (1/10/00)

jessfroggy@prodigy.net gives this movie ***** stars: "this movie was great it was nonstop action with a good plot probally the best action movie ever. Your really convinced that they switched faces. and its funny too" (8/18/99)

stormsound@hotmail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "A full actionpacked movie! Its the best movie ever made! Cage and Travolta RULES!!!" (7/28/99)

allfunandgames@hotmail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "Absolutely brilliant. Awesome action scenes, top stunts and Oscar-level acting from two of hollywoods A-list stars make this one of the best ever action movies. A Die Hard for the 90's." (7/11/99)

enranca@kabelfoon.nl gives this movie ***** stars: "It is the best movie ever. One to watch" (6/17/99)

marius124@hotmail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "the best movie ever beside from pulp fiction" (4/3/99)

grg@stargate.com gives this movie ***** stars: "This was definately the greatest action movie ever. It was the most fun I've had at the movies in a long long time." (3/9/99)

m_skifte@online.no gives this movie ***** stars: "this is without doubt the best action movie ever made!!!!!!!!!" (2/28/99)

katjat@home.se gives this movie ***** stars: "It´s the best actionmovie made in 1998!!" (1/31/99)

Chemical Junky gives this movie ***** stars: "WOW!!!" (1/20/99)

pvjames007@aol.com gives this movie ***** stars: "If for no other reason it has to of the greatest actors ever going up against each other. There is a lot of other stuff that I enjoyed in the film but John Travolta and Nicolas Cage is all I have to type to prove why this movie should be a 5 * movie." (1/12/99)

robinsamuelsson@hotmail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "It is one off the best movies i have seen. If you don´t have seen it i recomended it very well." (11/27/98)

reption@hotmail.com gives this movie **** stars: "Great movie with lots of action. Castor and Archer seem to be some kind of gods in this movie but it didn`t disturb me too much." (11/21/98)

ogausvik@online.no gives this movie ***** stars: "This is the best movie ever made, you'll have to look a long time to find something half as good!!" (11/19/98)

sjouke.sijbrandij@wxs.nl gives this movie ***** stars: "Probably the greatest plot in a movie that i can remeber. Two thumbs up for face/off (i dont have any thumbs more) For me, face/off is at the lonely top of the long movie list Best thing i ever seen..." (11/5/98)

kristenkindt@hotmail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "If you are looking for a good, action packed movie with guns and lots of fights, this is the one and only. I rented it twice and I bought it the next day. It rocks. It is a movie where you don't know what is going to happen next. It is the best movie ever. I recommend it to anyone over 12 years of age. Oh man, I love Face/Off. " (11/2/98)

LJcas@hotmail.com gives this movie ***** stars: "This is the best movie EVER. I've bought the film, the poster and my e-mail address is even partly named after Castor Troy. Obsessed? Yep, and I'm proud!" (10/3/98)

Eric gives this movie **** stars: "An incredibly unbelievable movie that is very entertaining. Just like the Die Hards or movies by Arnold!" (8/19/98)

cus55@yahoo.com gives this movie **** stars. (7/3/98)

David gives this movie  stars: "A bit over the top but it was brilliant. Lots of action, the odd laugh and a great feeling to it. Who better to play the goody/baddy, huh? Well the baddy for most of the time, Travolta. He is brilliant. And Cage as the goody for most of the time always is good in his movies and lives up to his standards in this. An enjoyable film." (1/24/98)

jaanika@olivetti.ee gives this film  stars: "It was just great...Somehow it reminds me a song, written by Leonard Cohen "I´v seen the future, baby, it is murder". This movie was fantastic ´cause of Travolta´s and Cage´s perfect skill of melting. Smehow, I can find a lot of irony there...some kind a dramatic broken last-chance irony..." (12/4/97)

rstempel@usa.net gives this film  stars: "I loved this movie! Cage and Travolta were both great in it! Shawn saw life through the eyes of Castor and Castor through the eyes of Shawn, and that is what real people have to to sometimes, look at things from other peoples point of view. Even though Castor was evil I think with some things he tried to do the right thing." (11/15/97)

ducharme2@juno.com gives this film  stars: "You've got to see it." (7/19/97)

msable@hotmail.com gives this film  stars: "AWESOME!! Everything you want in a movie -- packed together nicely in 2.5 hours.  The action sequences are AWESOME... Woo's best and this summer's best so far!!" (6/28/97)