Travolta and Cage swap roles

Rating: 8/10 (19 March 2011)

Of John Woo's Hollywood Films that I've seen this is the one that comes closest to capturing the excitement of the films he made when he was still in Hong Kong. John Travolta plays FBI agent Sean Archer, whose son was killed six years previously by Castor Troy, played by Nicolas Cage. Since that time Archer has been desperate to capture Troy and one day he succeeds in capturing Castor and his brother Pollux. Castor is in an apparently permanent coma and Pollux is sent to a maximum-security prison. It looks like the case is solved until it emerges that the brother's have planted a chemical weapon in Los Angeles that is set to go off within a week. The only person alive to know where the bomb is located is Pollux and he won't tell anybody other than his brother. To get the information Archer undergoes radical surgery; he literally wears Castor's face. While he is in prison the real Castor awakens and takes Archer's face and his life. Having killed everybody who knew about the face swap Archer is trapped in prison while Castor uses his new FBI position to get his brother released, defuse the bomb and become a hero. Archer must then escape from prison and use criminal contacts that think he is Troy to regain his life and his face.
This is a proper action film with plenty of shooting, fighting and explosions. Travolta and Cage are fine in their roles; it was fun watching them switch characters after their faces were swapped. Those looking for John Woo's hallmarks won't be disappointed; there are plenty of times where the characters stand with guns in each other's faces and a gun fight in a church while doves fly around them. Of course the face swapping and the nature of the prison aren't that realistic but anybody who can suspend their disbelief shouldn't worry too much about that; this film is about action not realism!