I enjoyed this one

Rating: 7/10 (14 November 2001)

Face Off was the best summer movie of 1997, hands down. This was probably the first John Woo movie I had seen, and I must admit I wasn't quite ready for his powerfully charged way of bringing action to the screen (wasn't quite ready, but loved every minute of it). Cage and Travolta were perfect in these roles, and they very convincingly played the two main characters well. This must have been an opportunity of a life time...to be able to prove your ability and skill as an actor by playing the villain and the hero in the same movie. Sure it has been done before, but not this uniquely. I still can't get over one particular scene in the movie, a scene that was very powerful, and almost touching in a violent sort of way (if that is possible). **could be viewed as minor spoiler** It involved Travolta playing the Troy character when he realized his brother had just been killed. I still remember that police officer looking at Travolta thinking he was Sean Archer, and saying rather coldly "sir, it's only Pollux Troy." Travolta, as Castor Troy then looked at him with a dead stare that would have sent chills through even the bravest person's bones, lifted his gun in one swift move, and put a bullet in the officer's head, killing him instantly. I remember thinking "boy that was brutal." But I also remember thinking "I would probably have felt like doing the same thing to someone who had just insulted a recently deceased close family member of mine." Grant it, Castor Troy was a nasty, rotten character, but for that one brief second, in his moment of grief, you could almost sympathize with him. Very powerful stuff! That much substance isn't really found in the rest of the movie, but it doesn't matter. If you just take it for what it is, a high powered, well acted, action movie, then you will be satisfied. But hey, that's just my opinion.