F*c*/Off

Rating: 4/10 (7 May 2004)

I remember watching this in the cinema in November 1997 with 698 other people (a full house) and only me and my pal hated it. Which is weird because I expected it to be great. The original script for the film had it set in the future but Woo insisted it be written in present day to not distract the audience. But the only thing that distracted me was how dull the film was.
Since coming to Hollywood John Woo has done little to impress. He mad a very strong debut with Hard Target but the film was cut to shreds and the impact severely muted. Broken Arrow was thoroughly unexciting and Face/Off is not much better.
The bulk of the blame lies not with Woo but with Travolta. As Sean Archer he's fine. But as soon as he becomes Castor Troy he turns the camp all the way up to 11. Face/Off eventually becomes an unashamed pantomime. Cage, as both characters, is very good. But Travolta takes Troy to the same place he took Vic Deakins in Broken Arrow. It's like he assumes that no matter what he does, it's automatically cool because IT'S A JOHN WOO FILM. Sorry, but that logic doesn't work out in real life.
The plot, while being crafty, doesn't really do much. Exactly what does Troy plan after becoming Archer? To look like his enemy for the rest of his life? If not it was a bad idea burning down the Plastic Surgery Joint then. Some interesting imagery is used and the subtext gives the movie a sharper edge despite its superficial appearance. All the 'gun ballet' stuff does is glamorise guns. And that's becoming real old hat.
Weird tho, when you think that this film is written by the folks that gave us The Mask and Death Wish V: The Face of Death. And John Woo would also dabble in face swapping later on with Mission: Impossible 2.

The DVD is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 sound. The only extra is a trailer.