John Woo in the USA

Rating: 8/10 (3 August 2008)

I didn't really know what to expect when I decided to see Face/Off. I love all the movies John Woo made back in Hong Kong, they are all fantastic. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of his Hollywood endeavors such as the sadly mediocre M-I:2 . I was afraid, but I decided to give Face/Off a chance.
I wasn't disappointed. Though the basic science-fiction-esquire premise is kinda sorta very silly, it is ultimately a small nitpick in the face of the main performances and the action.
Indeed, Nick Cage and John Travolta do a good job at exchanging faces, roles, personalities, whatever and it makes for some entertaining situations. The rest of the cast, however, is pretty boring and I was most disappointed to see how Joan Allen just seems to stand around with big, wide eyes...
Then there are the big, fat, juicy John Woo action scenes. At first it was kind of strange seeing Cage and Travolta diving into the air, Matrix-style, like Chow-Yun Fat, but I quickly got used to it. The action scenes didn't disappoint, with gun-blazing, slow-mo extravaganzas and a final explosive chase which actually made me giggle with glee. And I have seen a lot of good action movies--including most of John Woo's.
So, in the end, I was glad to have seen Face/Off, as it made me see a John Woo movie I hadn't yet. Despite a pretty silly premise, this is a good action movie... Have fun !