This movie is incredible

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2000)

I do not understand all the negative feedback about this film. It is one of the best action/suspense movies I've seen in a long time. First of all, the original movie was one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The acting was so incredibly bad, and the so-called "confusing" plot seemed very mainstream to me. When I first heard of the sequel, I groaned, but then I learned that John Woo would be at the helm. My animosity soon turned to anticipation. While Woo's early American films (Hard Target, Broken Arrow) couldn't even compare to his Chinese movies (A Better Tomorrow, Hard Boiled), his latest movie, Face/Off was a real winner. While keeping the suspenseful MI style scenarios intact, Woo also adds his ultra-cool action sequences. Seeming to not be restricted by the PG-13 rating, he makes his fight scenes almost like a ballet, and his trademark "violence as poetry" is better than ever. The unbelievable motorcycle chase was exciting and fun, in that James Bond-esque implausible way. The love scenes that spark between Cruise and Newton after their car chase were very good, and nothing prompts good passion like a near-death experience. Now, while some scenes were fairly predictable (like all the masks), Woo keeps everything pretty fresh; with the exception of some of his trademarks, like the doves, the slow-motion, and the gun-play that he used to use with such candor with the god-like Chow Yun-Fat. I don't understand all the negativity that this movie has sparked, especially since this was made for pure entertainment. It's rare that you see a movie like this that is smart as well as action-packed, and John Woo once again delivers. I hope that his next movie, "King's Ransom," will be just as intense and exciting. I definitely recommend that everyone check this film out.