...director John Woo takes an incredibly silly premise and despite its limitations turns it into an entertaining thrill ride.
John Travolta is Sean Archer, an FBI agent who works to bring down international terrorists. His favorite target is Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Troy gunned down Archer's young son a few years earlier and Archer wants nothing more than to bring down the man who caused his family so much pain and robbed him of his son. A dramatic encounter at an airport lands Castor and his brother Pollux (Alessandro Nivola) in FBI captivity. Castor is hurt and put into a coma, while Pollux is sent to a high-security prison. Before Castor loses consciousness, he boasts to Archer that he has planted a bomb that will bring about massive loss of life to Los Angeles. Further evidence proves to Archer and his team that the bomb threat is very real and that Archer is going to have to find where the bomb is and diffuse it. With Castor in a coma, this proves problematic.
The world of science fiction introduces a series of surgery techniques and technology that allows Sean Archer to take on Castor Troy's identity and infiltrate the prison and find out from Pollux the location of the bomb. This requires Castor's face to be removed from his body and placed onto Archer's. Of course, Archer needs to have his face removed as well. A few other incredible technologies are involved and before long, the physically larger Sean Archer is soon an exact double for Castor Troy; even taking on his vocal attributes. Unfortunately for Archer, Troy wakes up and realizes his face is missing. He discovers Archer's and takes on the FBI agent's identity.
Castor pays himself a visit in prison and works to free Pollux from prison, but placing Archer under tight security after the two fight. Castor becomes free to take part in Archer's family and his FBI operation. Although others notice he behaves differently, not too many questions are asked. Meanwhile, Archer stages a dramatic escape as Troy and somehow lands back in Los Angeles from the oil-rig converted prison. He surrounds himself with Castor's girlfriend and those Castor formerly worked with to create havoc. Archer is also introduced to Castor's son, as it is believed Castor is Archer. Over at the Archer household, Castor has taken a liking to Archer's wife and daughter and after diffusing the bomb to appear a hero, he begins to take out his enemies and plots to bring down the man in his skin by using the FBI's force. Without going too much deeper into the thin plot, let me just say the plot is simple; it is just hard to describe because of the identity twisting of the film.
Part of the reason for the plot's silliness lies in the fact that the film is not what it was originally meant to be. This was supposed to be John Woo's big science-fiction epic. Instead, it is a character study of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Through portions of the film, each actor takes on the traits of the other. This makes for some fun storytelling, and both Cage and Travolta did well in portraying the other. However, by the time the film ended, these little traits were lost and the effect wasn't as effective. It was a neat premise, but it didn't play out as well as it could have. I was pulled into the performances throughout the first half, but I found the actors moving back into their own skins by the end of the film.
Regardless of how silly the plot is, "Face/Off" is a ton of fun because of the high-octane action and great gunfights. John Woo loves slow motion and stylish angles to show his action, and "Face/Off" is full of the director's trademarks. This is one of those movies where I enjoy watching it, but simply do not care much for the story. "Face/Off" would have been an incredible film with just a little plot work, but as it sits now, it is simply my favorite John Woo action movie filmed in America. Two veteran and talented actors took on a challenge and mostly met that challenge. Woo was back on top of his game when it came to style and action, but substance was lacking. Not every movie is perfect and we don't watch every movie for just the story. This is a movie where you just forget about story and relish its great action sequences. It's a fun film for a rainy Saturday night, and although I was disappointed it wasn't another "Hard Boiled," it is far better than "Broken Arrow."
Dean's film rating: 8/10.
Video:
I could hardly have been happier with the picture quality. The high-definition VC-1 mastering retains the film's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and it maintains a realistic color balance--never too dark, never too bright. I'll admit that while the hues are a trifle muted most of the time and the delineation is a tad soft in spots, the overall effect looks remarkably realistic. An ultraclean screen and mostly deep black levels help bring out the colors.
Audio:
As most of you know, the HD DVD Group requires HD DVDs to contain at least a Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack, but what kind of additional soundtracks studios provide is up to them. In this case, we get both Dolby Digital Plus EX 5.1 and DTS 6.1. I'll leave it to the individual listener to argue about which one is best, since each format will have its staunch adherents. I listened to both of them, changing back and forth throughout the movie, and found them both quite good. I listened mostly to the DD+ track, though, as it seemed slightly smoother, with the DTS also seeming slightly brighter. Both tracks are enormously dynamic, with tremendous punch, plenty of bass, and excellent surround activity. I would liked to have compared a Dolby TrueHD track as well, but the powers that be at Paramount seem determined to frustrate listeners in that department.
Extras:
Disc one of this 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition HD DVD set contains the feature film and several bonus items carried over from the SD release, but this time all the graphics are in high definition. The extras begin with a pair of audio commentaries, the first with director John Woo and writers Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, and the second with the writers alone. I listened to a few minutes of each track and preferred the one with the director because of his special insights, although, to be fair, neither of them excited me much. After that, there are seven deleted scenes, about eight minutes' worth, including an alternate ending, with optional commentary. Finally, there are a generous forty scene selections but no chapter insert; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Disc two contains the remainder of the bonus items, also in high definition. The longest one is "The Light and the Dark: Making Face/Off," about sixty-four minutes long. It's divided into five chapters that you can play individually or all at once. It covers science fiction and human emotion, the cast and crew, John Woo and Hollywood, visual effects, and a wrap-up called "Future/Past." I liked the opening segment best, in which the filmmakers explain that they began with a science-fiction plot and revised it to add the human emotions that bring it home. Following that is the documentary "John Woo: A Life in Pictures," twenty-five minutes, wherein Woo narrates his own biography with the help of plenty of film clips from his early Hong Kong pictures through such Hollywood fare as "Mission: Impossible II." It pleased me to see these two items in high-def, but I didn't find either of them out of the ordinary. Finally, we get a widescreen theatrical trailer to wrap things up.
Well, not quite, because as expected from Paramount, we also get pop-up menus on the HD DVD, bookmarks, a guide to elapsed time, and an HD case.
Parting Thoughts:
If you're an action-movie fan, it's hard to beat "Face/Off." I just wish director John Woo had shown a little more restraint and spent a little more time in the editing room. But who am I to complain? The film did great box office, and it's probably destined to become an action classic. Woo's world moves in mysterious ways.
The world of science fiction introduces a series of surgery techniques and technology that allows Sean Archer to take on Castor Troy's identity and infiltrate the prison and find out from Pollux the location of the bomb. This requires Castor's face to be removed from his body and placed onto Archer's. Of course, Archer needs to have his face removed as well. A few other incredible technologies are involved and before long, the physically larger Sean Archer is soon an exact double for Castor Troy; even taking on his vocal attributes. Unfortunately for Archer, Troy wakes up and realizes his face is missing. He discovers Archer's and takes on the FBI agent's identity.
Castor pays himself a visit in prison and works to free Pollux from prison, but placing Archer under tight security after the two fight. Castor becomes free to take part in Archer's family and his FBI operation. Although others notice he behaves differently, not too many questions are asked. Meanwhile, Archer stages a dramatic escape as Troy and somehow lands back in Los Angeles from the oil-rig converted prison. He surrounds himself with Castor's girlfriend and those Castor formerly worked with to create havoc. Archer is also introduced to Castor's son, as it is believed Castor is Archer. Over at the Archer household, Castor has taken a liking to Archer's wife and daughter and after diffusing the bomb to appear a hero, he begins to take out his enemies and plots to bring down the man in his skin by using the FBI's force. Without going too much deeper into the thin plot, let me just say the plot is simple; it is just hard to describe because of the identity twisting of the film.
Part of the reason for the plot's silliness lies in the fact that the film is not what it was originally meant to be. This was supposed to be John Woo's big science-fiction epic. Instead, it is a character study of John Travolta and Nicolas Cage. Through portions of the film, each actor takes on the traits of the other. This makes for some fun storytelling, and both Cage and Travolta did well in portraying the other. However, by the time the film ended, these little traits were lost and the effect wasn't as effective. It was a neat premise, but it didn't play out as well as it could have. I was pulled into the performances throughout the first half, but I found the actors moving back into their own skins by the end of the film.
Regardless of how silly the plot is, "Face/Off" is a ton of fun because of the high-octane action and great gunfights. John Woo loves slow motion and stylish angles to show his action, and "Face/Off" is full of the director's trademarks. This is one of those movies where I enjoy watching it, but simply do not care much for the story. "Face/Off" would have been an incredible film with just a little plot work, but as it sits now, it is simply my favorite John Woo action movie filmed in America. Two veteran and talented actors took on a challenge and mostly met that challenge. Woo was back on top of his game when it came to style and action, but substance was lacking. Not every movie is perfect and we don't watch every movie for just the story. This is a movie where you just forget about story and relish its great action sequences. It's a fun film for a rainy Saturday night, and although I was disappointed it wasn't another "Hard Boiled," it is far better than "Broken Arrow."
Dean's film rating: 8/10.
Video:
I could hardly have been happier with the picture quality. The high-definition VC-1 mastering retains the film's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and it maintains a realistic color balance--never too dark, never too bright. I'll admit that while the hues are a trifle muted most of the time and the delineation is a tad soft in spots, the overall effect looks remarkably realistic. An ultraclean screen and mostly deep black levels help bring out the colors.
Audio:
As most of you know, the HD DVD Group requires HD DVDs to contain at least a Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack, but what kind of additional soundtracks studios provide is up to them. In this case, we get both Dolby Digital Plus EX 5.1 and DTS 6.1. I'll leave it to the individual listener to argue about which one is best, since each format will have its staunch adherents. I listened to both of them, changing back and forth throughout the movie, and found them both quite good. I listened mostly to the DD+ track, though, as it seemed slightly smoother, with the DTS also seeming slightly brighter. Both tracks are enormously dynamic, with tremendous punch, plenty of bass, and excellent surround activity. I would liked to have compared a Dolby TrueHD track as well, but the powers that be at Paramount seem determined to frustrate listeners in that department.
Extras:
Disc one of this 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition HD DVD set contains the feature film and several bonus items carried over from the SD release, but this time all the graphics are in high definition. The extras begin with a pair of audio commentaries, the first with director John Woo and writers Mike Werb and Michael Colleary, and the second with the writers alone. I listened to a few minutes of each track and preferred the one with the director because of his special insights, although, to be fair, neither of them excited me much. After that, there are seven deleted scenes, about eight minutes' worth, including an alternate ending, with optional commentary. Finally, there are a generous forty scene selections but no chapter insert; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; English, French, and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Disc two contains the remainder of the bonus items, also in high definition. The longest one is "The Light and the Dark: Making Face/Off," about sixty-four minutes long. It's divided into five chapters that you can play individually or all at once. It covers science fiction and human emotion, the cast and crew, John Woo and Hollywood, visual effects, and a wrap-up called "Future/Past." I liked the opening segment best, in which the filmmakers explain that they began with a science-fiction plot and revised it to add the human emotions that bring it home. Following that is the documentary "John Woo: A Life in Pictures," twenty-five minutes, wherein Woo narrates his own biography with the help of plenty of film clips from his early Hong Kong pictures through such Hollywood fare as "Mission: Impossible II." It pleased me to see these two items in high-def, but I didn't find either of them out of the ordinary. Finally, we get a widescreen theatrical trailer to wrap things up.
Well, not quite, because as expected from Paramount, we also get pop-up menus on the HD DVD, bookmarks, a guide to elapsed time, and an HD case.
Parting Thoughts:
If you're an action-movie fan, it's hard to beat "Face/Off." I just wish director John Woo had shown a little more restraint and spent a little more time in the editing room. But who am I to complain? The film did great box office, and it's probably destined to become an action classic. Woo's world moves in mysterious ways.
![Lost [TV Series]](/images/displaymedia.php?id=23770&sizew=70&cat=3)
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]21510[/release]