Face Off is still awesome after 11 years!
06-17-08, 02:17 PM
#26
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Totally absurd, yet great fun, and stylishly directed to boot. FACE/OFF is terrific junk food, and as others have posted, Woo's best American film. (It's certainly better than his god-awful MI:3.)
06-17-08, 02:23 PM
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I really liked Face/Off in the theatre, but watching it again later on, it just didn't work for me.
Biggest problem for me is the plot. Those two characters shouldn't have hated each other so much. They only had 2-3 conversations, and they weren't really conversations---just things they shouted between punches and gunfire.
Why couldn't they be on the same side, and keep the premise? Have Cage and Travolta in some sort of tense friendship, have the villain be somebody else, and have Cage and Travolta swap faces and deal with that? The movie would have had a lot more interaction between them and been a lot more fun.
For the record, Woo's best work in America is the director's cut of Hard Target. I've got a VHS of that and it's damn awesome.
Biggest problem for me is the plot. Those two characters shouldn't have hated each other so much. They only had 2-3 conversations, and they weren't really conversations---just things they shouted between punches and gunfire.
Why couldn't they be on the same side, and keep the premise? Have Cage and Travolta in some sort of tense friendship, have the villain be somebody else, and have Cage and Travolta swap faces and deal with that? The movie would have had a lot more interaction between them and been a lot more fun.
For the record, Woo's best work in America is the director's cut of Hard Target. I've got a VHS of that and it's damn awesome.
06-17-08, 02:23 PM
#29
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Great movie. Great fun to watch. One of the last really exciting, engrossing straight-up action pics. There's not many being made anymore.
The [obvious] stuntmen in the boat crash was always a bit jarring. I'll always remember that as being one of the all time goofy flaws. It's right up there with Tom Arnold's stunt double (yea) jumping his motorcycle into the canal in T2.
The [obvious] stuntmen in the boat crash was always a bit jarring. I'll always remember that as being one of the all time goofy flaws. It's right up there with Tom Arnold's stunt double (yea) jumping his motorcycle into the canal in T2.
06-17-08, 02:25 PM
#30
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I know I'm in the minority but I've always enjoyed Broken Arrow more than Face/Off.
Face/Off just never gelled with me. Aside from the obvious use of stunt doubles, the fact that Travolta and Cage's facial structure are completely different also took me out the film. Not to mention the fact that it was only "futuristic" when the plot called for it.
In addition to that, I thought the acting was pretty bad. Sure, Travolta can play a wild maniac as good as anyone but Cage's sad sack facial expressions throughout make it hard to watch without chuckling.
Face/Off just never gelled with me. Aside from the obvious use of stunt doubles, the fact that Travolta and Cage's facial structure are completely different also took me out the film. Not to mention the fact that it was only "futuristic" when the plot called for it.
In addition to that, I thought the acting was pretty bad. Sure, Travolta can play a wild maniac as good as anyone but Cage's sad sack facial expressions throughout make it hard to watch without chuckling.
Last edited by GoldenJCJ; 06-17-08 at 02:30 PM.
06-17-08, 02:26 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by troystiffler
Great movie. Great fun to watch. One of the last really exciting, engrossing straight-up action pics. There's not many being made anymore.
The [obvious] stuntmen in the boat crash was always a bit jarring. I'll always remember that as being one of the all time goofy flaws. It's right up there with Tom Arnold's stunt double (yea) jumping his motorcycle into the canal in T2.
The [obvious] stuntmen in the boat crash was always a bit jarring. I'll always remember that as being one of the all time goofy flaws. It's right up there with Tom Arnold's stunt double (yea) jumping his motorcycle into the canal in T2.
Last edited by GoldenJCJ; 06-17-08 at 02:28 PM.
06-17-08, 03:27 PM
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Loved Face/Off when it came out theatrically and felt like it was the closest to the past HK films he has made. The story was ridiculous but John Woo's pacing actually made you sympathize with the characters.
Novelty has since kind of worn off especially after Mission Impossible 2 along with all other action films where the John Woo gun-ballet trademark got old.
Novelty has since kind of worn off especially after Mission Impossible 2 along with all other action films where the John Woo gun-ballet trademark got old.
06-17-08, 06:24 PM
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Originally Posted by SuckaMC
On topic. Face/Off is good fun. The only thing is the obvious use of stunt men. Takes me out of it every time. But still enjoyable.
I watched this movie many times and i still to this day don't get this scene. Gina is smokin' so all is forgiven.
06-18-08, 02:49 AM
#42
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Originally Posted by NIMH Rat
Biggest problem for me is the plot. Those two characters shouldn't have hated each other so much.
Originally Posted by NIMH Rat
Why couldn't they be on the same side
06-18-08, 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Rainet
I tell you what takes me out of it everytime is that smooch between brother and sister Sasha and Dietrich. I watched this movie many times and i still to this day don't get this scene. Gina is smokin' so all is forgiven.
I watched this movie many times and i still to this day don't get this scene. Gina is smokin' so all is forgiven. Incest is okay if your sister happens to be a hottie.
06-18-08, 11:48 AM
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I like the flick a lot. Travolta & Cage are so hammy doing their impressions of the other.
One thing that always bothered me is the fact the Archer starts a prison riot in which guards are probably killed. Even worse is the fact that the prison is supposed to be impossible to escape from, but Archer just jumps off the roof and swims to freedom.
One thing that always bothered me is the fact the Archer starts a prison riot in which guards are probably killed. Even worse is the fact that the prison is supposed to be impossible to escape from, but Archer just jumps off the roof and swims to freedom.
06-18-08, 12:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Charlie Goose
One thing that always bothered me is the fact the Archer starts a prison riot in which guards are probably killed. Even worse is the fact that the prison is supposed to be impossible to escape from, but Archer just jumps off the roof and swims to freedom.
