Sets new standards for a genre which plays it safe and predictable too often.
Comment
09/19/08
Face Off (1997)
93
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:59
Fresh:55
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: John Travolta and Nicolas Cage play cat-and-mouse (and literally play each other) against a beautifully stylized backdrop of typically elegant, over-the-top John Woo violence.
Runtime: 2 hrs 20 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: The ordeal of superheroic, singularly dedicated FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) is only beginning after finally capturing his archnemesis, Castor Troy (Nicholas Cage), an elusive, maniacal... [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, Alessandro Nivola
Director: John Woo
Reviews for Face Off
Top CriticWoo's poetic-kinetic style has evolved, if not to the point of abstraction, then to delirium: he makes a virtue of incredulity.
01/26/06
Top Criticthe film succeeds in overcoming its implausibilities because director Woo offers such a tantalising package.
04/17/01
Top CriticIt is, of course, beyond ludicrous. But Woo's strength is to positively revel in the unlikeliness of his conceit.
01/01/00
Top CriticThis brutal, stunningly choreographed spectacle weaves together lyrical beauty, blasphemy, sadistic cruelty and grotesque sentimentality with breathtakingly smooth assurance.
09/19/08
Typical for Woo, the sheer force of the imagery is supposed to carry viewers past plot absurdities ... while at the same time, the director wants the audience to buy into the emotional lives of his obsessed and haunted characters.
07/11/08
This is your action movie on drugs--any questions? [Blu-Ray]
05/26/08
The dramatic scenes have emotional gravity, while the exhilarating action sequences defy gravity.
02/03/08
Garbage of the finest vintage.
10/25/07
...director John Woo takes an incredibly silly premise and despite its limitations turns it into an entertaining thrill ride.
10/22/07
possibly the greatest, and definitely the most exuberant, action film to come out of the studio system in the '90s
09/11/07
Stars Cage and Travolta are fine in their roles.
04/09/05
...a nihilistic thrill ride; a breathless ultra-violent fantasy with real characters and smart actors
01/08/05
Woo es probablemente el mejor director de acción que existe.
01/12/04
After seeing this numbing action flick, I'm still stumped what all the hype is about. So many critics and viewers arond the country marveled at this movie, but for what? It's not a horrible movie, but it certainly isn't very good.
05/22/03
Travolta and Cage are exceptional, performing as their own characters and each other's.
05/14/03
I think I finally isolated what irritates me about this movie: It is the fact that it promotes the idea that you can indulge in hatred and vengeance with a positive result.
03/16/03
What we have here is the first, true American John Woo movie.
12/08/02
All in all, Mr. Woo has made Face/Off into an eye-popping magic show.
10/15/02
Thank God for John Woo, the best action director in the world.
09/10/02
Latest News for Face Off
August 10, 2006:
Box Office Preview: "World Trade Center" Arrives in Theaters
Another frame packed with four new national releases is led by Oliver Stone's 9/11 drama "World Trade Center" from Paramount. A trio of lower profile pics round out... More...
May 18, 2005:
John Woo Makes a "Stranglehold" On Video Game Property
The Hollywood Reporter brings news of an upcoming non-movie project for acclaimed director John Woo ("The Killer," "Face/Off"). It was announced at the 2005... More...
May 17, 2005:
Screen Gems Gets Rolling With Its "Tekken" Adaptation
Variety brings news of the next video game movie to hit production. The title is "Tekken," and the property was picked up by Screen Gems (from Dimension), with a... More...
May 10, 2005:
Clive Barker & John Woo Make a "Demonik" Pair
The Hollywood Reporter brings news of an odd-yet-interesting filmmaking duo: Clive Barker ("Hellraiser") and John Woo ("Face/Off") will join forces to... More...
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