Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review podcast

Face/Off (1997)

30/8/2024

Shat the Movies: 80's & 90's Best Film Review

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Shat The Movies' Nicolas Cage block continues with a commission for listener Frank F. And if you thought "Con Air" was wild, we dare you to watch "Face/Off." John Woo's stateside directorial debut had Dick and Gene talking about acceptable Dude Wipe usage, the proper order for face-swapping surgery, gratuitous police deaths, and how two women and one man can make a sex sandwich.

Plot Summary: "Face/Off"

In the 1997 action-thriller Face/Off, directed by John Woo, John Travolta stars as Sean Archer, an FBI agent obsessed with capturing Castor Troy, a notorious terrorist played by Nicolas Cage. Years earlier, Troy murdered Archer’s young son, sparking a relentless pursuit. Archer finally captures Troy after a dramatic and intense shootout. However, Archer's victory is bittersweet, as he discovers that Troy has planted a deadly bomb in Los Angeles set to detonate soon, and only Troy’s imprisoned brother, Pollux Troy, knows its location.

To extract the bomb's location, Archer undergoes a radical and secretive surgical procedure to swap faces with the comatose Troy, adopting his enemy’s identity. Disguised as Castor Troy, Archer enters a high-security prison to gain information from Pollux. But the mission goes disastrously wrong when the real Troy awakens from his coma and forces the surgeons to swap his face with Archer’s, taking over his enemy's life. Now, Troy lives freely as Archer, assuming his role in the FBI and infiltrating his family, including his wife, Eve (Joan Allen), and daughter, Jamie (Dominique Swain).

Trapped in Troy's body and on the run, Archer must navigate the criminal underworld to survive, reclaim his true identity, and stop Troy from destroying his life and loved ones. What follows is a gripping game of cat and mouse filled with explosive action, high-speed chases, and intense shootouts. As both men exploit their new identities, they blur the lines between hero and villain, leading to a climactic showdown that tests their limits.

Face/Off delivers a unique blend of psychological drama and over-the-top action, featuring standout performances by Nicolas Cage and John Travolta as they expertly swap roles. Tune into our podcast review to see if this 90s classic still captivates modern audiences with its blend of thrilling action and complex characters

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