Face/Off (R)

“Face Off” contains so much action, and so many stunts, that one has to wonder if its $80M budget is conservative. It is directed by John Woo, who directed 2000’s “Mission Impossible II,” and stars powerhouses John Travolta and Nicholas Cage. The two, who have appeared in a wide array of films, are here tasked with the awesome purpose of playing both good and evil, and of, essentially, playing the other person for most of the film’s run-time. The result is nothing short of high-octane entertainment. The film was released in 1997, the same year as “Good Will Hunting,” and has that lost feel of 90s-era action that once dominated the box office.

The plot is both unbelievable and perfect, using Cage and Travolta well; specifically Travolta, who comes off the heels of Woo’s 1996 film “Broken Arrow,” who’s shown deft at playing the villain. He here plays FBI agent Sean Archer, a successful yet sullen man who is unable to let the murder of his young son from years’ past go. The rub? Michael was killed when Archer’s nemesis, the terrorist for hire Castor Troy (Cage) attempted to kill Archer but got his son instead. “Your son was a mistake,” he gloats. “I wanted to kill you. Why didn’t you just kill yourself, or let it go?” “No father could,” Archer replies. Thus sets up a rivalry the film latches onto. In an attempt to discover the location of a chemical bomb Troy has planted somewhere in Los Angeles, Archer undergoes surgery to look like Castor to trick his brother (Alessandro Nivola) to confess. However, Troy, assumed dead, comes out of a coma and forces the same surgeon to make him look just like Archer.

This plot is implausible, but a hefty suspension of disbelief, along with a top-notch special effects package, makes “Face Off” a hit. Oliver Wood, Cinematographer for actioners such as “The Bourne Identity” and “ U-571” knows how to highlight the film’s more exciting moments, such as the opening, which features a convey of police SUVs chasing a plane on a runway, or the film’s non-stop ending, which entices filmgoers with boat chases, machine gun fire, and gratuitous explosions.

The film is further helped by attention to detail, and the personalities Cage and Travolta give their respective characters, especially after the switch. For instance, sullen Archer’s disheveled wardrobe matches his mood as he sloshes through the film’s beginning in resigned misery. Later, as Castor becomes Archer, we see a new Archer, dressed sharp and sporting a gold tie bar where he used to flash gold pistols. And the once-sartorial Cage (as Troy), spends most of the film in prison garb or gym clothes until one scene where he meets up with some of Castor’s old friends. Looking at Troy’s wardrobe he remarks with incredulity, “Nice clothes.”

Cage and Travolta also do a wonderful job at imbuing the right personality quirks to make the audience believe they have really switched bodies. Cage brings a kindness to the maniacal Castor, best seen when he meets up with old allies or tries to convince his wife he’s really Archer. Travolta on the other hand takes to criticizing Archer’s appearance as he looks in the mirror, bumming cigarettes from his teenage daughter, or aggressively roughing up a guy who tries to take advantage of her. “If you dress like Halloween, ghouls will try to get in your pants,” he scoffs.

The rest of the players all do an adequate job here. Joan Allen is convincing as Archer’s disbelieving wife, and their daughter, played by Dominique Swain, comes off believable as a daughter pulled between two seemingly different dads. Of the others, I liked Allessandro Nivola the most, who devolves quite nicely into the socially awkward brother of Castor, Pollux (interestingly, the names Castor and Pollux are also the names of brother stars in the constellation Gemini).

Nivola, who has appeared either macho or libertine before – “Jurassic Park III” and “Laurel Canyon,” respectfully – does a good job playing an awkward younger brother who needs protection. The cast is well done in this way, from Robert Wisdom, who plays fellow FBI agent ‘Tito,’ to Gina Gershon, who plays Castor’s ex-lover Sasha, all the way down to a pleasing appearance of Thomas Jane (“The Punisher”) as a prison inmate. Even with short appearances, these roles seem more developed than the script would allow, and the film is all the better for it.

“Face Off” is just a lot of fun. It features the action sequences that draw people to the theatre, pleasing special effects, a breakneck pace, and one-liners aplenty. If that sounds enticing to you, and you have yet to see the film, you might as well rent it. It’s not likely to disappoint. And those who have seen it, this writer included, don’t really need a reason to throw this actioner back on the TV for another run.

– by Mark Ziobro