January Review: Face/Off (1997) (Patreon)

Before I get to the review, just a little food for thought. If you had to have your face swapped with someone, who would you swap faces with? I don't have an answer, but i did feel like I was constantly being asked by Face/Off (1997).

Face/Off (1997) engages in some clever wordplay, and then proceeds to let the concept rest on it's laurels. In case you're not familiar, Face/Off (1997) follows the, well, face off between a federal agent and home-grown terrorist who, through a series of plot contrivances, end up surgically swapping their faces. As both try to regain their former appearance, they run rampant through the other's life, eventually having a Face/Off (1997) face-off.

Co-starring Nicholas Cage and John Travolta, Face/Off (1997) really depends on it's leads to carry the show. Needing to nail not only their own parts, but that of their opposite as well. To this end, Cage and Travolta lean into their personal characters, less playing to the script than themselves. The result is when the faces remain un-swapped, they're one-note stock characters. A villain and a hero. But once the faces swap, they get to shine, playing the most heightened version of their opposite. I wouldn't go so far as to say they disappear into their roles, but the film remains a testament to the importance of careful casting. Overall it's a delight to see these two character actors play against each other in a constant battle of showmanship and one-ups-man-ship. There is the odd moment of discomfort, Cage's strange relationship with Travolta's daughter being a notable one, but on the whole, the two leads remain fun to watch.

The film itself presents a plot at once simple and complex. Certainly, the idea of surgically swapping faces presents ample opportunity to create awkward, complicated, or downright absurd situations, but Face/Off (1997) largely disregards this in favor of big explosions, guns firing, and the occasional reference to Travolta's murdered son. It leaves something to be desired, lending the mind to wandering to all the more interesting places the concept could have been taken. Despite what is left on the cutting room floor, the action is over-the-top to compensate, and if you can keep your mind from wondering the spectacle is a might good time.

Face/Off (1997) may not be perfect, it may not even be all that creative, but it sure is fun. If you want action, people to yell, and to see two personalities clash, you'll get all that and have a good time doing it. and really, aren't the real face-offs the Face/Offs (1997) we made along the way?

7 out of 10 Peaches Peaches Peaches!