Un talent en or massif

Une escapade agréable avec plusieurs bons moments et des références à d'autres films, mais aussi des moments silencieux et une multitude de clichés - y compris les plus archétypaux des films familiaux hollywoodiens. Nic Cage en profite (et comment !) et Pedro Pascal est encore plus intéressant sur le plan de la performance d'acteur. (06/05/2022)

Je parie qu’en lisant le synopsis, beaucoup d’entre nous s’imaginent un film nettement plus fou qu’il ne se révèle au final. Les points forts se trouvent bien sûr dans les scènes meta où l’on traite de la filmographie de Nicolas Cage et des objets de collection liés à son œuvre, ou dans lesquelles le Cage d’aujourd’hui est en bisbrouille avec le Cage d’antan – une idée absolument géniale et superbement réalisée dans un film autrement pas si créatif. En fin de compte, c’est un bon divertissement auquel on ne peut rien reprocher de sérieux, mais en regard des grandes promesses qui accompagnaient le film, j’ai eu des attentes qui n’ont pas été comblées. (27/06/2022)

All in all, a pretty traditional action buddy comedy; I’m actually a bit surprised at how ordinary it is. Based on the title, the familiarity with Nicolas Cage's choice of roles over the last decade, and the fact that it was supposed to be an action film starring Nicolas Cage, one would have expected a different kind of romp. The movie does have a meta level, but what movie doesn’t these days? Seven out of ten. It was fun, but I probably won’t remember it. (09/06/2022)

Exactly as expected. Nicolas Cage playing Nicolas Cage is so delightfully offbeat and grounded that you can’t help but love it. (06/10/2023)

Nick Fuckin’ Cage is back! The 90's star actor hasn't made anything decent in years, he's found himself in B horror films a bit, which suits him better than the C actioners made by Willis, Gibson and other former stars. But this is a very enjoyable film where Cage plays himself, makes fun of himself and alludes to the shit he's bee making over the years. The film itself is nothing special. The story is simple, the action is mediocre and the humor is fine at times, but not as much as the premise calls for. But the feel good vibes, the joy of making movies, all the movie references to Cage's works (they're top notch) and starring again after a long time in a movie that isn't cheap crap is the best part of it all. I enjoyed Cage's relationship with Pedro Pascal, who also has a very interesting role; both of them give decent performances and bring out the best in each other. I enjoyed the allusion to the Agent Nicolas Cage sketch, those who have seen it will understand and that's what the film builds on. I should probably catch up with Paddington 2 in the near future ! Anyone who likes Nicolas should pay attention to this. 7/10. (29/06/2022)

Tolerable lightness of wasted potential... It’s a meta that reaches for higher levels of genre clichés but only glances at the fun and cleverness. Rather than a reflection of a faded Hollywood diva, it feels more like a subtle glimpse of her through a fan’s lens. Nicolas Cage, for years facing creative death, tries to prove that the wildness in his heart hasn’t disappeared. I don’t deny him that, but it seems to me that his average decision time on whether to take a role is around 60 seconds. (09/10/2023)

Or when your better half wants to watch a film because of a Facebook menu. Excellent meta silliness, finally a role tailor-made for Nicolas Cage and incredible fun on top of that. The genre progression from human drama to action comedy is quite unexpected, but it works – the film has a bit of everything. Pedro Pascal is excellent and, as Cage's number one fan, totally believable even in the most absurd situations. The line with the daughter hits the right nerve. Will the little one like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as much as I do? (02/04/2023)

A film where Nicolas Cage plays Nicolas Cage, playing Nicolas Cage in films starring Nicolas Cage. As moronic as that sounds, and as bad movies Cage has been making for the last ten years (and bad is probably an understatement), here he is perhaps a completely different person, and the whole movie scores! I was expecting the usual B-movie dreck, but this one succeeds. The story of a burnt-out actor who accidentally gets caught up in a CIA operation and has to spy on a cartel leader from up close and personal, but becomes too close to him and they gradually hit it off. It couldn’t be more clichéd and the film doesn't exactly reek of originality either, but it’s a feel-good buddy comedy with atypical and rather dry humour, and the whole thing evokes almost a parody of Cage himself (the shrine with his pillow, his memes and posters, references to his films...) and that's what the film reaps all the credit for. It's not afraid to make an ass of itself, it manages to create a slight tension at times, to entertain and to completely lighten the whole viewing experience, until you don’t really care that it has its flaws and just enjoy it and laugh at the occasional absurdity of the situation, and basically the whole film. I was expecting crap, I got a great comedy that defies all the established standards and is its own thing, but manages to captivate. Fun stuff. (12/07/2022)