IMDb > Face/Off (1997)
Face/Off
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Face/Off (1997) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Face/Off (1997) -- Clip: Your time's up
Face/Off (1997) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)
Face/Off (1997) -- Sinematurk - Trailer (Flash)
Face/Off (1997) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   92,001 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Woo
Writers (WGA):
Mike Werb (written by) &
Michael Colleary (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Face/Off on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 June 1997 (USA) more
Tagline:
In order to catch him, he must become him. more
Plot:
A revolutionary medical technique allows an undercover agent to take the physical appearance of a major criminal and infiltrate his organization. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 18 nominations more
User Comments:
Woo's US breakthrough: A triumph! more (462 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Face Off (USA) (alternative spelling)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for intense sequences of strong violence, and for strong language.
Runtime:
138 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Latin
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At one point, Patrick Swayze was being sought for one of the lead parts. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Engine #1 of the aircraft is blown, yet the cockpit warning light indicates engine #3 has been damaged. more
Quotes:
Castor Troy: If I were to send you flowers where would I... no, let me rephrase that. If I were to let you suck my tongue, would you be grateful? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Heroic Bloodshed (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Stella By Starlight more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
57 out of 81 people found the following comment useful.
Woo's US breakthrough: A triumph!, 26 January 2000
8/10
Author: Libretio

FACE/OFF

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS

This magnificent thriller represents director John Woo's triumphant return to the kind of hyperkinetic, emotionally charged film-making which made him such a hot property in the first place. Following the artistic bankruptcy of his first two Hollywood projects, this one is a marriage of high-octane movie-making and mind-twisting narrative complexities. It's also one of the few American action movies which manages to strike a balance between crowd-pleasing set-pieces and domestic interludes, and renders them equally important. John Travolta and Nicolas Cage are perfectly matched as hero/villain (and vice versa!), whilst heavyweight theatre actress Joan Allen provides the narrative with much of its dramatic backbone in the role of Travolta's wife (the scene in which she is first confronted with her husband in Cage's body is almost identical to a similar scene in Terence Fisher's FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED [1969]).

Technically, the film is a blast, and Woo stages the action highlights with a visual grace and dexterity that is often breathtaking to behold. The climactic speedboat battle is probably the finest set-piece of Woo's career to date, and the script is overflowing with visual and thematic ironies that underscore the action highlights. In fact, the production has arguably more dramatic resonance than any other Hollywood blockbuster of the 1990s, but the dictates of American commercialism mean that Woo is only able to skate over the emotional surface of his characters and their moral dilemmas. The two main protagonists are much too cold and heartless to fully engage the audience's sympathies, and there's nothing here that matches the scorching human drama of, say, BULLET IN THE HEAD (1990). But for all that, FACE/OFF dares to go deeper than your average Hollywood action picture. It's clever, witty and thrilling, and it manages to accomplish the difficult task of feeding the brain whilst entertaining the eye.

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Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Face/Off (1997)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Top 5 action movies Ever nfldraftprospects
Face/Off vs Highlander del70
How long would the rehab be for a face transplant? The_Angry_Critic
Things that bug me about this movie. smithers_321
10-19-86 YouveBeenZapped
It's amazing how stunt doubles... luks-11
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