The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Massive disappointment in this film. My own damn fault as I built it up in my head too much. When it was character-centric I enjoyed it a lot more, but the more action and generic it got my interests waned exponentially. Also too much 'hey this cage movie, memba that moments.

Greetings again from the darkness. Calling all Nicolas Cage fans! Put the bunny back in the box and get ready for the most fun you'll ever have with Nicolas or Nic or Nick or Nicky. And if one Cage isn't enough for you, you're in luck. This film has Nicolas Cage playing the (somewhat) fictional Nick Cage, and Nicolas Kim Coppola (Nicolas Cage's birth name) playing imaginary alter-ego Nicky, a younger version of Nicolas Cage from the WILD AT HEART era who spends the movie constantly reminding Nick that he's a movie star. If you can't make much sense out of all that, don't worry, writer-director Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten have created a film that is sure to strike a chord with Nicolas Cage fans. What we see is a parody going meta in a surreal way. Very few get to star in the tribute to their own legend, but that's what happens here. Nicolas Cage goes 'inside baseball' on the career of Nicolas Cage ... only he does so as struggling actor Nick Cage, an actor so desperate for "the role of a lifetime" that he improvs a reading for director David Gordon Green (Cage's director on JOE) in the parking lot of Chateau Marmont. Having been kicked out of his rental after falling behind $600,000 in rent, Nick agrees to take a humiliating job pitched by his agent, Fink (Neil Patrick Harris). For one million dollars, he is to fly to Mallorca and hang out at the birthday party of rich super fan, Javi Gutierrez (a terrific Pedro Pascall, "The Mandalorian"). The twist here is that CIA agents played by Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz suspect Javi of being a notorious gun dealer who has kidnapped the young daughter of the Catalonia President. Spy-type shenanigans ensue as Nick and Javi develop a bromance that finds the two new buddies writing a film script together. And if that's not quite enough subplots, you should know that Nick is at a breaking point in his relationship with his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and teenage daughter Abby (Lily Sheen, real life daughter of Michael Sheen and Kate Beckinsale). The zaniness includes nods to more than a dozen Nicolas Cage movies, and much of the fun is derived from recognizing these. Easter eggs are everywhere for fans, and Nic expertly plays Nick (and Nicky) as a loving tribute to the characters we've seen in so many iconic films over the years. Additionally, on screen love is provided for the 1920 classic, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, as well as the more recent gem, PADDINGTON 2 (2017), making this a tribute to cinema lovers, Nicolas Cage fans, and comedies in general. I will admit to disliking director Gormican's 2014 movie, THAT AWKWARD MOMENT, so much that I hoped he was done as a filmmaker. It turns out, he's back (and much improved) ... not that he ever went anywhere. Opens in theaters on April 22, 2022.

Very cheesy, but self aware. It was good to laugh at the movies again. Pedro Pascal and Nick Cage somehow made magic together. An unlikely but very effective duo. Even the action scenes were well done. Awesome cast and stunning location. A hilarious and fun ride.

Caught an advance screening tonight and I thought it was super fun. I'm a huge Nicolas Cage fan, and it was over the top and crazy and chaotic and heartwarming. And there's definitely some cuckoo stuff mixed in, I'm actually a little surprised he didn't take the weirdness even further. And he yelled a lot but I would've taken even more. Haha Definitely a light silly night at the movies :) LONG LIVE CAGE.

When Nick Cage (Nicholas Cage) realizes his finances are disastrous, he agrees to make a one-time appearance at a billionaire's birthday. Once he gets off the plane and meets billionaire Javi (Pedro Pascal), a friendship is struck up. Before Nick can get too comfortable, he finds out that his new billionaire friend is being watched by the CIA, who quickly recruits him to be their new informant. If this film had been made with and about anyone other than Nicolas Cage, I don't think it would have worked. This film was written to highlight some of Cage's best moments in his career, leaving the viewer with Easter eggs galore. The direction of the film taps into the action genre while still being a true comedy. Just when you think it's just a comedy, it switches gears into a crime drama. The cinematography brings you to the gorgeous paradise of the film's setting. As previously stated, Nicolas Cage is fantastic and shows why he's had such a long career. Buddying up with Pedro Pascal is a match made in heaven. These two play off of each other so well. Tiffany Haddish delivers some memorable lines and commands the scene when she's in it. Ike Barinholtz has impeccable comedic timing as always, and the biggest downfall is not having more of him and Haddish. Sharon Horgan and Lily Mo Sheen round out Cage's family, and the dynamic feels pure. You get a true sense of a dysfunctional family that truly loves each other. And last but not least, is Neil Patrick Harris, who plays Cage's agent with gusto. It is hard to find fault with this film. I'm not sure if it's because it is so much fun or because the runtime just flies by. So elements such as the score and other technical areas don't shine too brightly, but I'm not sure they were intended to. Some characters could have used a bit more screen time, but keeping their appearances to a minimum made their moments a little more memorable. Going up a notch in some of the action set pieces would have been the icing on the cake, but now I'm just getting greedy. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a film that is going to be talked about for years. The way it is constructed and written leaves it as a prime candidate for multiple viewings. It is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny and earns every one of them. I can't wait to watch this one again and again.

This is one of those self aware comedies and its actually ok in terms of entertainment but thats kind of it. Dont get me wrong, it got a smile here and there and the interaction between the two main characters was fun at times but it had long stretches of boring nothingness. The entire kidnapping arc was a drag and the fact that the movie is aware that its a drag really isnt all that impressive... this has all been done before and I am no longer in high school. So that leaves us with the comedic aspect and thats where if fell short. Again, Cage and more so, Pascal were decent but Laurel and Hardy they are not... not even close.

Nicoles cage at his best ,and he has finally accepted the fact that he is a meme and this movie no exception. It has many nods to his past works and I love what they have down with this the movie, it truly is something beyond words. The comedy is spot on and is the funniest film I've seen in memory and the comedic timing really puts it at the best of all time. This movie deserves the credit it gets and I hope others can see it for the way it is ,rather than a fad of the time. An if this was the ultimate send of for Nicoles cage this is the perfect movie for any actor to make and I wish others would do the same. It really makes you respect the actor more than you did before even if his movies can be cheesey and poorly performed,but this is something else it is a showcase of his strong point as an actor. An I think as an actor nicoles is very misunderstood for his actual good performances, because in the end of the day he is a good actor it's just the reputation he has. So if you are reading this I hope you can understand the points I have brought up and truly enjoy this movie.

Watching this film I was unsure if it was a comedy, a farce, or Nick Cage's personal fever dream, but no matter what it was, I loved it! Clever and compelling, this film weaves a tale that results in laughs both hearty and wry. A+