Damn. It’s been a bit since I saw this. I remember it leaving a bad taste in my brain for whatever reason. But after revisiting some old Woo movies I figured, why the shit not, it’s through the new lens of an older drunkener me who may have missed the nuance originally. Holy shitfuck there is no nuance here. There’s barely a plot. The little that is there is as lame as I remember it. I need more whiskey.
The plot here? Fuck me. There is no plot, just a basic outline to swap good guy for bad guy (played by Nicolas Fkn Cage and John Travolta) and make ‘em hop through some lackluster action sequences. I know it’s not Travolta’s fault, but I’m still blaming him for like 95% of the suck that this is. I do not know why I feel such contempt for this movie. But I do. The level of suspension of disbelief here is beyond the acceptable limits, with way too much overwrought melodramatics and, well, John Travolta. Nicolas Fkn Cage with a shitty haircut is the only reason this movie is worth watching. And the crazy action sequences. Usually.
This is Woo’s first big US movie. Huge budget, big actors, major set pieces. And it is all there on the screen. Big action sequences, shoot-outs, high speed boat chases, it’s got it all. But fucking hell, if it don’t just feel hollow, a mimicry of what a big-budget action flick should be. It’s like a fake movie, trying to pretend to be a real one. And failing. It’s a Shame, really.
