It’s 25 years since time-served parolee Cameron Poe boarded a July 14th flight to freedom with a look of contented bliss on his face, only for it to change to alarm, then fear, then rage, then grim satisfaction, then love, which given that it’s Nic Cage we’re talking about here, are all the same look.
The caged Cage is initially cagey, but his shirt soon comes off and he goes full vest. This was a key plot point in all 90’s action movies – the dirty white vest of the tainted but pure hero. From that Undergarment Reveal on, he makes light work of Malkovich (all-round supervillain), Rhames (black nationalist?) , Danny Trejo (‘Johnny 23″ because he’s raped 23 women, you see) and Buscemi (serial child murderer who HA HA HA escapes at the end).
Is it any good? No of course not, not that we realised that back in 1997. It does have the set piece Willisesque point-of-death lines: “You should have put the bunny back in the box!” “Don’t! Treat! Women! Like! That!” but Nic ain’t Bruce, and you wonder what favour Malkovich owed the producers to put his name anywhere near it.
It’s shocking poor – the » Continue Reading.