Nic Cage goes full meta in a silly but fun action-adventure film.
Nicolas Cage became a national institution somewhere between stealing Huggies from a convenience store and putting the bunny back in the box. Since then, his career has been a mixture of some highs and many more lows. In the process, he’s gone from one of our most celebrated actors to a self-parody. It’s debatable whether Cage has previously leaned into his own outsized persona, but there’s no question he’s in on the joke with The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Directed by Tom Gormican (who co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Etten), Unbearable Weight acts as both a love letter to Cage’s iconic movie star career and an infomercial to sell audiences on the fact he still has the magic. It’s been a hot minute since mainstream audiences have seen him in something this entertaining released wide in theaters.
Cage gets the JCVD treatment here by playing himself, a washed-up actor drowning in debts. While never mentioned directly in the movie, but it’s probably from one of his castles. He also doesn’t know how to communicate with his 15-year-old daughter, Addy (Lily Mo Sheen). The best he can come up with is forcing her to watch only movies he likes, such as the German expressionist classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
After being turned down for a role he was gunning for, he accepts a paid offer to show up at the birthday party of a rich fan named Javi (Pedro Pascal) in beautiful Mallorca. Javi also happens to be a notorious drug kingpin who may have kidnapped the Mallorca president’s daughter, Maria (Katrin Vankova). This brings in two bumbling CIA agents, played by Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz, both having lots of fun. They recruit Cage to spy on Javi and attempt to rescue Maria. Once the two men meet and start to form a strong bond, it becomes a different–and much better–film.
The scenes of [Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal] bonding around Javi’s endless compound are the film’s highlights.
It goes from a self-indulgent meta exercise to a hilarious self-indulgent meta exercise. It’s mostly thanks to Pascal. He gives a genuinely endearing performance as a wealthy murderer who loves Cage’s work. Most of all, Javi just hopes that Cage likes the screenplay he wrote with the actor in mind.
The scenes of them bonding around Javi’s endless compound are the film’s highlights. They offer the most effective meta-commentary on Cage’s career, like when he claims Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was “underappreciated” with a straight face. There’s also a heartwarming scene involving a marmalade-loving bear that hits the sweet spot of silly and genuine. The movie sandwiched here is about two middle-aged men trying to figure their lives out while also forming a strong creative bond.
It’s great while it lasts, especially during a sequence where they try to come up with a script idea after taking LSD. It turns into the satire of previous over-the-top Cage performances the rest of the film tries to match. Unfortunately, it cannot quite achieve that. It works because the action itself is small stakes (they try to jump over a wall that they could easily walk around), but it’s shot with the frenetic intensity of a John Woo film like the Cage classic, Face-Off.
Cookie-cutter action scenes and forced plot twists bog down the last act. However, it remains watchable because of Cage. Even in his worst films, Cage never gives less than 150%. He doesn’t disappoint here. In a movie where Cage makes fun of himself for a career full of him yelling at the top of his lungs, there’s less screaming from him here than I thought would happen. No worries, there’s still a Wicker Man reference. He reminds us that he’s always been a gifted physical performer, whether it is the way he uses his wild eyes while tripping balls or falling all over a room after accidentally poisoning himself.
Some of the meta-ness doesn’t work. For example, there’s a scene where Cage has conversations with a dead-eyed CGI version of his younger self from the Wild at Heart-era of his filmography. Unfortunately, these scenes get us stuck in the Uncanny Valley. Additionally, they don’t add much to the story besides confusing the audience into thinking Cage is suffering from hallucinations.
For the most part, though, Unbearable Weight meets the task by celebrating Cage’s career with a ridiculous film as tongue in cheek as its title. For someone who doesn’t seem to know when the world’s laughing at him, it’s a relief to watch one of our finest actors not taking himself too seriously and laughing with us for a change.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent leaps into theatres on April 22.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Trailer:
Read next: The Spool's Best New Releases
Streaming guides
The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial
How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
Season 3 of the hotly anticipated Power spin-off, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, is arriving on Starz soon, so you know what that means: it’s the ’90s again in The Southside, and we’re back with the Thomas family as they navigate the ins and outs of the criminal underworld they’re helping build. Mekai Curtis is ... How to Watch Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 3
How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Ladies and gentlemen, we’re so back! To celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary, the BBC is producing a three-episode special starring none other than the Tenth/Fourteenth Doctor himself, David Tennant. And to the supreme delight of fans (that would be me, dear reader), the Doctor will be joined by old-time companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and ... How to Watch Doctor Who: 60th Anniversary Specials
Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Maybe you’ve just seen Oppenheimer and have the strongest urge to marathon—or more fun yet, rank!—all of Christopher Nolan’s films. Or maybe you’re one of the few who haven’t seen Interstellar yet. If you are, then you should change that immediately; the dystopian epic is one of Nolan’s best, and with that incredible twist in ... Which Netflix Country has Interstellar?
Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
For whatever reason, The Hunger Games series isn’t available in the same countries around the world. You’ll find the first and second (aka the best) installments in Hong Kong, for instance, but not the third and fourth. It’s a frustrating dilemma, especially if you don’t even have a single entry in your region, which is ... Which Netflix Country Has Each Movie of The Hunger Games?
How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
One of the major concerns people have before cutting the cord is potentially losing access to live sports. But the great thing about live TV streaming services is that you never lose that access. Minus the contracts and complications of cable, these streaming services connect you to a host of live channels, including ESPN. So ... How to Watch ESPN With A Free Trial
How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
To date, Paramount Network has only two original shows on air right now: Yellowstone and Bar Rescue. The network seems to have its hands full with on-demand streaming service Paramount+, which is constantly stacked with a fresh supply of new shows. But Yellowstone and Bar Rescue are so sturdy and expansive that the network doesn’t ... How to Watch Paramount Network With a Free Trial
How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
Previously “Women’s Entertainment,” We TV has since rebranded to accurately reflect its name and be a more inclusive lifestyle channel. It’s home to addictive reality gems like Bold and Bougie, Bridezillas, Marriage Boot Camp, and The Untold Stories of Hip Hop. And when it’s not airing original titles, it has on syndicated shows like 9-1-1, ... How to Watch WE TV With a Free Trial
How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
For many sports fans, TNT is a non-negotiable. It broadcasts NBA, MLB, NHL, college basketball, and All Elite Wrestling matches. And, as a bonus, it also has reruns of shows like Supernatural, Charmed, and NCIS, as well as films like The Avengers, Dune, and Justice League. But while TNT used to be a cable staple, ... How to Watch TNT Sports With A Free Trial
How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
It’s no coincidence that many of today’s biggest comedians found their footing on Comedy Central: the channel is a bastion of emerging comic talents. It served as a playground for people like Nathan Fielder (Fielder For You), Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Tim Robinson (Detroiters), and Dave Chappelle (Chappelle’s Show) before they shot ... How to Watch Comedy Central With a Free Trial
How to Watch FX With a Free Trial
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad show airing on FX. The channel has made a name for itself as a bastion of high-brow TV, along with HBO and AMC. It’s produced shows like Atlanta, Fargo, The Americans, Archer, and more recently, Shogun. But because it’s owned by Disney, it still airs several blockbusters in ... How to Watch FX With a Free Trial