It may seem weird to talk about Nicholas Cage and his string of acting flicks. After all, you could ask if this really qualifies as fun trivia. Wait a bit, it's going to get interesting. The reason for this article is an ad for a Nicholas Cage movie that I came across recently. I didn't catch the name of the flick but it did make me wonder about his love affair with action movies.
To begin with, didn't he look the same in all these movies? Take a snapshot of him from any of these flicks and see if you could tell where it is from. It doesn't seem like he embraces the character of every role; rather, I would say that Nicholas Cage is playing the same character in all these flicks. Then there's the dialog. Do all of these flicks have the same/similar one-liners? Can you count in how many of these blast-them-to-bits movies he says “I can/Let's do this” and “Trust me”? Finally, hasn't he grown out of the action figure genre? Isn't it time to venture into something more appropriate to his current tired look?
To be fair, he has done excellent roles (and I don't mean that awful stint as Captain Corelli). Think 8mm, Face-off and Con-Air for instance. It is specifically in action movies that directors bring out the worst of Cage. And it's not an over-the-top cheesiness like certain other action stars. Oh no, in his case it is a desperate attempt at macho behavior which is supposedly enhanced by really silly dialog. All in all, these plots follow the following guidelines:
Nicholas Cage's character is the best of his kind. He doesn't let people get close to him. He might have a Daddy complex. He's lonely but he can't have company (remember what I said earlier about trust issues). Well, he gets offered a gig, something that will bring him oodles of money. Alright, here either he's a baddie who will do anything for a quick buck or he's forced to commit this crime because someone somewhere has threatened his mom/dad/brother. And if it is a bad guy at the start, chances are his character will develop a conscience halfway through the movie. So what's left? His Nancy Drew-type personality must muster up his fantastic skills, drive a fast car and steal something incredibly valuable.
Wouldn't you say that is the general plotline for the following movies? Click on the links and check out the trailers if you don't believe me.
Still not convinced? Alright, guess which movies these lines are from:
a) I've seen every possible ending. None of them are good for you
b) Don't take an interest in people outside of work. There is no such thing as trust.
c) My daddy once said, "If you don't make a choice, the choice makes you."
d) I think I've been cursed, with the curse of invincibility.
e) If there's something wrong, those who have the ability to take action have the responsibility to take action.
f) Without disappointment you cannot appreciate victory.
Answers?
a) Next. b) Bangkok Dangerous. c) Ghost Rider. d) Lord of War. e) National Treasure. f) Gone in Sixty Seconds.
I must say that as far as action movies go, Lord of the War was a semi-decent effort, at least on his part. This might also be because this is the first time he talked on for a bit in the flick. Otherwise the poor fellow was stuck with cheesy lines, really bad jokes and awful chat-up lines. When he is not asking folks to trust him or confirming that everyone should in fact jump in and steal the artifact (i.e. Let's do it). A lot of LoW required him to jabber on, albeit in typical Cage style ponderings about the plight of mankind and possibly their evil ways. I hate to say this but it works with Cage, he has a lot of potential as an evil character who laughs like a mad scientist and yammers on like a mad man.
As an end note, let me point out the action movies which didn't work out, at least for him as the dramatic action man. I'm wondering if this list will makes you say 'Oh thank heavens' as well.
- He nearly played the Green Goblin in Spiderman. At least he won't use his trademark 'Trust me' line here.
- He was also part of the doomed Superman project where he was cast as the big cheese of the flick.
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