The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Tom Gormican’s "comedy" is an unforgivably tepid meta-satire in which Nicolas Cage plays a version of himself that sends up his long-standing need to make scores of movies in order to pay off debts more than it spoofs his singular acting style or anything unique or fascinating about his life. The movie follows the fictionalized actor, who places work above family, accepting an offer to make a personal appearance at a Spanish billionaire megafan's birthday party. The job ends up with Cage involved in a CIA kidnapping caper in which he must harness his acting skill and his knowledge of stunts and weaponry. It's a goofy plot that mirrors that of many of the "bad" low-budget action pictures Cage has appeared in over the past few decades, but this film feels a little less action-oriented and a tad more self-aware (but just a tad). 

That Cage doesn't even come close to the top of his over-the-top-a-tude in a movie meant to satirize the extremes of his choices, I guess, constitutes an interesting choice? But the fact that this soft, affable, easily digestible parody doesn't fail on a far more spectacular level renders it more pathetic than if it had been an infuriating and insulting fiasco. I saw it on a plane (unquestionably the ideal viewing environment for something like this) and it held my interest far more than the other three flicks I watched on that particular Atlantic crossing. But, come on man, this is Nic Cage lampooning Nic Cage! A light, disposable lark just doesn't cut it.