The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

2. It Could've Taken Its Premise Even Further

While this film absolutely gives Nicolas Cage fans a lot of bang for their buck, it's easy to come away from it with the distinct feeling that Gormican and Kevin Etten's script could've actually taken things even further.

On one hand, the many references to Cage's career largely stick to the most mainstream action hits, such as Con Air, The Rock, and Face/Off, while there's a disappointing lack of love for his more acclaimed dramatic work, namely Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation, and so on.

To the script's mild credit it does, however, center a monologue around Cage's largely forgotten 1994 film Guarding Tess and also makes a claim for Captain Corelli's Mandolin being one of his more underrated films, though those who celebrate Cage's entire filmography might still be left wanting more.

It's also fair to say that while the marketing suggests that Nic Cage effectively has to become the action hero he's portrayed so many times on screen, this aspect is a little more reserved and dialled down than you might be expecting.

No, we don't get to see Nic Cage doing any balletic, John Woo-style dives across the room or anything like that, which honestly feels like a bit of a missed opportunity.