Review of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) by Moviemitch96 — 22 Apr 2022

In this meta action comedy, Nicolas Cage stars as a washed up version of himself and finds himself caught up in a covert CIA mission and kidnapping on an exotic island while attending the birthday celebration of a superfan (Pedro Pascal).

When I first heard about the premise of this one, I thought it sounded too good to be true. I thought to myself "there's no way this film is for real", but sure enough, it all turned out to be very real, and I can confidently say I'm glad it does, cause this film was a lot of fun! Nic Cage fully embraces his trademark whacky self, all while throwing fun and subtle little winks, nods, and Easter eggs to several films within his filmography.

Alongside him is Pedro Pascal in a surprisingly heartfelt and scene-stealing performance. There's plenty of other great things on display to be found here too. Action, romance, comedy, suspense, occasional overacting from Cage (as is to be expected but very much enjoyed) you name it! And while the film does come out short in terms of elaborate action/set pieces thanks to its modest budget of only $30 million or so, get more than makes up for it with plenty of humor and heart to go around in the end.

And even those who aren't huge fans of Cage are more than likely to still get a kick out of this film! Overall, decent action, a somewhat predictable storyline (despite the self-awareness of it all), and great and hysterical performances all around from all involved add up to make for a great meta-comedy, as well as A fitting and joyful tribute to the oddly delightful that is Nicolas Cage.