5. Castor Troy – Face/Off (1997)
Face/Off is undeniably something of an action masterpiece: its premise may be dumb, but it’s still excellent. Having Nicolas Cage and John Travolta’s characters switch bodies meant having the actors effectively swap personalities, which is quite the spectacle in itself. Predictably, it’s Cage’s character, Castor Troy, who stands out just a little too much.
Though Face/Off has a couple of ridiculous action scenes, perhaps nothing is quite so unhinged as Cage dressed as a priest dancing madly through an airport. It’s worth noting that Castor is a “freelance terrorist” – whatever that means – so maybe it’s all part of the job. It would probably benefit him to act a little less conspicuous, but technically, that’s his prerogative.
Cage’s bizarre and over-the-top performances are part of what makes him one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors. Still, in this case, it also makes for one of cinema’s most out-of-place characters, so it’s doubly noteworthy. Either way, Castor Troy seems like the sort of action movie caricature that would be more at home in a satirical comedy than a serious movie.