If somebody randomly instructed you the premise of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, you’d assume it was a joke. Imagine a film about the actor Nicolas Cage being paid to attend the celebration of a wealthy man solely to seek out out the person is a global prison. The authorities then recruit Cage to work for them to assist carry the prison to justice. It’s past ridiculous, and 100% actual, which is strictly why it really works.

Even within the uncommon cases when The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent isn’t fairly at its greatest, you get sucked up in its colossal absurdity, massive, beating coronary heart, and simply benefit from the journey.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent attracts a lot of its inspiration from our actuality. A actuality the place Nicolas Cage was as soon as one of many largest actors on this planet however now works totally on smaller, bizarre, typically non-theatrical movies. So because the movie begins, the Cage we meet (performed, in fact, by Cage himself) is the Cage we now know. He’s not the Cage of the Nineties who received an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas and have become an motion star with The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off. He’s an actual, rounded human being. A man struggling to construct a relationship together with his daughter (Lily Sheen), and determined for yet another massive hit to place him again on prime. It’s as a result of he’s on this down-and-out place that he accepts the supply his agent (Neil Patrick Harris) presents him. To attend a celebration thrown by a wealthy European man named Javi (The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal) for $1 million. This is under the Nicolas Cage of 1997. But Cage of 2022? He wants it to outlive.

Co-written and directed by Tom Gormican (That Awkward Moment), Massive Talent makes use of preconceptions past simply that fundamental set-up. The script, which Gormican wrote with Kevin Etten, isn’t solely full of jokes about seemingly each Nicolas Cage film ever, the concept of fandom itself turns into vastly necessary. Because, you see, Javi could also be a global prison, however he’s additionally an enormous Nicolas Cage fan. A truth he’s compelled to cover with the intention to make Cage comfy in what’s clearly an ungainly scenario for each of them. And it pays off. The bulk of the film is Javi and Cage creating a sensible, plausible, friendship that endears and enriches each characters.

As you’d most likely assume, Cage is the proper actor to play himself. Never for a second do you are feeling like he’s performing as a result of the Cage we see, for essentially the most half, is the Cage we think about. He’s good, articulate, a little bit odd, and an enormous film nerd. Which is all nice, however largely anticipated—the true revelation in Massive Talent is Pedro Pascal. Everyone loves Pascal for one factor or one other. With The Mandalorian, Narcos, Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman 1984, and many others., he’s changing into a pretty big star on his personal. But right here, he provides some of the wondrous, joyous performances we’ve seen in ages, and one which’s definitely not what we’re used to from him. Javi is a giant child, he walks round with an enormous smile, “aw-shucks” power, and his coronary heart all the time on his sleeve. It’s not solely a delight to observe, however a gleeful bar for Cage to aspire to, and the symbiotic relationship as the 2 spend time collectively on display is magic.

So when the principle plot of the movie begins to unravel, there’s actual nervous power there to associate with the humor. Eventually, two CIA operatives (Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) recruit Cage to activate Javi, however we actually don’t need him to. Even if Javi is a lethal killer, Cage has actually begun to look after him, as a result of the friendship has been developed so nicely. That complimentary steadiness of character growth and narrative execution is then elevated with a gradual dose of humor, most of which is geared towards viewers with a working data of Cage’s filmography. The insiderness of it is likely to be detrimental for some viewers, however should you’re the sort of one who would possibly snort at a joke in regards to the National Treasure DVD extras, which I’m, you’ll snort loud and infrequently.

There are, in fact, a number of motion sequences within the movie however—attributable to Gormican’s lack of expertise (it’s solely his second characteristic), they largely fall flat. You can’t assist however want one in all Cage’s former collaborators like Michael Bay or John Woo have been on board to raise the motion. That mentioned, as a result of the character work round these clunky moments is so good that you may forgive them performing largely as disappointing filler between the humor and performances.

Spells of unexciting route and a slight over-reliance on film trivia apart, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a delight. It’s a surprisingly emotional, relatable story of friendship and maturity anchored by two good performances from Cage and Pascal. Then, if you recognize motion pictures and the profession of Nicolas Cage, there’s an added stage of excellence. It’s persistently good and hilarious, with a premise so wild, it frequently retains you guessing and . Though it won’t be as stylized or bombastic because the story most likely may have dealt with, that it exists in any respect is a blessing. That it’s largely superior on prime of that could be a miracle.

Oh, and common io9 readers is likely to be questioning, “Germain, why are you reviewing this? There doesn’t seem to be anything genre about it.” To which I’d level to the trailer reveal that Cage spends important spells of the film speaking to a youthful, digital model of himself. And it’s fairly bizarre. So it has a small sci-fi-ish throughline! But additionally, I simply actually wished to inform everybody how a lot I adored it. It’s a movie made for movie followers, and nicely price your time.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is now in theaters.

Want extra io9 information? Check out when to anticipate the most recent Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on movie and TV, and the whole lot you have to learn about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.