Most critics respond warmly to Face/Off, with praise centred on John Woo’s action choreography and the identity-swapping performances of Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. The leads’ imitation of each other’s mannerisms gives the outlandish premise humour and emotional weight. The reviews repeatedly credit Woo with making the action inventive and precisely staged, while the actors give the elaborate physical business something human to rest on.
Reservations concern how much action the story needs, and whether its plotting holds together. The New York Times praises the plotting as smart, while Time Out finds little sense in it but enjoys the flamboyance and self-parody. The Independent offers the clearest dissent, arguing that surplus shoot-outs weigh down a clever premise and weaken its psychological interest. The spread is largely favourable rather than sharply divided: even the more reserved assessments find value in the performances and Woo’s handling of action.