The Nicolas Cage Action Comedy On Peacock Everyone Overlooked
As a huge Nicolas Cage fan, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was one of my most anticipated movies back in 2022. My fandom of the actor brought me to the theater, but I was blown away by the movie itself.
It is one of the best action comedies in decades and a love letter to the divisive actor. With a great pair of leading men, a self-aware sense of humor, and constant genre-shifting, it’s an absolute masterpiece that was massively overlooked.
Nicolas Cage Plays Nicolas Cage
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent stars Nicolas Cage as a fictional version of himself who is hired by a rich superfan named Javi (Pedro Pascal) to be a guest at his birthday. The film’s action premise enters the picture when the CIA forces him to cooperate in their investigation of Javi, whom they suspect is a drug lord. This spy mission becomes complicated as a genuine friendship emerges between the two men.
A Genre-Shifting Masterpiece
The most important element of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is the stellar acting of its two leading men, Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal. Both men expertly deliver comedic performances while selling themselves as action heroes when the movie calls for it. Pascal proves he’s a top-tier talent who can land jokes while exuding a slight sense of menace, while Cage lands an easy home run in a role written specifically for him.
Throughout The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the genre constantly shifts, leaning into various tones and tropes that Nicolas Cage is known for. It veers from dark comedy, to slapstick, to spy thriller, to stoner comedy, and then becomes a full-blown action movie in its final act. These genre shifts keep the movie dynamic and inventive from beginning to end.
Filled With Cage Fan Service
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has plenty of fan service for Cage fans like me. The movie shows Cage’s willingness to poke fun at himself by making jokes about the “nuevo shamanic” acting style he’s discussed in interviews. Javi’s shrine to the actor, featuring memorabilia and merchandise dedicated to Cage’s movies, allows for moments like Cage wielding his iconic golden guns from Face/Off as more sincere fan service.
Cage And Pascal Have Amazing Chemistry
The overall effect of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’s parodic humor, sweet central relationship, and genre-shifting is that the movie is a delightful romp. The pace rarely slows down and keeps a fun, energetic, momentum even in its more low-key moment. It’s self-aware and smart, but never puts its meta-concept ahead of making a great action comedy.
A Box Office Disappointment
Despite staring big names like Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was a flop in theaters. It failed to earn back its budget, making $29.1 million on a $30 million budget and going largely unnoticed by the general public. However, critics loved the movie, which has an 87 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and fans who saw it largely seem to agree with that consensus.
Streaming On Peacock
REVIEW SCORE
Released in 2022, a combination of the pandemic and poor marketing caused many people to overlook The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which is a shame. While Nicolas Cage fans, in particular, will get a lot from the movie, it also works as a more general parody of 90s action movies that I think would work even if I wasn’t a Cage fan. If you missed it in theaters, do yourself a favor and watch The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent on Peacock today.
