I became aware of this movie only after Conan played a clip of it on his show, showcasing Nic Cage's unique "acting" abilities. The clip itself is only part of the insanity.

The story itself isn't compelling. A typical "double/triple cross" film with little or no tension at all. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure things out pretty early on.

However, it's the acting that gets you there. And I'm not talking DeNiro or Pacino or Nicholson at their best. Angus Scrimm comes across as if he's in a bad horror film from the 50s, and looks it too. Over-acted. Then there's James Coburn chewing scenery as if it's his life's work. And he plays two parts, but the only difference between either is hair color. Duh. Then there's Charlie Sheen smooth-talkin' his way through an extended billiards game with Michael Biehn's character. He comes across as villainous without having done a thing, waiting to become unglued if necessary. It makes one miss the pre-tiger blood days.

Then there's Nic Cage. That one clip on Conan isn't even the most insane Nic Cage clip from the movie. He plays the character like he's a cartoon. An actor playing a drug addict as if he only knows the most insane, off-the-wall, batshit drug addicts. His delivery of "HIII-FUCKIN' YAAA!" is priceless, as is everything else.

It might be a perfect so-bad-it's-good movie if not for Biehn and Sarah Trigger, the "leads", playing it so darn straight, as if Deadfall is their breakthrough picture. But if you're up for some genuinely bad/silly acting, see it, but only for that. The storyline's predictable and the main "stars" are delusional in thinking this is a good movie. It's too bad iMDB doesn't grade bad movies differently from just plain boring ones, because this and Cage's Wicker Man deserve way higher than their mid 3.0 grades for sheer fun in watching actors just have fun with an otherwise bland movie.

Deadfall

Well, this was terrible. Biehn just cannot act to save his life, and he definitely cannot carry a movie. Cage overacts like only Cage can. He Cages it to the max before he became "Cage". Funny performance, I must say. The story is crappy and feels unoriginal.

D