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Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
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Release Date: June 21st, 2022 Movie Release Year: 2022

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Overview -

Nic Cage goes full meta in this dramatic, action-packed, funny film where Cage hits every Cagey moment as he is thrust into a world of arms dealing and kidnapping. It's a fun thrill ride with some excellent performances all around. The 1080p HD image is very good and the Dolby Atmos audio mix sounds exquisite when it kicks into full gear. The bonus features are all worth watching as well. Highly Recommended!

In this wildly entertaining, action-packed comedy, Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage plays…Nick Cage! Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, the fictionalized version of Cage accepts a million-dollar offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan (Pedro Pascal). Things take an unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) and he must use his legendary acting skills, channeling his most iconic and beloved characters to become a real-life action hero.

4K ULTRA HD / BLU-RAY / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES  

  • Deleted Scenes (with Optional Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Tom Gormican and Writer-Executive producer Kevin Etten)
  • The Mind
    Meet the filmmakers and learn about the creative decisions behind the film. A film made with love, passion, and massive talent.
  • Glimmers of a Bygone Cage
    He’s back. Not that he went anywhere. Go back in time in this behind-the-scenes featurette and relive Nicolas Cage’s journey as an actor and see how a legendary career inspired both filmmakers and cast to create a new era of Cage.
  • Everybody Needs a Javi
    Nick Cage meets his ultimate fan. Discover why Pedro Pascal was the perfect choice to play the charismatic, lovable, and eccentric fan with a dark, dangerous secret.
  • Nick, Nicky, and Sergio
    The man, the actor, the legend. Take a look inside Nicolas Cage’s mind and find out how this film is the culmination of a legendary career, but also a new beginning for one of the most versatile actors of our time.
  • Second Act Action  
    And . . . action, and more action! Immerse yourself in the exciting world of stunts and special effects that helped to create incredible, well-choreographed action sequences with the help of the latest in high technology for filmmaking.
  • Cages 5 and Up
    Don’t kids say the darndest things? What if what they said were lines from some of your favorite Nick Cage movies? We thought you’d never ask.
  • SXSW Film Festival Q&A Featuring the Cast and Filmmakers.
  • Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Tom Gormican and Writer-Executive Producer Kevin Etten

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p AVC/MPEG-4
Length:
107
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.39:1
Audio Formats:
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles/Captions:
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Release Date:
June 21st, 2022

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

[Excerpt from our 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review]

"The realm of Nic Cage only continues to grow more each year with the fantastic roles he steps into. With The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cage dives into a fictionalized version of himself that works on so many levels. The film feels like two movies in one where it's half biopic, half action flick, and all Cage which results in some engaging entertainment and yet another amazing performance from Cage himself. There's a lot of fun to be had within the walls of Cage and with this supporting cast, there's no doubt that big smiles will be earned by everyone by the end.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent feels like the more energetic and less serious version of the film JCVD starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. That movie took a fictionalized version of JCVD and revealed some of his real-life struggles while pitting him inside a heroic scenario that he's known for in his action movies. The feel and tone of JCVD were never meant to be a comedy, but instead, a melodramatic semi-biographical drama with heart. With The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, the Workaholics co-creator Kevin Etten, and director Tom Gormican lay into the absurdity and high entertainment value that comes with Nic Cage and makes for an action-packed, funny film."

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Cages its way to Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy via Lionsgate. The discs are housed inside a hard, blue plastic case with a cardboard sleeve. The artwork features Nic Cage and Co. where Cage is featured no less than six times on the artwork. There is an insert for a digital code.

Video Review

Ranking:

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent comes with a brilliant 1080p HD transfer and tackles all the necessary color palettes and detail with ease. The colors have that wonderful orange and blue contrast that looks amazing in its wealthy setting. Oranges, browns, and yellows go well with the teal and blue ocean below along with some fantastic primary colors of red, green, and purple. Black levels are deep and inky and the skin tones are natural.

The detail is rather sharp in most instances but can be a little soft in the bigger action moments or with the funny CGI that is implored. This is where the 4K version steps up to the plate. Darker sequences look good here and a good amount of detail can be easily seen, plus the individual hairs on the actor's faces are wonderful. There are no major issues with aliasing, video noise, or banding either.

Audio Review

Ranking:

This release comes with a good Dolby Atmos track that kicks in in the last half of the film. The first segments of the movie are more dialogue fueled and don't have all the bells and whistles that the more action-packed second half does. That being said, atmospheric sounds of the city and mansion noises do come through nicely in the surround speakers. The dialogue is clean, clear, and easy to follow as well.

The big action spectacular in the last part of the movie though brings robust and large sound effects with gunshots, explosions, vehicles revving their engines, and more energetic set-pieces. The low end of bass comes through with a big rumble that never crosses into the rocky territory and creates an immersive experience with Mark Isham's score along with all of the sound effect elements. The dynamics are wide and the LFE is excellent throughout.

And of course, when Nic Cage fully Cages, the dialogue never flattens out but instead racks up some great bass with his voice in the best ways. The height speakers bring down debris, gunshots, and other atmospheric elements nicely as well. This is a great-sounding Dolby Atmos track when it kicks in the latter half of the movie.

Special Features

Ranking:
  • Audio Commentary - Director and Writer Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten deliver a fun and informative commentary track that tackles the inspiration and origins of the story, working with Nic Cage, their fandom for the actor, and how they filmed the movie with so many great co-stars. It's a great listen.
  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 5 Mins.) - A couple of deleted scenes are added here, none of which add anything to the overall film. Optional commentary by the filmmakers is included.
  • The Mind (HD, 7 Mins.) - Explores the director and writer of the film which Nic Cage nicknamed The Mind.
  • Glimmers of a Bygone Cage (HD, 5 Mins.) - Cage and the two filmmakers discuss working on the movie and the actor's career.
  • Everybody Needs a Javi (HD, 5 Mins.) - The Javi character is explored with all his fandom.
  • Nick, Nicky, Sergio (HD, 5 Mins.) - The different Nic Cages in the movie are featured here.
  • Second Act Action (HD, 7 Mins.) - A brief look at how the dramatic movie morphed into the big action set piece it becomes.
  • Cages Five and Up (HD, 2 Mins.) - Some hilarious auditions to be Nic Cage.
  • SXSW Film Festival Q & A (HD, 16 Mins.) - The Austin Festival coverage with the cast and crew that answers audience questions.

 

Final Thoughts

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a super fun film that navigates all the traits and quirks of the legend himself - Nic Cage. While the first half of the movie has a dramatic tone, the second half transforms into the big '90s Nic Cage action spectacle everyone is clamoring for. It's a wild, fun ride. The 1080p HD transfer looks good and the Dolby Atmos track sounds wonderful late in the movie. The bonus features are worth watching too. Highly Recommended!