NIC GAUGE / Running With The Devil

MOVIE: Running With The Devil

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Laurence Fishburne, Leslie Bibb, Cole Hauser, Adam Goldberg, Peter Ficinelli, Bary Pepper

RELEASE DATE: September 20th, 2019

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

The Man (Laurence Fishburne) and The Cook (Nicolas Cage) in Running With The Devil.

I know the film business can be tough, and sometimes it’s even harder to write a cohesive story that reads well on screen. But then, there are people who make filler films. These are films that a production company puts out that are just there. They had to fill an obligation for making a film, pull a shell of a script together, and then put it out (usually straight to DVD). Running With The Devil is not the first nor the last film that does this.

What is really baffling about this movie, is that they have a pretty good cast list. On top of having Cage, you have Laurence Fishburne, Leslie Bibb, and Adam Goldberg. This could have had the makings of a decent film but the plot is very generic. A tenacious federal agent (played by Bibbs) follows the supply line of a group of experienced cocaine dealers. They are followed from origins on the farm, through the smugglers, cartel bosses and onto corrupt officials. All with the DEA trying to bring them down. I don’t really need to explain much more on the plot than that. It’s not a terribly bad one, but there were ways they could have elevated it. And that needs to start with giving your characters names.

It’s rare for me to be invested in a character when I don’t know a single thing about them, especially their name. Cage is “The Cook”, Fishburne is “The Man”, Bibbs is “The Agent In Charge”, and the trend continues from there. To the point where no one in the film ever gives anyone a name. Not a single name was uttered in this film making it frustrating to watch.

The Cook (Nicolas Cage) in Running With The Devil.

This film is going to go at the bottom end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge scale. Everything about this film was insignificant, but still better than a good handful of films that have also come out.

NIC GAUGE / Outcast

MOVIE: Outcast

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Liu Yifei, Bill Su, Andy On, Coco Wang, Anoja Dias, Wiliam Herbert, Shane P. Zhang

RELEASE DATE: February 6th, 2015

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Gallain (Nicolas Cage) and Jacob (Hayden Christensen) in Outcast.

There are very few movies that I have seen that make me outright ask “What is going on?”. I can use that phrase with a few Nicolas Cage films from that “middle era” time of his career. Films that have been at the bottom of the Nic Gauge usually are littered with them. So, spoiler alert early on: Outcast is one of them.

The plot takes place during the Crusades. A young commander Jacob, (played by Hayden Christensen) leads an army to slaughter an Arab City. Soldier Gallain (played by Cage) pleads with Jacob to leave the people alone. Instead, Jacob exiles him for abandoning God’s will. Three years later in Song, China, a dying emperor names his youngest child, Prince Zhao (played by Bill Su Jianhang) as his successor,. This angers his older brother, Prince Shing (played by Andy On). Zhao escapes with his sister, Lian (played by Liu Yifei) where they must venture out to the emperor’s guards to be saved. They meet Jacob and Gallain on their adventure, and two swear to protect the young king-to-be from Shing and his Black Gaurd army.

Gallain (Nicolas Cage) in Outcast.

Outcast is a laughable film. It’s an action film that suffers from an incohesive script, terrible action sequences, and a cast that overall, feels bored and lifeless. Hayden Christensen over the years, has been a punching bag for his acting capabilities, and unfortunately, this film does not help. He lacks emotion. Every facial expression is the same, having a very sunken sad look. Nicolas Cage’s performance is not that great as well and almost comical with an over-the-top British accent. Unlike Cage’s normal flare, he felt very boring on screen. 

The film is about 90 minutes (too) long, and Cage is only in it for roughly 25 minutes overall. So, although this is a Nic Cage film, it felt a lot like he was not a huge focus. Which is fine. It’s similar to his role in Jiu Jitsu, where he was the top-billed actor, but was barely in it. Because of that and having a lack of anything else really to say about this film, it will go near the bottom of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Renfield

MOVIE: Renfield

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Nicolas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Brandon Scott Jones, Jenna Kanell, Bess Rous, Shohreh Aghdashloo

RELEASE DATE: April 14th, 2023

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

Growing up, I was exposed to the old Universal Monster films. Personally, Creature from the Black Lagoon is my favorite, but Dracula has always been a close second. When it was announced that Nicolas Cage was playing Dracula in a modern-day version of the classic film, I was extremely excited. At the time of writing this, it was still in some theaters, but I had to wait till it became available on VOD in order to enjoy it, due to the lack of theaters near me actually playing it. At that time, I have heard many things about this film that had me confused about what kind of experience I was in for.

After centuries of servitude to Dracula (Cage), Renfield (played by Nicolas Hoult) has had enough of his boss and is desperate to have a life out of his shadow. While going to meetings to learn about his codependency issues, he finally gets the power to find his voice, if only for a short time. When Renfield has a run-in with a crime family and befriends a cop named Rebecca (played by Awkwafina), Dracula soon learns how weak Renfield has become and decides to take matters into his own hands.

Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and Ella (Shohreh Aghdashloo) in Renfield.

Overall, this movie was everything I expected it to be. More of a comedy than a horror film, with lots of violence, and somewhat good humor. Cage and Hoult are obviously the most interesting characters of the film, Cage specifically because of how over the top he played Dracula. However, everyone else in this film kind of fell flat for me. Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz (who plays one of the crime bosses) have the majority of the more “comedic” moments. I use quotation marks because although they are mainly known for being comedy actors, I didn’t really find their jokes and timing great.

Tedward Lobo (Ben Schwartz) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

The other problems I had were, for a film that is 1½ hour runtime, the story feels nonexistent. They rush through a lot of plot with hardly any story to tell. Just characters giving their backstories so it can be used as plot fodder later. I wish they spent more time on the character’s relationships with each other. Even the Dracula/Renfield relationship felt like it suffered from pacing. The runtime felt like it was more dedicated to violence and fighting. Which, although fun to watch with creative kills, the cartoonish effects of the blood spraying off bodies was too distracting.

Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) and Dracula (Nicolas Cage) in Renfield.

Yes, this film was fun, but not as strong as I hoped it would be. Cage carries this film and as I said earlier, the violence and fighting are fun. But the story and effects bring it down a significant level. This film is going to the lower end of “Good” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / The Frozen Ground

MOVIE: The Frozen Ground

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, 50 Cent, Radha Mitchel, Dean Norris, Gia Mantegna, Olga Valentian

RELEASE DATE: August 23rd, 2013

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) in The Frozen Ground.

I have never really fallen for films that start with the “based on a true story”. Most of the time, they do have some merit, but for obvious reasons, to make it entertaining for the audience, certain aspects will be embellished. Obviously, names, places, and events will be changed in certain cases in order to protect people, and I understand that. But, I still don’t put 100% face value beyond these films and how much they decide to change or enhance.

The Frozen Ground is based on the crimes of real-life serial killer Robert Hansen. Detective Jack Halcombe (played by Cage) discovers the body of a young woman buried in the Alaskan wilderness, which leads him to a string of similar murders linked to Robert Hansen (played by John Cusack). However, due to lack of evidence, nothing ever stuck to convict until a young girl named Cindy (played by Vanessa Hudgens) escaped Hansen’s grasp. She provides Halcombe with the means to reopen the cases and go after Hansen again.

Sgt. Lyle Haugsven (Dean Norris) and Sgt. Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) in The Frozen Ground.

The film itself is fine. Cage, Hudgens, and Cusack pull out really good performances for a film that is overall, fine. I don’t know how much of this film is true, but while looking up the events, it seems the majority may be. So, in reviewing this film, I honestly don’t want to give too much praise to a serial killer. So, going to keep this short and sweet by saying that this film will land smack dab in the middle of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / The Humanity Bureau

MOVIE: The Humanity Bureau

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Jakob Davies, Destee Klyne, Sarah Lind, Hugh Dillon, Vicelous Reon, Nikolas Filipovic, Kurt Max Runte

RELEASE DATE: April 6th, 2018

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Peacock, Ruku, Tubi, Pluto TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) and Rachel Weller (Sarah Lind) in The Humanity Bureau.

I always find it interesting to look at the world we live in and when there is a movie that comes out that is based on the future. Especially when you get close to when that future film has taken place. Great examples are The Purge which takes place in 2022, Soylent Green which also takes place in 2022, and Blade Runner which takes place in 2019. My point is, we like to see if the events actually come about, even in a joking manner. Considering how things on Earth currently have been going, it will be interesting to see if the events of The Humanity Bureau come to pass, even just a sliver of it.

It’s the year 2030, and global warming and economic recession have turned a majority of the American Midwest into a deserted wasteland. In order to combat this, a government agency called the Humanity Bureau was born. Its purpose is to exile members of society that they deemed unproductive and banish them to a colony called New Eden. Humanity Bureau caseworker, Noah Kross (played by Cage) is investigating a case appeal by single mother Rachel (played by Sarah Lind) and son Lukas (played by Jakob Davies). Kross learns the truth of what New Eden actually is and decides to protect Rachel and Lukas from Kross’s boss, Adam Westinghouse (played by Hugh Dillon).

Noah Kross (Nicolas Cage) in The Humanity Bureau.

As I said before, when movies take place in the future actually reach that time frame, we like to revisit those movies and compare if those films got it right. Obviously, we haven’t been eating people like in Soylent Green and we don’t have a lot of the technology that is showcased in Bladerunner, but with something like global warming, The Humanity Bureau does kind of hit a little closer to home. However, we won’t know for sure until we get there.

Beyond that, this film is very much a cut-and-paste Nicolas Cage thriller. Cage’s character gets invested in a woman for some reason, goes against his work to protect her, and gun fights and car chases ensue. The CGI in this film is not the greatest, especially the green screen behind Cage while he is driving. Because of its generic nature overall and the uneventful acting and plot, it will rank pretty low on the Nic Gauge. However, the kind of social commentary on global warming does give it a slight leg up from some others, so it sits in the middle of “Terrible”.

NIC GAUGE / Kill Chain

MOVIE: Kill Chain

STARRING: Anabelle Acosta, Angie Cepeda, Nicolas Cage, Luna Baxter, Ryan Kwanten, Pedro Calvo

RELEASE DATE: October 18th, 2019

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Araña (Nicolas Cage) in Kill Chain.

You ever watch a movie that just has a bunch of stuff happening, but yet it feels like nothing actually happened? Or that the point of the movie got lost somewhere between the script to film? 2019’s Kill Chain feels like that kind of movie.

This film’s synopsis can be summed up in one sentence; A shootout between two hitmen begins an evening of murder, betrayal, and revenge amongst a crooked gang of police, gangsters, assassins, and mercenaries. I don’t know what else to add to this. It’s one of those films where it had so many subplots that only come together at the end. By coming together, I mean they had no other way to make this film end in a reasonable manner. 

Cage’s character becomes the most important person because although he is only in the movie for approximately 30 minutes of the 1hr. 30 runtime, he set into motion all the events that lead the very specific characters to his location. Characters that are specific yet not important enough to give them all actual names. Only 5 cast members (including Cage) had names. All other supporting “important” characters had names like “The Very Bad Woman”, “The Old Sniper, “The Curious Assasin”, and “The Woman in Red”. I use quotation marks around “important” because although they have lines and progress the story, they have no significant role in this film. 

Araña (Nicolas Cage) and Gigi’s Friend (Jon Mack) in Kill Chain.

This movie was a chore to get through and even Cage could not save it. Because I don't really have much left to say about this entry, Kill Chain is listed in the lower end of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Con Air

MOVIE: Con Air

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, John Malkovich, Steve Buscemi, Monica Potter, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames, Dave Chappelle

RELEASE DATE: June 2nd, 1997

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Redbox, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) in Con Air.

When you use a randomizer to pick out these movies, you are left at the mercy of what comes up. Over the past couple of rounds, it has seemed to be stuck on the late 2000s to now. And boy, it has been an interesting journey, with plenty more to go. So, it’s always a joy when you finally come across what is considered a “Classic 90’s Cage” film. This week's edition is about Con Air.

Cameron Poe (played by Cage) is a newly paroled ex-con hitching ride on a prisoner transport plane to get home to see his wife and kid. Unfortunately, this transport is also carrying some of the most vicious criminals around, including ring-leader Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (played by John Malkovich), Nathan Jones (played by Ving Rhames), and Garland Greene (played by Steve Buscemi). Cyrus and company take over the plane and plan a daring escape. It’s up to Poe and U.S. Marshal Agent Vince Larkin (played by John Cusack) to bring them all down

Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) and Cyrus “The Virus” Grisom (John Malkovich) in Con Air.

This movie is another one that I have extremely fond memories of. Full of action and suspense, this film checks all the boxes of what can make a great action film; explosions, gun fights, fun fight scenes, and the addition of having an insanely talented cast. Cage and Malkovich work very well together. The only minor negative is that, although I love Cage, he has a terrible southern accent that sounds more like Forrest Gump at points.

Because this movie was one of the first ones I have seen next to “Face/Off” that has brought me such fond memories, I was a little nervous to see if it still lived up to the expectations. Fortunately, it still is a great film and lands right on the edge between “Bloody Awesome” and “Good”.

NIC GAUGE / The Old Way

MOVIE: The Old Way

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Noah Le Gros, Clint Howard, Dean Armstrong, Kerry Knuppe, Shiloh Fernandez, Abraham Benrubi

RELEASE DATE: January 6th, 2023

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Vudu, Amazon Prime, Redbox, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Cotton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) and Brooke (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) in The Old Way.

New year, new Cage! That’s how the saying goes, right? Anyway, sorry for the hiatus, but I am back with more Nicolas Cage goodness. Starting off with what I believe to be his first western ever that came out beginning of this year, The Old Way.

The plot of this film is Colton Briggs (played by Cage) was an outlaw and murderer. After killing the father of a young James McCallister, he unintentionally set in motion James’s revenge plot. 20 years later, James McCallister (played by Noah Le Gos) finds the home of reformed Colton Briggs, and murders his wife as a message. Briggs and his daughter, Brooke (played by Ryan Keira Armstrong) then set out to find James and his gang and take them down once and for all.

Cotton Briggs (Nicolas Cage) in The Old Way.

The plot is as simple as it can be. A revenge western that makes Briggs feel like a cowboy version of John Wick. Brooke’s character development throughout the film felt shoehorned and out of place for me personally. She is made out to be this unfeeling, emotionless child that is supposed to mirror her father. Sadly, it’s not very flushed out and was made to try to add more to this simple story. James McCallister also feels like a one-note villain, whose whole motivation is to take everything away from Briggs. It felt very old school, but not in a good way. You’ve seen this kind of plot over and over again. With a run time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, I know they were just trying to finish the story. You can already see the writing on the wall on how it will play out.

Overall, for a western, it’s fine. Cage does a decent job. But because of how simple it is as a whole, this film sits at the lower end of OK on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Lord of War

MOVIE: Lord of War

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Jared Letto, Ethan Hawke, Bridget Hoynahan, Eamonn Walker, Jean-Pierre Nshanian, Ian Holm, Shake Tukhmanyan

RELEASE DATE: September 16th, 2005

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (HBOMax, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) in Lord of War.

I usually try and start each one of these articles with something funny or insightful about Nicolas Cage films and my history of them, whether it be a lifelong favorite or maddening oblivious to one that is considered a “classic”. This week is a little different because of the subject matter and with the current political climate and some current events, I’m not going to make jokes or anecdotes. The Gauge choice this week is 2005’s Lord of War.

The plot follows 20-year arms dealer, Yuri Orlov (played by Cage) serves as a window onto the end of the Cold War and the emergence of worldwide terrorism. He finds himself reassuring his more ethically challenged younger brother, Vitaly (played by Jared Leto), while adeptly sidestepping the pursuit of federal agent Jack Lawrence (played by Ethan Hawke). The globetrotting arms dealer also pursues the woman of his dreams, supermodel Ava Fontaine (played by Bridget Moynahan). Yuri’s attempts at wealth becomes a power struggle in himself to choose between his life as an arms dealer or going straight to protect his family as violence creeps closer into both of his lives.

Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) and Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage) in Lord of War.

This film is “based on actual events” and I am not here to talk about how much of this film is fact vs fiction. What I will say is, as a film, it is good. Yuri’s character development is similar to Tony Montana's in Scarface. Learning the gun trade and manipulating the system to their advantage until it blows up in their face when stuff goes wrong. The only difference is that Yuri ends up stuck in the system, forced to continue selling guns, as his world has already crumbled around him. And Yuri’s character isn’t the only interesting one. Everyone in this film is well-developed, especially when interacting with Yuri. 

The only real negative I have for this film is the content. I had a similar reaction when reviewing World Trade Center. It’s too real. I don’t support gun violence and am not the biggest gun fan overall in real life. This is real stuff that is happening as we speak, right outside your backdoor. A movie that makes you think about the world. And the timing of this film coming up on this Gauge with all the U.S. shootings that have been happening recently makes it hard to fairly judge. So, on the Nic Gauge, this falls in between “Good” and “Ok”.

NIC GAUGE / Pay The Ghost

MOVIE: Pay the Ghost

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Veronica Ferres, Lyriq Bent, Lauren Beatty, Kalie Hunter, Jack Fulton, Stephen McHattie

RELEASE DATE: September 16th, 2015

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Mike Lawford (Nicolas Cage) in Pay the Ghost.

Since it’s October and I have already gone through all the obvious horror films that Nicolas Cage has to my knowledge, I had to try and find one that fits the Halloween theme. That’s when I came across 2015’s Pay The Ghost. Will it live up to similar expectations like Mandy or fall flat like Willy’s Wonderland?

Plot is professor Mike Lawford (played by Cage) has his life torn apart when his son Charlie (played by Jack Fulton) is abducted on Halloween night at a parade. One year after his disappearance, we find Mike is still searching, and both him and his wife (played by Sarah Wayne Callies) are haunted by visions that sends them on a trip into the supernatural to unravel the horrifying truth. Mike finds out that on every Halloween night, more children go missing. They are never found and there might be a connection to them all.

Mike (Nicolas Cage) and Charlie (Jack Fulton) in Pay the Ghost.

Overall, this isn’t a terrible film. The supernatural aspect revolving around pagan rituals is something you don’t see too often. My biggest complaint about this film is that the killer, which is a ghost, comes back every Halloween to take 3 children specifically. The complaint isn’t the ghost’s motives, but that everyone else slowly starts understanding what is happening, and then the ghost decides to kill anyone that figures it out. There is some great stuff they could have done like either getting the kids back or protecting the children. But the addition of random ghost murders and jumpscares for a bigger kill count felt unneeded.

Ghost Annie (Kalie Hunter) and Mike (Nicolas Cage) in Pay the Ghost.

The film also felt rushed to cram in all the necessary information about the ghost in a quick 10-minute bit right before the last act. Which, the last act itself also felt rushed. There was no point in this film that I felt like Cage’s character was in danger. There was never a sense of “Will he find his kid?”. It just felt like a generic ghost story that never got out of first gear.

The acting in this film and the plot were alright. If we were comparing other Cage-based horror films, this would probably be closer to the middle of the pile. But on the whole Nic Gauge scale, it is on the lower end of OK.

NIC GAUGE / Drive Angry

MOVIE: Drive Angry

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner, Billy Burke, David Morse, Todd Farmer, Christa Campbell, Charlotte Ross, Tom Atkins

RELEASE DATE: February 25th, 2011

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Piper (Amber Heard) and Milton (Nicolas Cage) in Drive Angry.

Drive Angry is a thriller/action film that came out in 2011 under the title Drive Angry 3D. It’s pretty much a cross between Fast & Furious and Ghost Rider. As you know already from my Ghost Rider review, this is going to be rough. With a tagline, “All Hell Breaks Loose”, how rough could it be? I’m a fan of grindhouse and cults, so it’s got to be fun.

The plot is John Milton (played by Cage) escapes Hell with Satan’s shotgun to hunt down cult leader, Jonah King (played by Billy Burke). King killed Milton’s daughter and is planning on sacrificing Milton’s granddaughter to open a doorway to Hell. Milton accidentally involves waitress Piper Lee (played by Amber Heard) on a cross-country road trip while also being pursued by The Accountant of Hell (played by William Fichtner) who is trying to retrieve Milton and drag his soul back. 

Milton (Nicolas Cage) in Drive Angry.

This film is confusing because although it is slightly entertaining, it’s confusing in tone. It calls itself a grindhouse action/thriller when in reality, it’s more of a rated R action film that was made for fans of 3D films. The special effects are terrible, the 3D effects make it look tacky, the script is repetitive, and there were parts of the film felt awkward in terms of where my attention was drawn to. There were background actors that felt like they had bigger roles than what was in the final product.

There are really only two positives of this film that pull it up a little bit from some of the other “Hot Mess” films. The performances of Nic Cage and William Fichtner. Although Cage really feels like he is just going through the motions, he still is entertaining to watch. Then there is Fichtner, who every time I see him in a role, he always plays this wooden, bureaucratic type, and it is always hilarious. Because of those two, this film rises to the lower end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Jiu Jitsu

MOVIE: Jiu Jitsu

STARRING: Alain Moussi, Nicolas Cage, Raymond Pinharry, Mary Makariou, Tommy Walker, John D. Hickman, Eddie Steeples, Rick Yune, Ryan Tarran

RELEASE DATE: November 20th, 2020

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Wylie (Nicolas Cage) in Jiu Jitsu

Do you like aliens? Martial arts? The movie Highlander? Then 2020’s Jiu Jitsu might be the missing movie from your collection. As someone who is a fan of sci-fi, martial arts, and Nic Cage, this film felt like it was catering to a very small, niche fanbase. As an added bonus, this film was adapted from a 2017 comic book of the same name that was written by Dimitri Logothetis, who also directed this film. So, how can a movie with those kinds of details fail? Turns out, fairly easily. 

The plot is that every six years, an ancient order who are Jiu Jitsu experts face off against alien invaders for supremacy of Earth. For thousands of years, they have this contest, and every year, the humans win. Now, when a master Jiu Jitsu fighter, Jake Barnes (played by Alain Moussi) refuses to face an indomitable alien creature names Brax, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. Injured and suffering from severe amnesia, Jake is captured by a military squad unequipped to fight the merciless intruder who has descended upon the planet. Jake is rescued by Wylie (played by Cage) with an ancient order of Jiu Jitsu fighters who must help him recover his memory, regain his strength in order to band together and defeat Brax in an epic battle that will determine the fate of mankind.

Brax (Ryan Tarran) in Jiu Jitsu

This movie is extremely boring. It feels like they were trying to make their own variation of Mortal Kombat, but everything lands like a cheap knock-off. Anytime there were fight scenes, you could see the crash pads under straw. The sword fighting was extremely slow and messy. And unfortunately, the acting was horrendous. It felt as if everyone was just going through the motions without any real emotion behind anything. From start to finish, it was a boring film with cheap-looking effects, and although the design of Brax was eye-catching, it felt like it would have been better used on a good film. This falls near the end of “Hot Mess” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

MOVIE: National Treasure: Book of Secrets

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Jon Voight, Ed Harris, Helen Mirren, Harvey Kaitel

RELEASE DATE: December 21st, 2007

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Disney+, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage), Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and Patrick Gats (Jon Voight) in National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.

Not going to lie, I had high expectations going into National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I really enjoyed the first movie more than I thought I would, but I was curious about how they could possibly top stealing the Declaration of Independence. Well, it turns out, it’s pretty easy to top. For another first-time watch, let’s see how Book of Secrets stacks up to the first.

Ben Gates (Cage) and his father (played by Jon Voight) are talking about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the missing pages of John Wilkes Booth’s diary that possibly could lead to a lost golden city. They are blindsided by Mitch Wilkinson (played by Ed Harris) who claims to have proof that Gates’ ancestor was actually a conspirator in the shooting of Lincoln. Now, both Gates (father and son) must team back up with Abigail and Riley to go on another treasure hunt in order to clear their family name.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) in National Treasure: Book of Secrets,

I’ll start with my positive thoughts. The addition of Ed Harris as the villain and Helen Mirren playing Ben Gates’ mother adds more fun element to the film. I’m used to Harris playing villains, and most of the time, he usually steals the show. Helen Mirren and Jon Voight’s chemistry as a divorced couple is pretty cute. Their relationship slowly coming back together as Ben and Abigail's relationship is on the rocks, which pairs well. Ben and Abigail's turmoil stems from … I guess an argument over the usage of the word “So” and it’s context. It’s not very clear.

Emily Appleton (Helen Mirren) and Patrick Gates (Jon Voight) in National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

That leads to my negatives. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is seven minutes shorter than the first one, clocking in at 2 hours and 4 minutes yet it feels like it goes on forever. The first film felt like every scene had a purpose to keep the film moving. This felt like they had time to kill at certain points. Some scenes felt stretched out and made me ask, “Do I need to remember any of this?” The scene where Gates “kidnaps” the President was both interesting and boring at the same time, to use as an example. The one main chase sequence in the entire film even feels like a filler scene. Nothing interesting happens for 90% of it.

This film felt more filler than actual story overall with some really good beats thrown in. Because I found myself fading in and out at times, this falls more into the lower end of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / National Treasure

MOVIE: National Treasure

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight, Sean Bean, Justin Bartha, Harvey Kaitel

RELEASE DATE: November 19th, 2004

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Disney+, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Benjamin Franklin Gates (Nicolas Cage) in National Treasure.

In the words of the greatest treasure/artifact hunter, Indiana Jones, “It belongs in a museum”. If you have seen an Indiana Jones film, then you already know how these kinds of films go. Once again, I am here to admit to everyone, this was my first time watching National Treasure. So, you already have a rough idea of what the next film will be, but what did I think of this heavily memed film?

Historian and code-breaker, Ben Gates (played by Nic Cage) and treasure hunter, Ian Howe (played by Sean Bean), have been on the hunt for an ancient treasure. Their latest clue causes a rift in their partnership as they have to look at the back of The Declaration of Independence. Ian decides to leave Ben and his colleague Riley (played by Justin Bartha) for dead when he decides to steal the historic document. Ben survives and decides that in order to keep the Declaration and treasure out of Ian’s hands, he would need to steal it first. While in the act of stealing it, he accidentally gets curator, Abigail Chase (played by Diane Kruger) involved. With her help and the Declaration in hand, Ben goes on the greatest treasure hunt in American history.

Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger), Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) in National Treasure.

This film overall is fine. I did enjoy it, but it just makes me think about how it’s just an upgraded version of the aforementioned Indiana Jones series. That’s not a bad thing to say, because I do enjoy treasure hunt films, especially when it involves booby-trapped rooms and such and that is something this film lacked. Where were the booby traps?! Just a minor gripe, but still a gripe. 

Speaking of gripes, my main one was actually in the villain of the film, Ian Howe. He is considered to be just as resourceful as Ben when it comes to figuring out where to go next for clues in this film. Yet, he ends up doing the bare minimum and still finds a way to catch up to Ben at every turn. There is a scene where Ben gets a whole clue/riddle by sending a kid into a museum to decipher letters, then spending 10 minutes talking it out before figuring out where to go. Ian on the other hand, just gets the last four letters of the clue from the kid and uses the internet to use the top search as the answer.

Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and Ian Howe (Sean Bean) in National Treasure.

My overall feelings about this film are that it is acted well by everyone, the action and suspense were alright, but there are a couple of minor details that bugged me. Not enough to make it unenjoyable, but just enough that it made me question some of the choices that were made. I’ll be curious to see how this affects my first viewing of the sequel. National Treasure sits in the middle of “Good” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Valley Girl

MOVIE: Valley Girl

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Deborah Foreman, EG Daily, Michelle Meyrink, Heidi Holicker, Tina Theberge, Lee Purcell, Michael Bowen, Cameron Dye

RELEASE DATE: April 29th, 1983

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Julie (Deborah Foreman) and Randy (Nicolas Cage) in Valley Girl.

It’s time for another edition of “classic" Nic Cage films that I have never seen”.

This week’s film is Valley Girl. I’m open to all kinds of films. I do find myself more geared towards horror/action/comedy-style films. There are very few instances where I find myself into romance, especially romantic comedies. From earlier entries, I did find myself enjoying Moonstruck and Honeymoon In Vegas but also hating Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Where will this film fall?

This is another 80’s troped film that follows preppy San Fernando Valley girl Julie (played by Deborah Foreman) as she falls in love for edgy Hollywood punk named Randy (played by Cage). However, she finds herself conflicted, trying to choose if she wants to be with someone who goes against everything she grew up to understand. It’s her pink-clad rich family and friends vs the punk rock street lifestyle. Which will she choose?

Julie (Deborah Foreman) and Randy (Nicolas Cage) in Valley Girl.

I try to go into all films with an open mind. I can usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, this film fell into the latter collection of “meh” to “bad” films. I’ll start with the positives. I like the comparisons between the sleek, pink, classy style of the higher class/popular kids versus the darker, dirtier, grit of the punk world. I also really enjoyed the music.

Beyond that, this film feels like they had enough of a script for a short story-style film, but had to pad it out to give it an hour and a half runtime. It could easily be my impatience with the film's usage of pacing, and I do understand that this film was made in the early 80s, but there is so much dead air in this film. People have conversations that have nothing to do with anything, that you only catch bits, long shots of footage of the street of Hollywood, and the majority of this film felt like it took place in one house for one party scene. 

Julie (Deborah Foreman) and Randy (Nicolas Cage) in Valley Girl.

The acting in this film is very hollow as well. Not even crazy Cage could save it. The majority of the time he is on screen, he looks bored. I want to believe that was the choice of portraying Randy, but it didn’t feel genuine. The other actors appeared like they were just going through the motions to keep the film moving. There is also a really confusing element about a secondary character that pursues the interest of the mother of the girl that is into him. To add to the awkwardness, the guy and the daughter end up together anyway without any real build.

In summary, overall film felt drawn out and the acting was very bland in general. This film ends up on closer to “Terrible” than “Ok” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Grand Isle

MOVIE: Grand Isle

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, KaDee Strickland, Luke Benward, Kelsey Grammer, Zulay Henao, Oliver Trevena, Emily Marie Palmer, Beatrice Hernandez

RELEASE DATE: December 6th, 2019

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Vudu)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Fancy (KaDee Strickland) and Walter (Nicolas Cage) in Grand Isle

Grand Isle came up this week for the Nic Gauge and before I started it, I was curious what critics thought of it. Every once in a while, I like to look at reviews, but I never really post them. This one was interesting. Most critics thought this film was terrible, but there are also a lot of reviews from moviegoers that paise this action/thriller. So, going into this, I knew this would be an interesting watch, and interesting it was.

Detective Jones (played by Kelsey Grammer) is holding a battered and bruised former sailor Buddy (played by Luke Benward) in an interrogation room. Buddy is forced to tell Jones about what happened to a murdered body he was found with the day before. We are then watching the events of the day before as Buddy arrives at a house owned by a hard-drinking Veteran named Walter (played by Cage) and his wife, Fancy (played by KaDee Strickland). Buddy is hired by Walter to fix a fence, but when a hurricane warning is put into effect, Buddy is trapped in their house. where he learns about Walter and Fancy’s increasing dislike for each other. He finds himself stuck between a woman trying to seduce him, and a man unhinged from the choices of his wife.

Walter (Nicolas Cage) in Grande Isle.

Grand Isle had some interesting moments, but as an overall film, seemed to lack when it came to having enough action and/or thrills. There is more to the plot, mainly the real reason for Walter and Nancy’s weird actions, but instead of letting those beats play out, they just tell you through audio clues throughout the film. By the third act, you learn that they have been kidnapping teens and forcing them to have children because Fancy cannot get pregnant. And because you are told this throughout the film, it takes out any suspense or surprise by the end.

Walter (Nicolas Cage) and Lisa (Emily Marie Palmer) in Grand Isle.

Although the plot and script left me with much to be desired, everyone’s acting abilities do make it enjoyable. Nic Cage’s performance is not as crazy as we are used to, but he does teeter on the edge for a few moments. KaDee Strickland steals the movie with her performance. Being able to show off her “disgust” for her husband as well as keeping all her secrets close to her chest, baiting us to learn more. Because of that, this film lands in the middle of “OK” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Fast Times At Ridgemont High

MOVIE: Fast Times At Ridgemont High

STARRING: Sean Penn, Phoebe Cates, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Nicolas Cage, Forest Whitaker

RELEASE DATE: August 13th, 1982

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Vudu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Every legend has a beginning.

Fast Times At Ridgemont High is the feature-film debut of Nicolas Cage. He has a very insignificant role as one of the main character’s buddies. He has maybe one line total in the entire film, but I felt that in order to be fair with the Nic Gauge, his first appearance should be included.

A brief history lesson about me and this film. I had never seen it. Over the years, I always found the reputation of this film confusing. I have heard so much about it and how it’s amazing. I also work in a store that buys and sells movies, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the most returned/sold back film that has ever come across my doorway. This is over the course of 10+ years in this business. So, the Nic Gauge chose this film for this week, so let’s see if I can finally unravel the enigma of this film.

Brad’s Buds, played by Michael Wyle (left) and Nicolas Cage (right) working at Captain Hook Fish & Chips in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Made in 1982, the plot of the film is the generic high school cliche. In California, at Ridgemont High, a group of teenagers are looking for something as part of the discoveries in their lives. The pothead Jeff Spicoli (played by Sean Penn) dreams of becoming a great surfer in Hawaii. His history teacher Mr. Hand (played by Ray Walston) gives him a hard time. The fifteen-year-old virgin Stacy Hamilton (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh) wants to have sex. The shy Mark Ratner (played by Brian Backer) is into Stacy. Stacy’s brother Brad Hamilton (played by Judge Reinhold) works as a fast-food employee to pay for his Cadillac. Brad wants to break up with his girlfriend Lisa (played by Amanda Wyss) because he is senior and wants to date other girls. Throughout the semester, they have surprises and make discoveries about friendship and love.

This film has an amazing cast. Not only do you have the previously mentioned notable actors including Nic Cage, but Forest Whitaker as the star quarterback of the school is also included. That is probably all I can positively say about this film. Overall, I am bias and not really into the high school films. This film is also definitely a product of the times. The comedy is out of date, using derogatory terms for cheap laughs, and having onscreen nudity between a 15-year-old girl and a 26-year-old man is bizarre and crass. I believe this film could not be made today. Those elements made it not funny and I found myself bored. It is more than likely because of the current climate in the world helped make this film unenjoyable for me. It was better than other Nic Gauge films on here, but this sits in “Terrible”.

NIC GAUGE / Snake Eyes

MOVIE: Snake Eyes

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Gary Sinise, Carla Gugino, John Heard, Stan Shaw, Kevin Dunn

RELEASE DATE: August 7th, 1998

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Vudu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Paramount+)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) in Snake Eyes

It’s been a while since I have revisited a Nic Cage movie that is attached to a high-profile director. So, thank you number randomizer for giving me this gift that is Snake Eyes. This movie was made in the golden years of Cage’s career in 1998 and was directed by Brian De Palma. If you are not familiar with his work, here is a list of other films Palma has directed; Carrie, Scarface, The Untouchables, Carlito’s Way, and Mission Impossible. Will Snake Eyes live up to those films? Sort of.

The plot is corrupt Atlantic City police detective, Rick Santoro (played by Cage) is attending a high-profile boxing match with his friend, Navy Commander Kevin Dunne (played by Gary Sinise). Dunne is working on security detail for Defense Secretary Charles Kirkland. When the boxing match is underway, an assassin kills the Defense Secretary and the arena is locked down while Santoro and Dunne work to solve who not only killed him but who set it up.

Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage) and Commander Kevin Dune (Gary Sinise) in Snake Eyes

This film is pretty good but has a few negatives. Because it all takes place in a span of a couple of hours, it makes the stakes feel higher. Especially because Cage’s role in the film is probably one of the more chaotic characters he has played. The first 15 minutes of the film is just setting up Cage’s persona as a high-rolling, corrupted cop that is cheating on his wife. He is treated to be the most sympathetic character of the film and that part doesn’t really work. I do not feel like I should cheer for a guy who takes bribes, lets low-level drug dealers work, and hits on women. But, here we are.

Although I have complaints about Cage’s character, it doesn’t bring down the action aspect of this film. It finds a good mix of thriller and action that gives it great pacing. Gary Sinise’s role as the stoic commander does play well against Cage’s over-the-top charismatics. The overall story is fine. This film is going to sit in the upper “OK” section of The Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Looking Glass

MOVIE: Looking Glass

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Robin Tunney, Marc Blucas, Ernie Lively, Jacque Gray, Kassia Conway, Bill Bolender, Bary Jay Minoff

RELEASE DATE: February 16th, 2018

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Vudu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Ray (Nicolas Cage) and Maggie (Robin Tunney) in Looking Glass

Motels always have a spooky/creepy vibe. They have been used as a location for many horror/thriller films. So, in 2018, Looking Glass decided to build on those thoughts. Did it succeed in being a good thriller film? Not even close.

Maggie (Robin Tunney) and Ray (Nicolas Cage) in Looking Glass

The plot is Ray (played by Cage) and his wife Maggie (played by Robin Tunney) purchase a motel from the shady previous owner, Ben (played by Bill Bolender). Thinking the motel would help their own relationship, Ray finds out that he may have bitten off more than he can chew when the regular residents start showing up. Then, he finds a hidden room with a two-way mirror that looks into one specific room where he finds people doing sexual acts. When a random murder happens, an officer comes sniffing around. It’s up to Ray to put the pieces together.

Ray (Nicolas Cage) in Looking Glass

This movie is forgettable at best. It’s better than some of the other Cage films, but there are weird transitions in tone and character development. There is a fleeting moment of Ray and Maggie talking about their dead child and who was to blame. The actual two-way mirror that this movie seems built around is just an afterthought the majority of the time. There are also a total of 13 cast members, and only three are important to the story. Everyone else is just there and doesn’t further the plot at all. This is typical for some, but every other character that had lines felt underutilized. They might have been put in as figurative red herrings, but they had multiple scenes with no progress or payoff to make a character guilty or not.

There, that’s it. This film will be in the bottom end of “Terrible” on the Nic Gauge.

NIC GAUGE / Mom And Dad

MOVIE: Mom And Dad

STARRING: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Robert T. Cunningham, Olivia Crocicchia

RELEASE DATE: September 9th, 2017

WHERE TO WATCH: VOD (Amazon Prime, Hulu, Vudu, Starz)

By Justin Pomerville (2 Broke Geeks)

Kendall Ryan (Selma Blair) and Brent Ryan (Nicolas Cage) in Mom and Dad

Parenting is supposed to be considered one of the great accomplishments in life by some people. The ability to bring new life into the world and shape them so they can continue to make the most out of their lives. But, this week’s Nic Gauge film asks the question, what if your parents actually try to kill you?

This film’s plot is extremely simple. The main story is Brent (played by Cage) and his wife, Kendall (played by Selma Blair) are stuck in a lifeless and loveless marriage with their children, Carly (played by Anne Winters) and Josh (played by Zackary Arthur). On this specific day, with no real explanation, all the parents around the world are trying to murder their kids. Josh and Carly must now figure out how to survive their parents’ ongoing murdering ways.

The beauty of this plot's simplicity is that it’s just a modern zombie film, but instead of zombies, it’s your parents. It’s never explained the switch that makes them become murderers, but the parents are still able to go about their daily routines afterward as if nothing happened. Most of the time, that would be a major plot hole, because there is no real conclusion about how this has happened. By the end, there still is no answer. It’s just a self-contained film, much like many zombie films. The weird part is that is the point throughout the film. Each member of the family has a flashback about something that has some sort relevance to the plot, but barely. An example is Brent being angry that he can’t have a man cave and destroying a brand new pool table he just finished building.

Brent Ryan (Nicolas Cage) in Mom and Dad

The acting is ok overall. Nic Cage as a performer, and as usual for his films, steals the show. His dedication to being partially caring and trapped in his marriage is very obvious. But when the “turn” happens, he does change over to the more insane kind of Cage we are used to. Combined with Selma Blair’s acting of being the grounded smart parent/killer, they have great moments together. This film lands firmly on the edge of “Good” and “OK” on the Nic Gauge.