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.
For in-depth thoughts on The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, please see my colleague Andre Couture’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent offers a pleasant uptick in quality over the already fantastic accompanying Blu-Ray, making it a true feast for the eyes. The highlights in the film are more cleanly defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found even under the bright sun. Elements in the film taking place in shadows or the cover of darkness are more vivid and finely delineated. The black levels are tremendously strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail.
Skin tones appear a touch more natural with healthy amounts of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores and perspiration. The increased range of the color spectrum is a sight to behold. The Dolby Vision and HDR enriches the colors from already striking to unbelievable when it comes to vibrancy. You can take a look at any of the breathtaking vistas throughout the film and be blown away. Don’t get me started on the golden color palette or all of the nuanced colors present in the production design that is overflowing with eye-popping hues. This 4K UHD presentation truly delivers on all fronts including strong gains in clarity and color. The Blu-Ray is great, but Lionsgate has delivered another transfer you will not want to miss with this 4K UHD.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a wonderful Dolby Atmos presentation that kicks into overdrive once the action kicks in in the second act. Even with the more reserved first act, the world opens up quite nicely with this presentation. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. These overhead channels serve to complement the other channels rather than carry the main load, which adds a nice sense of space to the mix.
Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more adventurous action scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Musical cues and the serviceable score from Mark Isham envelope the room with a great intensity. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overshadowed by any of the competing sonic elements. The heavy gunfire and crashes provide an all-encompassing soundscape that kicks in throughout all the speakers. The low end is engaged in a really notable way that will have your house shaking as you want from a Nic Cage film. The mix offers up the best experience for those with the home theater system to support it. There are English, English SHD, Spanish and French subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer / Director Tom Gormican and Writer Kevin Etten provide a terrifically informative commentary track in which they discuss the difficulties of filming during COVID, the delicate balancing act of portraying Cage’s life in a humorous and honest way without being malicious, the location shooting and costume design, the references and allusions to other Nic Cage movies throughout the feature, their favorite memories from production and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Two scenes of unused material totaling five minutes are provided here featuring a humorous confession of a WiFi password and a confrontation that draws on Cage’s affection for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. These scenes are provided with optional commentary from Gormican and Etten in which they explain what they were going for and why they ultimately excised these scenes from the film.
- The Mind: A seven-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the motivations behind the film, the leap of faith that the writers took by writing this movie without Cage signing on in advance, what ultimately appealed to Cage and more.
- Glimmers Of A Bygone Cage: A five-minute appreciation piece which explores the multi-faceted performance given by Cage, the shifting genres, how the performer acted opposite of himself, how they used the media’s perception of “Nic Cage” and more.
- Everybody Needs A Javi: A four-minute look at the personification of super fandom as inhabited by Pedro Pascal, the qualities that put the actor over the top in his performance, and more.
- Nick, Nicky, And Sergio: A nearly five-minute exploration of the various characters that Cage gets to play in this film and why he enjoyed bringing each of them to life.
- Second Act Action: A seven-minute piece which delves into the turn to action that the film takes and how the performers prepared through choreography, training and special effects.
- Cages 5 And Up: A humorous two-minute piece in which some very young fans “audition” for the role of Nic Cage with some of his signature lines.
- SXSW Film Festival Q&A: A 16-minute in-person post-screening panel with the cast and creative team from SXSW earlier this year in which the participants discuss the origins of the project, their favorite moments from production, inspirations for moments and characters, giving the spotlight to “Neurotic Cage” and more.
Final Thoughts
The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent is way better than it has any right to be given the outlandish premise. Yet, thanks to the care and attention from Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten, not to mention a fully committed performance from Nic Cage, the film becomes the love letter to the movie star you did not know you were missing. This film is far from a one-note joke, instead choosing to arrive at an audience from a place of love and respect that makes you remember why you loved Cage in the first place. The remainder of the film is handled with the same care as the Cage persona, especially when it comes to the superfan portrayed with nuance by Pedro Pascal. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with an amazing A/V presentation and some fun supplemental features. This is a major highlight from the first half of the year. Recommended
The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on June 21, 2022. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.