On the strength of director Tom Gormicon’s previous feature (That Awkward Moment) and the gravitational pull of its star, the high hopes that accompanied me into the theatre weren’t dashed. If Nic Cage had a dollar for every time a ‘k’ was tacked on the end of his first name, he’d still own his million dollar-plus collection of comic books. The comics, and any mention of the myriad of bad toupees he’s worked under — including his current kevlar kippah — are two topics left unmentioned in this good-naturedly gloves-off lampoon. Cage stars as Nick, a megastar whose career over the past decade or so has seen more misses than hits. In addition to winning back his audience, Nick struggles to earn his daughter’s (Lily Mo Sheen) acceptance. (As he points out there's no script for parenting.) His desperation draws him to a villainous billionaire fanboy (Pedro Pascal) and the CIA agent (Tiffany Haddish) who recruits Nick to help take him down. The in-jokery buys only so much good grace before the plot begins to sag under the weight of the inevitable action film associated with the movie star. By then, one is so taken by Cage’s self-effacement and the film’s numerous laugh out loud moments, that it’s barely noticeable. (2022) — Scott Marks
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