Cage-Pril Madness - The Battle to Decide Nicolas Cage's Finest Film - Round 1

Written by Scott Edwards

I have a couple favorite months throughout the year, but the month of April has a special spot in my heart as Cage-pril is what comes to mind. I have never shied away from events and I believe that this one should be celebrated by honoring our favorite Nicolas Cage moments from history. Wanting to figure out what the best way of grading his movies and trying to have them face off (no Cage movie reference intended), I have built a Nicolas Cage movie bracket of the roles which Nicolas Cage has excelled in over the years and even some more recent ones that caught my eye.  So without further ado, here is Nerds That Geek's first ever Cage-pril movie event, round of 16!

Face/Off vs. Ghost Rider
In the showdown between two iconic Cage movies, we have Castor Troy staring into the eyes of Johnny Blaze. While Johnny Blaze is able to come back from death as the Ghost Rider, Castor Troy is forced to embody his true evil and nemesis, Sean Archer. While both characters are tormented throughout their roles, it is hard to even compare what it would be like to kill off your old family to prove who you are and the psychopath Castor Troy is able to do just that…Face/Off Advances.

It Could Happen to You vs. National Treasure
In this standoff, Nicolas Cage is a hopeless romantic and which story tugs at your heart harder? A policeman that promises to split the winnings of his lottery ticket with a waitress or a treasure hunter that finds love and the greatest treasure of all time? While you get the same looks from Nic Cage throughout both movies, this battle comes down to the supporting cast and while I love Isaac Hayes in It Could Happen to You, he does not bring enough to the screen as Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel and Christopher Plummer are all legends of the silver screen.  National Treasure Advances.

The Rock vs. The Wicker Man
Two government employees square off in these Cage iconic roles, one Sheriff and a government chemist. While each are thrown into situations where nothing will go right, Stanley Goodspeed is forced to infiltrate Alcatraz while trying to evade a regiment of rogue soldiers, while Sheriff Edward Malus is trying to help and impress his ex-fiancee by finding out what is happening on the island of Summerisle. While The Wicker Man is a remake, Nic Cage does shine in the role, but his allergy to bees is nothing in comparison to VX gas and saving San Francisco from certain doom.  The Rock Advances.

Drive Angry vs. Gone in 60 Seconds
Two Nicolas Cage driving movies are looking to race to the finish, while Drive Angry has Milton coming back from Hell to get his granddaughter out of trouble, Gone in 60 Seconds has Memphis Raines coming back out of retirement to steal cars to keep his little brother Kip from being killed. With plenty of action and gun play in Drive Angry, it can be also be seen as a redemption type of movie that proves that love will conquer all, but it is missing some of the levity that Gone in 60 Seconds brings. With plenty of racing around in cars in both movies, it simply comes down to one thing, War’s 'Low Rider' playing at least once during the movie.  Gone in 60 Seconds Advances.

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Matchstick Men vs. Guarding Tess
With his true Cage strength, Nicolas Cage has settled in for two roles that equally tug at your heart strings. Matchstick Men has grown on me over the years as Roy Waller tries to make amends to his illegitimate daughter who winds up coning him in the end. Guarding Tess gives you plenty of comedy but when push comes to shove and Secret Service Agent Doug is forced to put his life on the line for the former first lady, you can just pull out the tissues, because it just messes you up. With great supporting casts in both movies, it is hard to take away from what Shirley MacLaine brought to her character in Guarding Tess and the hatred that Doug/Nic Cage had for his job after being put on her staff full time.  Guarding Tess Advances.

Honeymoon in Vegas vs. U.S.S. Indianapolis: Men of Courage
I must admit that Honeymoon in Vegas was one of my favorite movies growing up, it was fun, silly and something that was just too good to be true. The opposite can be said when you talk about U.S.S. Indianapolis, as you are looking at more of documentary type of movie that highlights what happened to a ship that was left for dead by the government. While trying to make up for his outstanding debt in Vegas, young Jack Singer allows his fiancee at the time to be whisked away by millionaire Tommy  Korman who has eyes only for her, while on a sinking ship, Captain McVay is forced to sit idly by as he and his men are not only succumbing to the elements, but the sharks surrounding them that are having a feeding frenzy. Just because it has sharks, U.S.S. Indianapolis Advances.

Raising Arizona vs. Con Air
Two convicts at their best in this Cage showdown, as H.I. McDonnough and Cameron Poe are both looking for some sort of redemption in their own ways. H.I. McDonnough and his wife Edwina discover that they are not able to have children and a furniture tycoon has eight newborns, so what better way to get a kid than taking one? Cameron Poe on the other hand has killed a man while protecting his wife and has served his time and is ready to go home when his transport plane has been hijacked by his fellow inmates and he must try to do everything in his power to keep the passengers, criminals or not, safe. While both movies are absolutely crazy on their own merits, the thought that a convict would be willing to risk his own life and freedom to protect others is just too much to let go of.  Con Air Advances.

Lord of War vs. Pay the Ghost
In the final Cage Off of the round, Mike Lawford and Yuri Orlov go head to head with their poor decision making over the years. While Yuri Orlov from Lord of War is living an alternate life than what his wife believes, he is making millions on the illegal gun trade, while Mike Lawford from Pay the Ghost is living in seclusion after losing his son at a Halloween carnival. Not willing to let his life proceed and losing his marriage over the loss of their son, Mike starts to get signs that his son might still be alive and somewhere, but will have to trust his instincts and strangers to get him back. On the other side of things, Yuri has faith in his business and is not willing to give it up, even if it means keeping his marriage safe and secure from outsiders, especially his brother who has no idea what he wants to do with his life. A search that leads him into the underground and lost children from the city, Mike is no match for Yuri who will surely die doing what he does best.  Lord of War Advances. 

There you have it, the round of sixteen has come to an end with a few surprises on the table. I never thought Guarding Tess would make it past the first round, but did its job effectively, so we will have to wait and see how far it goes. The criteria will change for the next round, as favorite quotes will come into play, along with some other strange factors. Feel free to play along and hope that our favorite Nicolas Cage film can go all the way for this will be a Cage-pril for the ages. If you want, drop us a line on why your favorite Nicolas Cage movie should advance, since it is about to become a free for all and all bets are off of the table.  Happy CAGE-PRIL!!!

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