Parents' Guide to

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Hilarious, playful, violent riff on actor Nicolas Cage.

Movie R 2022 107 minutes
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Movie: Poster

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 14+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Author_Richards
Author_Richards Adult
April 23, 2022
age 13+
There isn't anything in the this movie that this movie that isn't been heard in a middle school. This is one of the greatest comedies to have been released in the past decade. There been so much thought & heart put into this movie that it oozes, pacing is great! I wasn't bored during this runtime. The movie as some heartfelt moments & important messages that a lot of teenagers & parents can relate too. There's a lot of cursing, likelyhood is that your kid already knows these words & what's the difference between one or two curse words. There is drinking & drug usage.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
8 people found this helpful.
PSX
PSX Adult
May 5, 2022
age 15+

Really funny, very enjoyable, but quite profane.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an action/comedy film starring Nicolas Cage as… himself, well, sort of. Keep in mind, although this site says I’m an adult, I am only 18; therefore my mindset will likely have more in common with teen reviews. The bromance between the lead characters is easily the best part and it is the very reason why this film works as well as it does. It is quite funny and it is consistently fun. Many of Cage’s older work is referenced, but it is not required to enjoy this film. Pedro Pascal’s character, Javi, is a scene stealer and is arguably even funnier than Cage himself! There isn’t any other film like this one! However, the dialogue is plagued with many F-bombs. (Around 50-60 of those are casually dropped) Milder terms are also used frequently. Religious profanities are present, such as GDs and Jesus as an exclamation. (sometimes paired with the F-word) Violence is prevalent in its closing 30 minutes. There are gunfights and stabbings in the action sequences. It is not a huge problem as it is on par with PG-13 levels of severity. Drugs, such as LSD, are consumed by characters which leads to often hilarious results. An entire sequence revolves around it. They face almost no consequences for drug use. The 15+ age rating is more of a suggestion as it really depends on how impressionable one is with drugs and profanity. If there are no concerns regarding that, I’d recommend it. The film is entertaining throughout and it is benefited if one is familiar with Nicolas Cage.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
6 people found this helpful.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, actor Nicolas Cage (Nicolas Cage) is pinning all his hopes on a part in a new David Gordon Green movie, to hopefully get his career on track. When he doesn't get it, he's forced to take a $1 million paycheck to appear at a birthday party for Spanish billionaire businessman and Cage superfan Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) in Mallorca. Surprisingly, the two men hit it off and start discussing a new project. Unfortunately, Nick is contacted by CIA agents (Tiffany Haddish and Ike Barinholtz) and informed that Javi has likely kidnapped the 16-year-old daughter of a presidential candidate -- and could Nick please search for her while he's in the compound? Thus begins a movie-like adventure for Cage, who must not only rescue the girl but also protect his estranged wife (Sharon Horgan) and his own teen daughter, Addy (Lily Sheen).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (7):

While not exactly a profound deep dive into meta-movie-ness, this lovable Nic Cage action-comedy is still a hilarious, playful take on perceived movie star image, personality, and human connections. Truthfully, most of the stuff in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has already appeared in many other meta movies, from Last Action Hero and Being John Malkovich to This Is the End and Always Be My Maybe (the latter of which featured Keanu Reeves in an inspired parody of his star image). And this is hardly any kind of visual or structural masterpiece, as was Adaptation (also with Cage). We can practically feel the second act snapping shut just as Javi suggests that he and Cage "get to work on the third act." Cage playing "himself" is the key here, riffing on the singularly odd and lovable personality quirks he's built up over the course of 100+ movies, including his trademark "Full Cage" over-the-top performances.

Yet the movie, co-written by Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten and directed by Gormican, is smart enough to understand that 107 minutes of wild scenery chewing wouldn't be enough (even with the wacky appearances of a youthful, Vampire's Kiss-era "Nicky," who appears to give the current Nick some demented guidance). The inspired casting of the soulful Pascal begins to round things out as the men bond, at first over their mutual love of Cage and then over more human matters (Paddington 2 is cleverly used as a lever to execute this change). Nick's relationship with his family is also touchingly messy, as he struggles to get past his own baggage to connect with them. But above all, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is truly funny, riffing on obscure nuggets in Cage's filmography (Guarding Tess, anyone?) and also creating generally wacky humor. This may not be the "real" Nick Cage, but he's awfully fun to be around.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

  • How are drinking and drug use depicted? Are they glamorized in any way? Are there consequences? Why is that important?

  • How different do you think the movie character "Nick Cage" is from the real-life person?

  • What is a "meta" movie? Are all meta movies comedies? Why, or why not?

  • Are you a "superfan" of anyone in particular? What about that artist is special? How do you think you would behave if you could meet them?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: April 22, 2022
  • On DVD or streaming: July 8, 2022
  • Cast: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Sharon Horgan
  • Director: Tom Gormican
  • Inclusion Information: Latinx actors
  • Studio: Lionsgate
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 107 minutes
  • MPAA rating: R
  • MPAA explanation: language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and violence
  • Last updated: April 22, 2023

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