'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' Deemed 'Watchable' By Critics

On Friday, “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” finally hit theaters.

At one point, the action/comedy starring “Game of Thrones” alum Pedro Pascal and “Pig” star Nicolas Cage playing a fictionalized version of himself had a 100% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Since the film was officially released on Friday, April 22, the critic rating has dropped to 89%, while the audience rating still remains high at 92%.

Here’s a look at some of the most notable reviews about Nicky’s star-studded adventure.

Many critics, both positive and negative, commented on the recent surge of meta-movies and meta-verses.

Nell Minow of Movie Mom wrote, “I’m not sure what it says about where we are in history that 2022 has become the year of movie meta-verses but, oh, forget it, ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ is a total hoot and hilarious fun on every one of its meta-levels.” Minow gave the movie a score of B+.

Johnny Oleksinki of the New York Post wrote, “Cage heightens his already big personality just the right amount to ensure that the film rises above a skit. We care a great deal about fictional Nicolas Cage.” He gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Manohla Dargis of the New York Times called the movie, “watchable and amusing, though it’s too bad Gormican didn’t let Cage and Pascal just go with the absurdist, shambolic flow.”

Deborah Ross of The Spectator wrote, “If you are wondering how much Nicolas Cage is too much Nicolas Cage you could say any amount of Nicolas Cage is always too much Nicolas Cage. But that’s exactly what this film is playing with and it’s a hoot.”

Richard Whittaker of the Austin Chronicle wrote, “This is Cage trying to find himself in all those messy decisions he’s made, trying to make amends while accepting and celebrating who he is.”

Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic wrote, “Somehow Cage — and you can’t really describe this, you just have to see it, and should — manages to be both ridiculous and genuine.” He gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars.

While it’s clear that the movie is going to fans of Nicolas Cage, it’s unclear if general audiences – or worse, people who despise Nic Cage – will take to the film.

David Sexton of the New Statesman wrote, “Cage’s fans will revel in this film. Others may hope that going so very meta-meta might mark some kind of end-point for this cult.”

Tim Robey of the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph wrote, “Even as fan worship, it has a bemusing insincerity, or perhaps you could say that it’s shallow worship: mere lip-service to the cult of Cage.” Robey gave the film 1 out of 5 stars.

Peter Bradshaw of the Guardian wrote, “There are some entertaining meta-touches here, but the entire Gutierrez plot is strained and borderline dull.” Bradshaw gave the movie 2 out of 5 stars.

Stephanie Zacharek of TIME Magazine wrote, “Poke beneath the aggressive fun of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and you’ll find a depressing act of redemption that doesn’t really need to happen.”

Barry Hertz of Globe and Mail wrote, “A cheap, crass, and ruthlessly sloppy skewering of celebrity culture that is barely a millimeter above the material it thinks it is so sharply satirizing, Gormican’s new film is the definition of disappointment.”

All in all, fans of Nic Cage and his appearance in “Willy’s Wonderland” are probably going to enjoy this movie. For those who find Nicky’s movies a slog to get through, they probably won’t enjoy this one any better.