Lord Of War

Over the last 10 years we've seen three of the greatest action movies ever to grace the silver screen - The Rock, Con Air and Face/Off. And they've all had one thing in common. Nicolas Cage in the leading role.

That's not to say that Cage hasn't had a few turkeys along the way (Snake Eyes, City Of Angels), or that he's not able to do more thoughtful movies (Adaptation, Matchstick Men), but last year saw him back to what he knows best, namely running around getting shot at in National Treasure.

After that short history lesson, I'm happy to report that Cage's latest movie, Lord Of War, is clear indication that he is still at his best and that we should be gearing up for Ghost Rider, which, if he continues his good form, should be excellent.

Yuri Orlov (Cage), a small time gunrunner, wants to make it to the top of his game. From Little Odessa, New York, to owning his own fleet of aircraft and becoming one of the biggest names in the gunrunning business, Lord Of War plots the course of Orlov's career.

Along the way, we are treated to life through his eyes, how he deals with the highs and the lows, from looking after his drug addicted brother, Vitaly (Jared Leto), and escaping the clutches of the Interpol agent, Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke), to marrying the woman of his dreams, Ava Fontaine (Bridget Moynahan).

The film has one of the best intros ever. The camera follows the path of a bullet, as it is brought into the world like a newborn child, right up to the point where it becomes a semi-permanent fixture in brain of its victim. It also has an interesting blend of humour - when Yuri compares firing an Uzi to having sex, you can't help but laugh - mixed with serious moments to keep you in the right frame of mind.

It's always good to see a movie that you think is going to be just okay, become great. It really is a movie that is hard not to like.

Basically, it's this year's Traffic. Only funnier.