History Film / TheUnbearableWeightOfMassiveTalent

** PlayedForLaughs in [[https://twitter.com/nickcagemovie/status/1534252206836199424?s=21&t=X65LPOV0Ikc7cxQcWfrnmw the Digital HD trailer]], which makes the movie seem like a RomanticComedy.

* HomoeroticSubtext: Nick and Javi's bromance is almost painted in a romantic light. They engage in several intimate conversations, share personal items, and eventually admit that they love each other [[spoiler:while holding each other at gunpoint]]. Efforts that the advertisers made to exacerbate the homoeroticism include playing Music/TheTurtles' "Happy Together" over a montage of the men emotionally bonding, posting [[https://twitter.com/Aude13220/status/1493312564033433604?s=20&t=RZsbJA7Q06rk9aemvRmTtw their confessions of love]] on Instagram on Valentine's Day 2022, and promoting the Digital HD release with [[https://twitter.com/nickcagemovie/status/1534252206836199424?s=21&t=X65LPOV0Ikc7cxQcWfrnmw a trailer]] that makes the "soulmates"' story come off as a RomanticComedy.

* NeverTrustATrailer: The second trailer makes it seem like after Javi learns about Nick working with the CIA, he chases Nick with a shotgun, angrily scolding him for lying. In the actual movie, that confrontation takes place before Javi knows about the CIA recruiting Nick, when he takes a break from shotgun practice to incorrectly guess Nick's reason for adding a kidnapped girl into the script. Lampshaded shortly earlier, when the film cuts from Vivian reminding Nick that his next movie needs "a trailer moment", to Nick firing the shotgun at a clay pigeon.

* HomoeroticSubtext: Nick and Javi's bromance is almost painted in a romantic light. They engage in several intimate conversations, share personal items, and eventually admit that they love each other [[spoiler:while holding each other at gunpoint]]. Efforts that the advertisers made to exacerbate the homoeroticism include playing Music/TheTurtles' "Happy Together" over a montage of the men emotionally bonding, posting [[https://twitter.com/Aude13220/status/1493312564033433604?s=20&t=RZsbJA7Q06rk9aemvRmTtw their confessions of love]] on Instagram on Valentine's Day 2022, and referring to them as "soulmates" in [[https://twitter.com/nickcagemovie/status/1534252206836199424?s=21&t=X65LPOV0Ikc7cxQcWfrnmw this trailer]] for the Digital HD release.

* HomoeroticSubtext: Nick and Javi's bromance is almost painted in a romantic light. They engage in several intimate conversations, share personal items, and eventually admit that they love each other [[spoiler:while holding each other at gunpoint]]. Efforts that the advertisers made to exacerbate the homoeroticism include playing Music/TheTurtles' "Happy Together" over a montage of the men emotionally bonding, and posting [[https://twitter.com/Aude13220/status/1493312564033433604?s=20&t=RZsbJA7Q06rk9aemvRmTtw their confessions of love]] on Instagram on Valentine's Day 2022.

* ClothingSwitch: Nick and Javi switch NiceShoes [[spoiler:while stalling orders to kill each other]]. When Nick compliments Javi's suede Gucci loafers, Javi suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right loafer with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how stylish his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade away his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

* TheUnreveal: The audience never learns what the script Javi sent to Nick and his agent was like. The last time it comes up, Nick says at Javi's party that it's the greatest thing he's ever seen (though he presumably hadn't actually read it) but he'd rather write a new script with Javi instead.

* ClothingSwitch: While Nick and Javi [[spoiler:stall orders to kill each other]], Javi's dissatisfaction with his brown suede Gucci loafers results in the duo switching their NiceShoes. When Nick compliments Javi's loafers, Javi suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right one with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how stylish his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade away his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

* TheUnreveal: The audience never actually learns what Javi's script was like. The last time it comes up, Nick says at Javi's party that it's the greatest thing he's ever seen (though he presumably hadn't actually read it) but he'd rather write a new script with Javi instead.

* GenreShift: Played with in a meta way. Nick and Javi are workshopping a concept for a movie about the friendship between two men that is a smart and lowkey story, no big explosions or chase scenes, which represents the movie up to that point. Then Nick, at Vivian's insistence, recommends possibly adding a kidnapping subplot to "hook in casual viewers" which frustrated Javi, as he believes this is both a bad idea and coming from Nick's unresolved issues with his daughter. [[spoiler:He then proceeds to bring Nick's daughter and ex-wife all the way to Spain to resolve said issues...which indirectly leads to her being kidnapped, leading to a genre shift to a more action-y thriller.]]

* TheUnreveal: We never actually learn what Javi's script was like. The last time it comes up, Nick says at Javi's party that it's the freatest thing he's ever seen (though he presumably hadn't actually read it) but he'd rather write a new script with Javi instead.

* FailedASpotCheck: While an acid-tripping Nick and Javi outrun some suspicious onlookers, Javi doesn't notice a car driving towards him. It abruptly knocks him down, requiring him to complete the run while suffering from pain in his left leg.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The first officially-released still picture of Javi came from a scene in which he wears a Speedo by the pool, but photoshopped [[https://ew.com/movies/nic-cage-the-unbearable-weight-of-massive-talent-first-look/ some trunks]] onto him, to make it [[DigitalBikini safer for work]]. (Some viewers have noticed that Javi's reflection, and advertisements put out after the premiere, still show him wearing a Speedo.)

* ChekhovsGun: Taken literally with the golden pistols Javi keeps among his ''Film/FaceOff'' memorabilia. [[spoiler:When Vivian orders Nick to kill Javi, Nick takes the pistols for the task, but ends up firing them at some of Lucas' goons instead. After Javi recovers them, he later uses them to hold back Lucas and his gang.]]

* ClothingSwitch: While Nick and Javi [[spoiler:stall orders to kill each other]], Javi's dissatisfaction with his brown suede Gucci loafers results in him and switching NiceShoes. When Nick compliments Javi's loafers, Javi suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right one with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how stylish his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade away his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

* ClothingSwitch: Nick and Javi switch NiceShoes [[spoiler:while stalling orders to kill each other]]. When Nick compliments Javi's brown suede Gucci loafers, a dissatisfied Javi suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right loafer with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how stylish his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade away his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

** Inevitably, the movie delivers [[https://www.avclub.com/nicolas-cage-references-unbearable-weight-massive-talen-1848780248 an onslaught of references]] to Creator/NicolasCage's career highlights.

* ClothingSwitch: Nick and Javi switch NiceShoes [[spoiler:while stalling orders to kill each other]]. When Nick compliments Javi's brown suede Gucci loafers, a dissatisfied Javi suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right loafer with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how nice his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade away his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

* BrokenHeel:
** While an acid-tripping Nick and Javi outrun some suspicious onlookers, a passing car abruptly knocks down Javi, requiring him to complete the run while suffering from pain in his left leg.
** When another pack of enemies chases Nick and Javi through a forest, Nick starts complaining that the loafers Javi gave him lack proper ankle support for running. The duo ends up needing to take a short break, but they ultimately make it back to Javi's truck.

* ClothingSwitch: Nick and Javi trade NiceShoes [[spoiler:while postponing assignments to kill each other]], as further detailed below.

* GilliganCut: Nick can't believe Javi's confession that ''Film/Paddington2'' is his third favorite film of all time, because it made him cry throughout the whole thing, but when he agrees to watch it himself, [[https://youtu.be/xEckT94M7qg the scene]] cuts to the movie making him cry as well.

* NiceShoes: While Nick and Javi stall [[spoiler:orders to kill each other]], Nick compliments Javi's brown suede Gucci loafers. Since Javi doesn't like to wear them, he suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right loafer with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how nice his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade away his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

* GilliganCut: Nick can't believe Javi's confession that ''Film/Paddington2'' made him cry, but when he agrees to watch it himself, [[https://youtu.be/xEckT94M7qg the scene]] cuts to the movie making him cry as well.

* AnimationAgeGhetto: Discussed in-universe: Vivian chooses ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCroodsANewAge Croods 2]]'' as one of her favorite Nicolas Cage movies, but Martin admits that he hasn't seen it, since he feels too old for it.

* NiceShoes: While Nick and Javi stall [[spoiler:orders to kill each other]], Nick compliments Javi's brown suede Gucci loafers. Since Javi doesn't like to wear them, he suggests that they would look nicer on Nick, then swaps his right loafer with Nick's right yellow checkerboard Vans slip-on. After each guy admires how nice his shoe looks on his friend, Nick asks if Javi wants to trade his loafers for the complete pair of slip-ons, which Javi delightedly agrees suits himself.

* AnimationAgeGhetto: Discussed in-universe:
** Vivian chooses ''[[WesternAnimation/TheCroodsANewAge Croods 2]]'' as one of her favorite Nicolas Cage movies. Martin admits that he hasn't seen it, since he feels too old for it.
** Nick questions Javi selecting ''WesternAnimation/Paddington2'' as his third-favorite movie. Unlike Martin and ''Croods 2'', Nick does give ''Paddington 2'' a chance, and develops his own appreciation for it.

* HerBoyfriendsJacket: Nick and Javi trade NiceShoes [[spoiler:while postponing assignments to kill each other]], as further detailed below.

* KitschCollection: Javi has enough Nicolas Cage merchandise and props to fill a shed.