Who knew Nicolas Cage was funny? I never knew, did you? Well, get ready for a pleasant surprise. When you see Cage in his new impossibly-titled comedy-thriller The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, you will know what we have been missing all these years. Yes, Cage won an Oscar® for his acting in 1995’s Leaving Las Vegas. But that was a drama. He made other wonderful pictures such as Raising Arizona and then Moonstruck with musical icon Cher in 1987. Audiences loved him in Con Air and as cohort to Sean Connery in the spy thriller The Rock. But most movie fans adored him in the bizarre Face/Off with John Travolta in director John Woo’s hit. But there were no laughs anywhere to be found. Unintentional, maybe.

Director/ writer (with Kevin Etten) Tom Gormican took a year off to conjure up this perfect vehicle for Cage, not knowing if he would be interested in starring in the film. Cage turned it down several times. He finally caved in to play himself (sort of) in a campy and funny way with unstoppable thrills thrown in along the way throughout the story.

He plays a down and out movie star who is nearly out of options. His agent ( the sweet-natured Neal Patrick Harris) gets him a deal for a million dollars to make an appearance at the birthday party for the daughter of a billionaire Javi Gutierrez ( Chilean-American actor Pedro Pascal) in Majorca, Spain. Incidentally, you may remember Pascal, 47, from the hit series “Game of Thrones” and “The Mandalorian.”

Cage becomes fast friends with Javi and they collaborate on a script of a movie. Little does Cage know that Javi may be head of the most ruthless drug cartel in Europe. And that leads to  many hilarious scenes of Cage trying to placate Javi and escape from his grip to save his life.

There is no end to slapstick comedy, roaring escapes, death-defying car chases, and the dodging of flying machine-gun bullets, all taking place on several scary rides through the city and countryside---to belly-laughing results. It seems Javi’s evil cousin wants to kill Cage as he thinks he is a spy. Don’t ask---but Cage inadvertently becomes involved with the CIA’s Vivan (an amusing Tiffany Haddish) and is coerced into going undercover.

This terrifically entertaining film is fun for the whole family. It should be a smash that puts Cage back on top once again. The story is filled with laughs, goofy situations, wonderful characters (even glamorous Demi Moore shows up!), and thrills for everyone. It’s a funny movie that we desperately need right now. Don’t miss it on the big screen. Film fans will fall in love with the gorgeous scenery of Dubrovnik, Croatia.

 (Released by Lionsgate/Saturn Films and rated “R” for language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and violence.)