The opening scenes of the movie are interesting. Cage and Co. demonstrate their function in our world by easing the parting of a young girl. As the pair walk off hand in hand, Cage asks the girl about her favorite thing on earth. It seems that this angel has been collecting data about all the good things of humanity, which he has collected as a little list. So even if we havenšt seen the previews, we know without a doubt that this angel is looking for an excuse to trade in his wings for flesh and blood.

As soon as Meg Ryan cycles into the scene, it's dreadfully inevitable that a love affair will be the impetus our angelic body needs to become flesh and blood. And that's exactly what happens. Ryan's character, Maggie, is a prideful heart surgeon destined for a fall. When she loses a patient and sinks into a self-doubting pit of depressions, her pain becomes too much for Cage. He reaches out to her from his celestial dimension, and amazingly enough, becomes visible, but only to her.

From there the story becomes far too soppy for me. In fact, I think the role even pains Cage. The poor chap has an overwhelming case of puppy love, but an unnatural, frozen puppy who has to somehow convey the image that even though he has seen all things, Maggie is the best of them.

For the most part, "City of Angels" is a borrowing of Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire," and the essential plot is good. The first part of the film, which sets the scene for the love story, works well and holds the imagination. Cage is drippy, but there's at least some innovation here.

It's after Cage takes the plunge, if you'll excuse the pun, that the film really sinks into pure schmaltz. In the end, "City of Angels" can best be summed up as a neat idea buried inside a couple of hours of wallow