Freejack: El inmortal

"Freejack" is a frustrating film. It starts off well and has an excellent premise. But then, well, it all falls apart after that.

When the story begins, Alex (Emelio Estevez) is starting an auto race. However, something extraordinary takes place. As his car flies out of control and he is about to die, his body is stolen from the future. Why? Because in the future, it's not illegal to retrieve bodies from the past just before they'd die anyway. And what do they do with these retrieved bodies? Well, the rich and powerful pay fortunes to have them for organ transplants and even entire body transplants where the consciousness of the dying rich person is implanted into these retrieved bodies....and someone wants Alex's body.

The problem with this procedure is that normally they electrically lobotomize these people....but an attack on the truck that retrieved Alex enables him to escape. Now, lots of bounty hunters are looking to capture him...alive. And Alex has no idea WHAT is going on here!

So why did it fall apart after Alex arrives in the future? Well, there are MANY reasons. First, he is transported from 1991 to 2009 and simply too much has happened during the interim...way too much. Folks in the future drive cars, retrieve folks from the past, and fire phasers that might work if it was the year 2100. Second, there really isn't a lot of story...just action, action, action....making the film a bit mindless. A few things about this future also make no sense...such as the shotgun wielding and cursing nun (Amanda Plummer)! What?! And, finally, the central premise makes no sense. After all, if the retrievers lose Alex...why not just retrieve some other guy from the past?!?! Why is HE so important?! With many millions of deaths between 1991 and 2009, they surely could have found someone else!

I actually saw this on cable back about 1993 and thought it was a pretty cool movie. Well, I just rewatched it in 2021 and think it's pretty dumb. Times do change as do people. Hmmm....1993 and 2021...kinda like 1991 and 2009!

OK, I'm a sci-fi movie buff. So I'm the type of person who'd like this film.

But I do have some basic standards, and Freejack is just the right sort of campy flick, sort of a "Blade Runner" gone slumming. It's bad, but it's a good bad, if you're into cult classics.

Who should see this film:

-- sci-fi movie buffs, but don't go out of your way, oh and see Demolition Man too which is similar but better

-- nobody else

I enjoyed the film, but campy special effects and silly plot mean I can only give it a 6 out of 10.

I lap up anything with Emilio Estevez. I've always thought he was extremely underrated. Sometimes, he picks the silliest scripts. I did have some fun with this movie, but It's far from a good movie. The futuristic storyline has been done to death, and nothing really stands out about it. It has some entertaining action, good humor, and a great cast to keep you watching. As much as I love Emilio, he's not really the action star type. That being said, he managed to pull it off with his natural charisma. He borders on cockiness at times, but his charisma manages to keep him likable and easy to root for. Mick Jagger is terrible as the villain. He should have kept his day job, in lieu of dabbling into acting. Anthony Hopkins is here for a paycheck, nothing more. Rene Russo is classy as usual. She takes a one-dimensional part and makes it worthwhile. That's what genuine talent is able to do.

I enjoy it for what it is! Then again, I dig anything that is enjoyably cheesy. This movie falls under that category. They were obviously aiming for much more, but they weren't able to pull it off. Keep your expectations low, and you'll have a decent time

5.5/10

You know, one thing that really bothers me is the amount of people who just refuse to relax and watch a move without having to consider whether it should win an Oscar. I don't think Freejack was ever intended to be made for serious viewing - I think every actor in it at one time during the movie has got their tongue in their cheek.

What you do get in this movie are some spectacular effects, and I'm not talking about the end when you could just as soon go get a sandwich rather than watch the 2001-type slideshow.

It's just downright funny. Mick Jagger as the villain giving Emilio Estevez a "headstart" by counting 1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi is priceless. David Johanson shines as the shyster in any timeframe. Rene Russo gives us an early indication of screen presence. So just relax and have fun with it.

Veteran writer & producer Ronald Shusett scripted this one (along with Steven Pressfield and Dan Gilroy), inspired by the novel "Immortality, Inc." by Robert Sheckley. It's a far cry from the heights attained by "Alien", which Shusett had concocted with Dan O'Bannon, but at the very least it's mildly amusing, the kind of movie for which the phrase "mindless diversion" was invented. It's silly stuff, but delivers a lot of gunfire and a lot of chases, not to mention a tacky visual approach (Joe Alves, production designer on the first two "Jaws" films and director of the third, was the p.d. here). Most of the cast have been better utilized in other projects, but it's still nice to see a bunch of familiar faces here.

Emilio Estevez, not anybody's image of the ideal action hero but reasonably likeable, is race car driver Alex Furlong. Moments before he would have met his maker in a fiery crash, his body is snatched and transported into the "future" year of 2009. Now, for all the other characters, 17 years have passed, but for him the trip is instantaneous. And now he has to run, run, run, since his body is a prized possession for the person who sponsored his "trip", and he's being pursued by relentless "bone jackers", led by legendary rock star Mick Jagger in a blatant case of stunt casting.

Emilio is ably supported by lovely leading lady Rene Russo (who married Gilroy shortly after the movie was released), a slumming Anthony Hopkins (who literally "phones in" his performance), a highly animated and amusing David Johansen as Alex's shameless "friend" Brad, Jonathan Banks of later 'Breaking Bad' and 'Better Call Saul' fame (at his cold-eyed, contemptuous best), Amanda Plummer (a hoot as a gun-packing, computer-savvy nun), Grand L. Bush, Frankie Faison, Esai Morales, John Shea, and Jerry Hall. But, alas, Jagger is one of those classic "don't give up your day job" type of deals: he's simply boring as the antagonist.

Overall, "Freejack" is plenty dumb, but it's dumb enough, noisy enough, and energetic enough to rate as a true "guilty pleasure". The director is the late, talented Kiwi filmmaker Geoff Murphy, who'd previously guided Emilio in "Young Guns II"; in the 80s he did a picture called "The Quiet Earth" that is much more interesting than this junk.

Kicking off the closing credits with a solid Scorpions tune, "Hit Between the Eyes", was one good idea, in any event.

Five out of 10.