Hardwired

Okay, yes. You've seen the material a thousand times from Freejack to Johnny Mneumonic to Total Recall to Matrix. This echoes both John Carpenter's, "They Live," and the more-recent "Gamer," with some of the feel of the original "Blade," attempted, but never achieved.

The action is awesome, well choreographed, and professionally executed throughout a Terminator-stylized storyline including the end of the world as we know it via robotics and a mad scientist portrayed disappointingly by Val Kilmer.

Mad scientists should be either raving mad, or insidiously fiendish. Kilmer's Virgil was full of high ideas with no moral center, but he utterly lacked the diabolism required to carry through such a plan. It was like he knew from the beginning that he was doomed to fail, and played the character thusly, failing to invest too much of himself in a doomed role. I wanted him to be Madmartigan vs. the kid from Real Genius, and instead, I got Craig Ferguson's Dr. Wagner of Lenny the Wonder Dog. To say the least, I was disappointed.

Decent on a rainy afternoon if there's nothing left in the house to clean. Otherwise, you could find something better to do with your time.

It rates a 5.5/10 from...

the Fiend :.

The plot: After being involved in a nasty car crash, a man receives an experimental implant, courtesy of an omnipresent, multinational corporation.

Hardwired is a throwback to the low budget cyberpunk movie boom of the early 90s. With former A-list stars, an interesting (though not quite original) premise, and lots of action scenes, you'd think that this movie would have lots of promise. One could even be forgiven for thinking that it'd even be good. Unfortunately, it's so cheesy, predictable, low budget, and comically inept that you can't help but laugh. Despite all of its ridiculous problems, it's so earnest and enthusiastic that I can't bring myself to hate it. It's an enjoyable mess of a movie, as long as you're not expecting something intellectual and artistic.

Amidst all the cheesiness, there were some things that worked well, and I have to admit that I'm tiny bit disappointed that there isn't a sequel. I would have loved to see Lance Henricksen play the evil megalomaniac. I guess we'll never know how the story ends, though it's probably for the best that we're not inflicted with an even more clichéd followup.

If you're a fan of low budget B movies, it can't hurt too much to give Hardwired a try.

...but it's not great either. The film has a budget, some nice action sequences, decent special effects and some good actors actually doing what they are paid to do. Oh, and Val Kilmer in a silly wig. Cuba Gooding Jr can act and does give his usual decent performance, despite the films flaws. Val Kilmer's scenes were obviously filmed in a day or two of shooting, hence the silly wig and the fact you only ever see him on a video screen or in the same set. Also looks like his lines were being read off a board or he had just read them for the first time 2mins before saying them.

Still the film did have some entertainment value, its not an awful film as other reviewers who voted it 1 have suggested, its just not a good film. It does have some pacing issues, sometimes there is too much explaining going on when anyone with sense can see what's going on, its not brain surgery (well it is in some parts!). It feels like a pilot for a TV series, especially the speech at the end and without giving too much away Lance Henriksen's face on the screen as the 'Mr Hope' of hope industry (you'll see what I mean if you watch it). If there is nothing else on, or you have watched most of the other recent releases then this will pass some time.

Not too long ago, I wrote that Cuba Gooding Jr. simply didn't seem to care anymore, after appearing in one awful direct-to-video movie after another. And seeing him paired with the equally washed-up Val Kilmer, I didn't have high hopes for this movie. But after seeing the decent "Wrong Turn At Tahoe" and this movie, maybe things are turning around for Gooding.

Don't get me wrong - this isn't a GREAT movie. The script, for one thing, is derived from a number of past movies like "Total Recall" (which co-star Michael Ironside also appeared in). But it is competently done for what it is. The production values are pretty strong for a direct-to-video movie, Gooding is adequate in his role, and the script, while derivative, does try for a little mystery and a few original touches. No, it isn't a movie to seek out, but if it comes across on TV it will do the job.

Note to Val Kilmer fans: It's pretty obvious that he filmed all his (limited) scenes in two days at the most.

This...is...not...a...movie...folks.

It...is...obviously...a...TV...pilot.

Kilmer and Ironside clearly had no interest in doing a TV series, but Gooding apparently did. And for TV, not so terribly bad. The concept just about carries it. As for the comments about clutzy props, TV show decider-suits love the idea that the thing won't cost them a bunch, yank some crap out of the warehouse and fake the rest.

I liked it for what it was. And for the ludicrous notion that higher powers would want to put chips into us. Wherever did they get that from?

Of course, this puppy won't see the light of day.