Hardwired - Nemico invisibile

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.

...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.

Hardwired is like a (bad) Max Headroom fanfic RoboCop ripoff - including trying to make it look like it was made back then, except the production values don't look as good. It might have worked as a parody sketch if they'd kept it under 10 minutes. The special effects are particularly unbelievable. Throughout I kept feeling it was more like a Made-For-TV Movie, and with the ending more appropriate to a TV Pilot, it makes me wonder. It's not even so-bad-it's-funny, merely pathetic, so avoid this even for Schlock B-Movie nights.

I'm fairly generous with my Ratings, so 3 might be high.

I just finished watching this movie. If you like sci-fi, you might enjoy this if you have nothing else to watch. The story line is OK, it could happen I suppose. The plot has been done so many times though. The acting is not there, even though it has some decent actors in it. Seems Cuba didn't even want to play the role, shows really no passion in the movie. The action failed real bad. After around 15 minutes or so, it turns video-gamish. The ending is left for a sequel in-which I have no clue as to why. Also, why did I give it a 5? It has it's moments & could have been a decent movie. If your a die-hard sci-fi fan, you might just like it. I try to be fair when judging all movies, because what I don't like others will & vice-versa.

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.