Hardwired - Nemico invisibile

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.

Ploughing the same furrow as conspiracy-style futuristic sci-fi thrillers as Spielberg's MINORITY REPORT, HARDWIRED is a science fiction film on a budget. Starring the less-than-stellar Cuba Gooding Jr. as an ordinary guy who almost dies in a car accident and is brought back to life thanks to the intervention of a sinister commercial organisation, this is slightly disappointing and intriguing in equal measure.

The most interesting part of the production are the sly digs at numerous subject matters, including the failings of the American healthcare system and the increasingly desperate efforts of modern-day advertisers. The sci-fi and action tropes are less successful, with a few cheesy CGI effects thrown into the mix, but the script is a little more intelligent than is the usual for the B-movie genre.

HARDWIRED also boasts a fine supporting role for the criminally underrated Michael Ironside, who gets the opportunity to sink his teeth into a decent character part for a change after years spent whiling away his time in Z-grade disaster flicks. There's also a good performance from the up-and-coming Tatiana Maslany, although the less said about Val Kilmer's bad guy the better; Kilmer is stiffer than a board here and his acting often painful.

Still, this is a film which turns out slightly better than I had expected, and the various mind-melding mind-control stuff is handled in such a way that's not original, but nevertheless entertaining. HARDWIRED is certainly no classic, but an efficient enough timewaster.

In a future world dominated by the corporations, Luke Gibson (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is driving her beloved pregnant wife Veronica (Monica Mustelier) to her work on the day of his birthday; out of the blue, a truck hits their car. Luke's medical insurance is expired and he is doomed to die; however, the executive of the Hope Corporation Virgil (Val Kilmer) proposes Luke's sister to submit him to an experimental surgery with the implant of a chip in his brain. The amnestic Luke awakes and sooner he discovers that he has visions and he is the Subject 373 of a secret project. He is helped by a team of hackers formed by Keyboard (Chad Krowchuk) that became paraplegic after being shot by a henchman of the Hope Corporation; his father Hal (Michael Ironside); Punk Blue (Juan Riedinger); and Punk Red (Tatiana Maslany). Luke tries to recover his memories and discover the objective of the mysterious project.

"Hardwired" is an unoriginal and boring film that seems to be a bad pilot of a TV series. It is amazing the decadency of Cuba Gooding Jr., Val Kilmer and Michael Ironside. The worst is that I like these actors and regret their recent choices. Anyway, this movie is a good chance for those that have problems with insomnia and do not like to use pills. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Invasor de Mentes" ("Invader of Minds")

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.

a very poor imitation of matrix and/or total recall or similar SiFi movies. though the Plot is not that bad , it is dragging too far, action is OK, acting in Cuba Gooding part and Ironside is good,Val Kilmer looks goofy though, other actors not very promising.

The sound track of the movie is annoying and out of place, it is like an Arabic belly dancing music imported right out from Cairo. by far the worst part of the movie is its sound track. at the end the score is kind of Indian drum combo with an Indian singer crying along very sadly.

all together it is a 'watchable movie.