Tempestade Virtual

I was really surprised by this one. I only rented it because I recognized one of the actresses (Vanessa Marcil) in the movie, and there was nothing else at the video store that I hadn't seen. I thought the movie would be pretty lame, but it was half-way decent. It won't win any awards or anything. But I went in expecting crap, and got a pretty decent movie. If you're into the sci-fi, virtual reality kind of scene, you might actually enjoy this one. I was under the impression that it was called Code Hunter though.

This won't convince you as far as the story line goes and you won't be impressed by the direction and you will wonder why someone wanted to make an el cheapo Matrix and you will be befuddled how they got money for the project - but you still might enjoy it. Minimally.

Principal reason is the supporting cast which includes Nora Dunn, Serena Scott Thomas, and the extremely charismatic Vanessa Marcil. Perhaps Marcil is not all that charismatic otherwise - although her resume would argue she is - but in this context she literally shines. Right out of the mouthed dialogue with non-existent acting she pops in and takes over and you find yourself saying to yourself 'wow some real acting in this one'.

The others aren't always bad, but they're under-directed. Marcil, a star from 90210 and responsible for an unforgettable scene with Nicholas Cage in The Rock, plays yet another character here and does it to perfection.

So yes, the movie itself is fairly horrible, but if you have the cassette in and are not otherwise occupied, watch Dunn, Thomas, and especially Marcil do their stuff. They're great - especially Marcil. There is such a thing as acting talent - even in low budget movies that shouldn't have been made.

Be warned when a movie has multiple names after being completed. Even though the ratings for this one promise an entertaining story, don't be fooled. If you liked War Games but thought it was outdated, if The Net was entertaining but a little over the top sometimes, leave this one in the shelves. Bad acting, worse humor and really no character that you're bound with. Nice effects can't save this one. As working in the IT myself, I noticed that except the occurring 'shortcuts'/'explosions' in the racks are ridiculous fireworks all the screens are realistic and most technical terms are used in the correct context. Read my lips: MOST ;)

"The hottest sex, the coolest technology, the most extreme adventure you've ever experienced. Anything's possible in SHOCK, the ultimate reality challenge," according to the DVD sleeve description, "America's best player is being pulled in to the ultimate cyber-terror. The game's mastermind has stolen his identity, put him on the FBI's most wanted list, and is blackmailing him to take part in a REAL twisted plan of world destruction. With just hours left, can the code be broken to save the world from total annihilation?"

The above synopsis is accurate, but the first sentence is extremely misleading.

Chances are very good you will find neither the "coolest technology" nor the "extreme adventure" promised. As for the "hottest sex," forget it. There is, actually NO SEX in "Storm Watch" which was re-titled "Virtual Storm" then "Code Hunter" (the title, at least, keeps getting better). The cast is very good looking, especially lead actor Nick Cornish (as Nick Chase) and his main female co-star Vanessa Marcil (as Tess Woodward); really, they look more like models than computer geek and lady reporter.

It's nice to see heroic "Highlander" star Adrian Paul (as "Neville") as the story's main villain, but his "AI" character dies on the vine. Wearing a succession of neon wigs, Bai Ling (as "Skylar") also drifts into irreverence. Tone-Loc and Coolio play non-musical roles. Of the others, programmer Scott Rinker (as Mason Neville Kemeny) is nicely cast and essays his characterization well. Bit player Adam Lieberman is outstanding as the hotel clerk. As company leader Richard Cox (as Richard Clark) says, "The proof is in the pudding."

*** Code Hunter (5/1/02) Terry Cunningham ~ Nick Cornish, Vanessa Marcil, Adrian Paul, Scott Rinker

Grand to see a much simplified version of the basic principles of William Gibson's version of the Cyberpunk genre brought to life. Would have enjoyed more discourse between the two AI, but none the less I'm very happy to see this run it's course without ever targeting the lowest common denominator the way so many would be Cyberpunk contender films might. Also enjoyed the dialogue, the pacing, the use of the limited budget, and in all, the fact that this demonstrates that a film can be light and still be about character(s). A fun romp. Certainly not Matrix, but cool anyway. If nothing else, it proves that it's high time Neuromancer and Headcrash should be brought to the big screen. So I'd consider this a successful beta test.