Virtual Assassin

This film didn't leave much of an impression on me, and that's about what I expected. The action is okay, the humour is generally sad, and the plot is competent, but certainly nothing to brag about. This film is also VERY predictable, but then again, I've never seen a sci-fi action flick that wasn't. So basically, if you're a fan of the genre, then there's no reason for you not to like this film, but I have a strong feeling that most people would get little or no enjoyment out of a movie this forgettable.

CYBERJACK (or VIRTUAL ASSASSIN, as it's known in the States) is one of Dudikoff's weakest movies, despite some good moments and Brion James at his over-the-top best. Dudikoff's character, as ex-cop now working as a janitor(!) at a computer company, remains something a mystery throughout the film. He appears to be killed in the film's prologue, but no mention is made afterwards of how he survived. There are hints that maybe he's some kind of "virtual" version of his former self, but that plot point is never carried out with. (It's like trying to figure out if Deckard was a human or a Replicant in BLADE RUNNER.) James shows up with his motley crew of Village People rejects to steal a computer virus and have it implanted in himself. The effects are mediocre, some better than others, none of them anything special. My favorite moment is the sequence where Dudikoff uses a series of transmitter cubes that project holographic images of himself, leading some guards on a wild goose chase through the halls, culminating in a funny moment in which the real Dudikoff is painfully revealed to one guard. The effects of a large robot (like the one in ROBOCOP) are decent, but otherwise, it's a pretty lackluster film of interest only to Dudikoff completists.

I thought the movie was a lot of fun. Yes, it was a Die Hard rip off, but Michael Dudikoff is just as entertaining to me as Bruce Willis, so I enjoyed it. Some of the dialog is so bad its funny. Overall, pretty underrated. It's not as good as American Ninja or Platoon Leader, but still not one of his worst. I'd say this is probably on the level of Chain of Command, also an enjoyable movie. Dudikoff plays the part perfectly, mostly laid back, but ready to kick ass if he needs to. Brion James is good, way over the top, but still one of his more memorable parts. His faux British accent comes and goes at the drop of a hat, and that is pretty ridiculous, but it just adds to the humor of the film. The effects are also very bad, like a lot of bad CGI from the early nineties. Bottom line, if you like Michael Dudikoff, you'll like this movie. If not, you won't.