Caméléon

This is one of the better sci-fi/super hero movies made in the 1990's. Though the blatant use of sex could have been toned down, it did serve the purpose of highlighting the main character's evolution from an unfeeling "machine" to a very caring, heroic woman the viewer was ready to cheer for all the way to the bitter end. Bobbie Phillips, who played "Kam" the re-engineered woman who saves a young boy, really made this movie the gem that it is and was ably assisted by her co-star Eric Lloyd, the boy who played "Ghen".

If you like this movie, you will also like the X-Men, Xena, and the Queen of Swords. You may also like Wonder Woman and some of Ray Bradbury's works.

Filmed in a futuristic setting "Kam" (Bobbie Phillips) is a female cloned by genetic research who happens to possess special attributes which include keen eyesight, an enhanced sense of smell and the ability to camouflage herself into the surrounding environment much like a chameleon. She was created this way for the express purpose of allowing her to get close to whatever targets her supervisors deemed appropriate in order to steal important objects--or to kill them if necessary. In one particular instance she is instructed to accompany a commando unit and acquire a secret microchip from a revolutionary named "Aede" (Anthony Simcoe). Unfortunately, the mission doesn't go according to plan which results in both the revolutionary and his wife choosing to commit suicide rather than being captured. However, just prior to that they manage to transfer the microchip to their young son named "Ghen" (Eric Lloyd) with instructions to escape into the country to avoid capture. As a result of his escape Kam is sent to track down Ghen but when she finally catches up to him her instincts cause her to change allegiances. So now she decides to protect the boy from those who wish to do him harm. At any rate, rather than disclose any more of the story and risk ruining this film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this movie started off pretty good but seemed to falter a little after the first 20 minutes or so. Additionally, other than the performance of Bobbie Phillips I didn't see anything else that was necessarily that remarkable or noteworthy. In any case, I suppose this was an adequate film for the most part and I rate it as about average.

Since this is a made for TV movie, I'll be mild in my judgement. It's not really bad or something. The acting is okay. The few digital effects are okay. But over-all the story is pretty thin. There's not much action or fighting and the pacing is rather slow too. But if you like watching made for TV sci-fi/crime stuff, then I guess you could do a lot worse than watching this first CHAMELEON installment.

The main thing (for me) to like about this movie was actress Bobbie Phillips, of who you feel she has some pretty decent acting skills, but she isn't really allowed to show them in this movie. She has a bit of that Ashley Judd-beauty and a bit of that Kari Wuhrer-toughness going on there. Anyway, she plays Kam and actually she isn't a cyborg. She's a 'sub'. A genetically altered human clone with improved senses and the ability to take the color of her surroundings, rendering her almost invisible. She drives a groovy motorcycle and wears a slick chameleon-like outfit. But the best scenes are the ones where she takes off that outfit. On no less than three occasions you can see Bobbie Phillips do some naked hot stuff with random males. Now that might sound appealing, but don't expect too much, 'cause it's all kept rather decent and respectable, in order not to upset any younger viewers. So no frontal nudity, folks.

And what about the story? Well nothing special there either. Kam is a member of the IBI (a government-controlled police force or something). Some rebels, the Liberators, have produced a chip that could destroy all economy. Kam must get it, but falls for the charms of a boy who has the chip. She takes him under his protection and they decide to flee the city. Needless to say that the corrupt creator of Kam (also a member of IBI) isn't happy with this and wants to retrieve the chip at any cost.

So this could have been a fun movie with a lot of action, chases and shoot-outs. But after a promising start, the movie slows down in the middle part (when Kam and the boy arrive at the country-side). Then the script sets up for a final confrontation in the big city, but this is also a bit of a let-down (in terms of a spectacular ending). It's a pity, 'cause there was some potential to insert some more action and thrills, but it's clearly that the (rather small) budget didn't allow that. But like I said: you could do a lot worse with made for TV garbage and I hope the other two sequels are a bit better. I've already read the synopsis for the third installment, and that one seems to go over-the-top nicely. Oh, well, as long as Bobbie Phillips is in it, I'll be giving them a watch.

This is one of those movies that you would slate if you paid money to see it on the big screen...but as a made-for-TV film, it ain't half bad. Bobbie Phillips is gorgeous and has a real presence. She deserves to go on to bigger and better things. The film itself is nothing original and attempts to be all things to all viewers...part action, part drama, with a touch of sex thrown in for good measure. I'd give it a go, if you're in the mood for nothing substantial. 6 or 7 out of 10, in my opinion.

"Chameleon" features excellent acting by Bobbie (Dr. Bug Lady from the X-Files) Phillips whose buff muscle-play reinforces her role as a genetically engineered human. The young actor who portrays Gan, the kid, also displays an accomplished flair for drama--very rare. The effects including a cool skin camouflage are used judiciously and successfully. The intelligent script relies heavily on the characters--which is always a good thing in my book. I get the feeling UPN was considering this movie as a pilot. It's a shame they didn't run with it.