Based on the comic books by William Goldman, "Johnny Mnemonic" takes place in 2021, when the world looks like one big trash can. The title character has a computer chip in his head, which allows him to smuggle important data there, at the expense of his childhood memories. But one time he gets information stored in his head that a big, bad corporation wants badly. So they send some goofs after Johnny to take his head off.
Science-fictions always fascinates me, because they don´t certainly need a strong story to entertain. Impressive special effects might just as well do the job. But they are nowhere to be found in "Johnny Mnemonic", which beside disappointing effects also offers a messy script which doesn´t get anywhere. The action scenes aren´t many, and they aren´t anything to write home about either.
Keanu Reeves has never been an actor who carry films on his shoulders, he needs bombastic productions like "The Matrix" and "Speed" to blend in better. Here he runs around and looks very confused, and he utters his lines with no empathy at all. Dina Meyers is pretty to look at, but she isn´t much of an actor and works much better in smaller roles, and not as the heroine. Supporting actors here are rapper Ice-T and rock star Henry Rollins, and we all know what mostly happens when artists decides to try some acting. Especially when their parts are as badly written as these.
The movie´s only treat is probably Swedish muscle-man Dolph Lundgren, as a fanatic priest. Yes, his acting is as wooden as ever, but I at least found some interesting things with his character. And you can´t do anything but smile when you see Dolph trying to kill Johnny, while bawling embarrassing lines like "Halt sinners!" or "Behold your Saviour!".
1/5
Science-fictions always fascinates me, because they don´t certainly need a strong story to entertain. Impressive special effects might just as well do the job. But they are nowhere to be found in "Johnny Mnemonic", which beside disappointing effects also offers a messy script which doesn´t get anywhere. The action scenes aren´t many, and they aren´t anything to write home about either.
Keanu Reeves has never been an actor who carry films on his shoulders, he needs bombastic productions like "The Matrix" and "Speed" to blend in better. Here he runs around and looks very confused, and he utters his lines with no empathy at all. Dina Meyers is pretty to look at, but she isn´t much of an actor and works much better in smaller roles, and not as the heroine. Supporting actors here are rapper Ice-T and rock star Henry Rollins, and we all know what mostly happens when artists decides to try some acting. Especially when their parts are as badly written as these.
The movie´s only treat is probably Swedish muscle-man Dolph Lundgren, as a fanatic priest. Yes, his acting is as wooden as ever, but I at least found some interesting things with his character. And you can´t do anything but smile when you see Dolph trying to kill Johnny, while bawling embarrassing lines like "Halt sinners!" or "Behold your Saviour!".
1/5