Reviews (169)

"Scuusssssseeee Me?"
Holes is a brilliant book by the fantastic Louis Sachar. Now its the utlimate book adaption and family film. Many films based on books, rarly compare, but this won me and many others over.
This movie has a fantastic cast as well. Let me start off with my favortie cast memeber. Sigourney Weaver is AWESOME as the mean spirted warden. She lights up the screen and you find yourself begging for more Sigourney. Shia LaBeouf is great at Stanley Yelnats and brings humor and heart to the screen. Patricia Arquette is great as Kissin Kate Barlow and totally embodies her perfectly. The rest of the cast I will mention in the following review.
When a famous pair of sneakers falls from the sky and lands in Stanleys hands, he finds himself in court with the decision of jail or Camp Green Lake. His family (except his mom) quickly blame this on Stanleys dirty rotten pig stealing greatgrandfather. Well, hes never been to camp so thats better than jail. He is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake to build character. Once there, he realizes he is not in any normal camp. He also finds out that there is no lake, and the place is not green. He is in the middle of the desert, and Camp Green Lake has the only water source for 100 miles. It doesnt take long, before MR.SIR (Jon Voight, who perfectly acts out this odd character) takes Stanley's bags and gives him his work clothes and his relaxation clothes and explains to him that every morning he will be required to dig one hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide to turn around his bad character.
The movie continues to explain how something fishy is going on at Camp Green Lake, and explains Stanley's greatgrandfathers curse, and the life of Kissin Kate.
I bought this film without seeing it and i am pleased. It is a fantastic movie for kids and adults. Its funny and extremely heart-warming. Dont miss this one.

Remains remarkably faithful to the book!
I read "Holes" several years back for a children's literature course I took in college. I highly enjoyed it! It was one of the best books I read in that class.

So when they introduced the movie, I was quite interested. Part of me was hopeful it would turn out well, the other part of me was skeptical that it would be anywhere near as good as the book. However, my fears were dashed. This movie was FABULOUS!

The story jumps back and forth a little between three different tales -- the story of Elya Yelnats, the main character's "no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather"; the story of Stanley Yelnats IV himself; and the story of a legendary outlaw, Kissing Kate Barlow. The three stories are interwoven quite ingeniously. In some cases, you aren't completely sure what the connection will be, but then when you find out, it fits perfectly.

The story IS slightly altered, of course, as most books-brought-to-movies tend to be. But it very much keeps the spirit of the original book. The boys are very believable -- I especially love Zero! Sigourney Weaver makes a wonderfully nasty warden. And John Voigt does a wonderful insane portrayal of Mr. Sir.

This movie will keep you laughing and curious throughout. And if you enjoyed the book, you'll like this film!

Adults can watch it with their kids and all actually enjoy!
The wildly popular novel for youngsters "Holes" gets turned into a movie that is completely in keeping with the spirit of the book.

The young cast bring to life the beloved characters at Camp Green Lake, where convicted juvenile delinquents are sent to toil in broiling Texas sun. It was great to see X-Ray, Zero, Armpit and of course Caveman brought to life. The adult parts are played by Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson, and they look like they're having a WORLD of fun playing the malicious staff at Camp Green Lake. The story is not insulting to kids, and adults can watch it and be entertained the entire length of the movie. Vignettes back at Caveman's home where Stanley Yelnats the second and third live under the curse incurred from the first Stanley Yelnats, and trips back in time where that first Stanley was cursed by European VooDoo Woman Eartha Kitt as well as the back-story around Kissin' Kate and her treasure all add to the viewing pleasure.

The DVD comes with just the right amount of supplemental features, interviews and commentaries.

Not many "children's movies" are as appropriate for all ages. Highly recommended.

if you don't like this movie - shame on you!
This is a movie for the entire family to watch and love with its humorous and clever plot, based on the hit book "Holes" by Louis Sachar, who also writes the screenplay for this. The movie is about a twelve-year-old boy named Stanley Yelnats who's family has been cursed due to his "no-good, rotten, pig of a grandfather". He's walking along the road when a fantastic pair of shoes fly out of nowhere. He thinks his luck has finally started, when he finds police chasing him and in a courtroom because those shoes were the greatest basketballer player's of all time, and it was for a charity event where the money raised would be given to homeless children. He is sent to Camp Greenlake, where once was a beautiful lake, which is now a dry and scorching desert. Deadly adventures befall him there as he makes a friendship with Zero, a mysterious, shy boy. Their adventures lead them to a hidden treasure that belongs to Stanley... If you want to findout more, watch the film!

Girls' movies are better
I liked the movie, which Stanley stole a pair of shoes that fell from the sky and landed on his head. Then he got sent to the courtroom and the judge asked him: "Your choices: Camp Green Lake or Jail?" Then Stanley decided to go to Camp Green Lake because he never been into any Camp before. Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys, because they're too young to go to jail. When he got sent to Camp Green Lake, he had to dig one hole each day, and each hole must be 5 feet deep and 5 feet in diameter. I think this movie is OK, but I like girls' movies better, like "The Parent Trap", "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", "What A Girl Wants". ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Loved this movie, It is top on my list to watch again
This movie is full of suspense, light erotica, rommance, great acting, backrounds and photography. I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys fantasy horror. It's only drawback is that it is not available in DVD form.

Memories
Sure the movie is outdated compared to what cinema has become today but what early movies aren't. The first time I saw Meridian I was to young to appriciate it but now I do. The photograpy is great. Those with and active imagination will enjoy this movie more than others, and even if Beauty and the Beast type stories aren't your thing there is plenty of other aspects to the film that are sure to interest you.

See more of Sherilynn Fenn after midnight....
A lushly photographed Continental retelling of the Beauty-and-the- Beast/young-girl-comes-of-age-with-demon-who-turns-into-handsome-prince story, my commentary will part from other reviewers (I found the story predictable, and acting melodramatic) by mentioning my primary reason for purchase of this video: the Tuscan villa setting including the famous "Monster Grotto". The sculpture garden attributed to a retired 'condottiere' who commissioned grotesque sculptures for his meditative garden, reflecting his supposed cynical worldview. The views of this Tuscan curiosity are worth the lightweight fairy tale surrounding it.

This Was Great!!!!!!!!
A beautiful young artist must choose her destiny in this hauntingly sensual tale of love, passion and revenge.
Catherine Bomarzini (Sherilyn Fenn of Two Moon Junction) returns to the family castle in Italy after her father's death. There she finds herself drawn into a mysterious love triangle with a handsome, sinister magician and a creature of the night whose gentle eyes and touch reveal his infinite love. Is this creature real or an illusion? Guided by the ghost of a slain young beauty, Catherine discovers the ancient curse that enshrouds Bomarzini Castle-a curse only she can dispel.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a really loving and great movie!

IT REMINDS ME OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ONLY WITH MORE
SEDUCTION AND LOVE!

A MUST SEE AND A MUST HAVE! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

While most movie buffs are likely to call Halloween the best movie from John Carpenter, others--die-hard romantics and anyone who cried while watching E.T.--might vote in favor of the director's 1984 hit Starman. It's easily Carpenter's warmest and most beguiling film, and the only one that ever earned an Oscar nomination. That honor went specifically to Best Actor nominee Jeff Bridges for his performance as an alien visitor to Earth who is knocked off course and must take an interstate road trip to rendezvous with a mothership from his home planet. To complete this journey he assumes the physical form of the dead husband of a Wisconsin widow (Karen Allen) who responds first with fear, then sympathy, and finally love. Carpenter's graceful strategy is to switch the focus of this E.T.-like film from science fiction to a gentle road-movie love story, made believable by the memorable performances of Bridges and Allen. It's a bit heavy-handed with tenacious government agents who view the Starman as an alien threat (don't they always?), but Carpenter handles the action with intelligent flair, sensitivity, and lighthearted humor. If you're not choked up during the final scene, well, you just might not be human. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (55)

A WONDERFUL, MOVING FILM
Starman by John Carpenter is by all accounts one of the best science fiction movies I have ever seen. OK there may not be loads of special effects to dazzle you, but this is human life seen through the eyes of an alien, which turns most sci-fi movies on their head. The development of the love story between the two characters is charming and very touching, not to mention great performances by Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen (I've always liked both of them), but Jeff Bridges really does make you think he is an alien, by the way he talks, walks and acts generally.

The music is also very good, and really comes into it's own at the end of the film. It is very haunting and the whole mood of the movie reminds me of The Dead Zone, which is another favourite of mine. I love John Carpenter's other films, eg The Fog, The Thing and Halloween, but this is very different from them.

In summary, I always judge a film by how it makes you feel, and I always feel emtionally touched after this film, even though it is sad, it is uplifting.

John Carpenter's Best Film, Hands Down!!!!!!!!!
Those of you still thinking that Halloween is director John Carpenter's greatest achievement need to look elsewhere, namely right here with Starman. A Sci-Fi/Romantic drama released back in 1985 that is so captivating, so moving and endearing, that it leaves you breathless with deep emotion and thought. Can you not be touched by the scene involving a dead deer? I've seen this film so many times and it never loses it's luster. Jack Nitzsche's music is so haunting, so alluring, so powerful with a wonderful mystical sense of longing that it draws you even further into the picture. John Carpenter has never made another film like this. It's his masterpiece because it gives us so many layers that are not found in any of his other works. You will care about these people. You will truly want them to be together. It's all there. This movie has so much heart and compassion for life. If you are not touched then please open your heart a little more. A special note to Columbia Pictures: Please release a Special Edition of this film with an audio commentary by John Carpenter, Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen (all in the same room together if possible). Mr. Carpenter has done many Special Edition DVD's for his films. Starman must not be the exception.

A Bothered Fan of The Film.
Carpenter is a director with great highs and lows in his career. Who has managed to make special editions for just about everyone one of his movies except this one. Recently I just read Christine (The killer car Movie!) is getting special edition treatment as opposed to this great family film. Long time Jeff Bridges fan I realized that he gives an oscar nominated performance here, so I wonder whats the deal. Why no Starman Special Edition or even Superbit it. this film deserves better treatment.

Starman
A moving love story wrapped in an engaging science fiction yarn. This is so good. It even had me reaching for the kleenex once or twice (don't tell anybody.)

"Yelled 'Greetings', and melted his lugwrench?"
This is a funny sci-fi romantic comedy from director John Carpenter (more famous for his thriller-type movies, which I have not seen.) The movie made me laugh out loud a few times - no easy feat.

The opening sequence shows a Voyager probe going out to space, and then a spacecraft returning toward earth. NORAD tracks the incoming object which crashes off-course in Wisconsin. SETI sends a scientist to find the crashsite. The military is also after it, of course. The alien performs a "symbiotic transformation" into a dead man's body using DNA from in a hair sample found in a photo book. The starman kidnaps the widow, and they start a cross-country journey toward "Arizona maybe" where he must meet up with the mothership, or die. Along the way, there is some social commentary regarding our treatment of foreigners, and our society in general.

"Do you seriously expect me to tell the president...that an alien has landed...assumed the identity of a dead house painter from Madison, Wisconsin...and is presently out tooling around the countryside...in a hopped-up, orange-and-black, 1977 Mustang?"

Well acted by Karen Allen as the widow, Charles Martin Smith as the SETI scientist, Richard Jaeckel as the government man, and Jeff Bridges earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of the starman. The direction and photography was good, and I think the special effects are fine (especially for 1984), though some people think they look cheap.

The DVD has the usual set up features and a trailer. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jean-Claude Van Damme, a.k.a. "the Muscles from Brussels," had only a few movies to his credit when he played the hero in this lame postapocalyptic action flick from 1989. It's really just another martial-arts movie, dressed down with near-future trash and dirty sets that have "low budget" written all over them. Van Damme plays the protective escort for a half-human, half-cyborg woman whose programming contains a possible cure for a plague that's threatening to wipe out the entire population of Earth. But the woman is kidnapped by Van Damme's evil nemesis (is there any other kind?) while they are en route to her Atlanta headquarters. That leads Van Damme right into a lion's den of sadomasochistic torture and torment. If you've made it this far (and if you have, why?), you're probably a founding member of the Jean-Claude Van Damme fan club. To everyone else: Don't say you weren't warned--this is the kind of movie in which naming characters after electric guitars (Van Damme's character is named "Gibson Rickenbacker") qualifies as clever screenwriting. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Pure Entertainment
I remember watching this movie several times a year when I owned it as a kid. I never forgot about it, and kept promising myself that someday I will buy it. That promise has not yet been made, but I just now saw the film on TNN, and it was like watching a new movie because I didn't remember any of it. And let me just tell you...forget Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce and all those other quaky (entertaining, but quaky) martial art films. Cyborg blows them all away.

I've seen other Van Damme films (God were they horrible). This is the only one that captivated me. The fight scenes were just so realistic. You don't got a guy climbing walls like he's spider man throughout the entire film, or jumping off buildings or flying around like he's a bird - he actually gets hurt and falls to his knees every now and again. It's not like the Matrix where you're just sitting there waiting for the guy to win - you really feel the pain of Jean-Claude's character when he gets cut or kicked.

All the reviewers are correct. There is hardly any dialog to this film...because it's an atmospheric film. You remember the Shining? No dialog on that one either, just pure atmosphere. And let me tell you, the doomsday world that this movie depicts was mind blowing. It really delivers to the viewer a sense of utter desolation. Everyone in the film is maniacal - totally out of their minds. It's the Drak Ages all over again, where little differentiated bewteen both sexes, and women actually faught in wars, at times accompanied by their children. Take Escape from LA, and combine that with REALISM, and that's just the world you'll enter when you watch this film.

Jean Claude did such an excellent job of playing a traveling vagrant consumed by the nightmares of a seriously disturbing past. His only priority in life is to kill the Cyborg that killed him a long time ago. The world is at the mercy of an awful plague, and even when the doors of a possible cure is open to him, all he can think about is vengeance. Note the face he makes when he first sees the Cyborg after years of searching for him. The hatred was so well defined in every contour...I was thinking, 'My God, I would NOT want to be that Cyborg!'

Well, whatever he had in mind, it didn't turn out so well. His nemesis proved to be quite...unstoppable.

The music in this film has got to be the best I've ever heard in any action film. It plays along perfectly with the atmosphere and the fight scenes. Slow, but hard pounding. Very nice touch. The whole movie was choreographed with the utmost of precision. Right on target with each kick and punch. Had me totally captivated. Get this film if you're not much for that cheesy stuff that comes from all these popular Chinese directors that is totally fake, (with the exception of a few Bruce Lee films). Jean Claude's character actually carries a gun around which in most martial art movies, this element lacks (Hey, a gun is more effective than a sword. Am I right or am I right?) And he is not afraid to use it, but tries to conserve his ammunition by fighting (bullets and guns are scarce in this upside down world). Lots of battles with sharp bladed weapons too. I mean, this movie has it all.

Van DAMN!!!!
Jean-Claude Van Damme was 28 when he made CYBORG, a low budgeted, post-apocolyptic martial arts adventure. At that time in his career, he'd made his name through a number of low budget, B-quality kung fu flicks. I liked BLOODSPORT, all the more so, becuase it's based on thrue events in the life of kumite champion Frank Dux, and Van Damme was definitely the right guy for the role.

Then there's KICKBOXER, which, like BLOODSPORT, shows Van Damme as an apprentice on a vendetta with a Mike Tyson-esque Muy Thai champ. That movie is distinguished, if nothing else, by the final battle between Van Damme and Tong Po, who was played by Van Damme's close friend Michael Quissi (though he was still credited as Tong Po.)

Then came CYBORG. It was released it 1989, and starred Van Damme as a martial arts master named Gibson Rickenbaker living in the post-apocolyptic ruins of New York. He finds himself rescuing a cyborg codenamed Pearl Prophet (Dayle Haddon) from a murderous gang of hooligans led by the sadistic Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn). Seems Pearl has detailed information on how to sythesize a cure to the plague that has caused all the chaos and is on her way to Atlanta to give the info to the last scientists. Tremolo and his gang would do anything to get ahold of the information and rule the world. It up to Gibson to save Pearl.

Now, I'll admit that when I was short on cash, and I had a choice between buying CYBORG or TIMECOP, I went with the latter, but I almost immediately after ordered CYBORG over the internet, and it was well worth it. As another customer pointed out, the fights in CYBORG are amazingly realistic and show Van Damme getting hurt and taking just as much of an butt kicking as he dishes out. (In a particularly brutal scene, Gibson is battered and exhausted, and gets beaten to a pulp by Tremolo.)

The movie has sort of a ROAD WARRIOR quality to it, the bigeest difference being the budgets of the two films. The villians and even the good guys dress in ragged clothing, like THE ROAD WARRIOR. The land is basically deserted, and there is an utter feeling of helplessness and anarchy. That's the essence of post-apolyptic action films.

Bottom Line: CYBORG is a great movie in my eyes, because it shows that in any martial arts movie, what is at it's heart is the fact that the hero can have all the strength, speed, and power in the universe, but no matter what, the hero is always human. In other Van Damme movies, like STREET FIGHTER, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, TIMECOP, REPLICANT, or DOUBLE TEAM, he was a righteous fighting machine, but he could still be hurt. Even in THE MATRIX movies, Neo was the Chosen One, capable of fantastic, inhuman feats, but he was still just a man, he could be beaten to the point where he would cough up blood, but he had the spirit to back him up.

And so it is with CYBORG. Gibson is a fantastic martial artist, but he could be beaten up almost to death by a bigger, stronger opponent. He got into certain situations where he would have to rely more on what he had inside than his blackbelt status. That's what truly makes a great karate flick, having a fighter who has fantastic fighting skils, or even superhuman powers who has the the heart and will to win. CYBORG is such a movie.

Scary future indeed! An underrated classic.
As far as JCVD movies are concerned this is terrific, and anyone expecting Schindlers List stay clear. I will recommend this movie to people who are fans of movies like Soldier (Kurt Russell) and even the other Albert Pyun movie Nemesis. Hey, i would go as far as saying that this film shares many qualities as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. They both take the cake for having the best villians in the history of cinema, Fender and Vernon Wells. This movie really is a guilty pleasure and also contains many disturbing scenes and religious undertones predominant in the sci-fi genre; such as Blade Runner, but it also manages to understand clearly what kind of movie it is trying to be - a gritty and scary martial arts flick! I'll back this film up and also the underrated Christopher Lambert flick Fortress till the day I die. Just don't expect an intellectual martial arts film, I even doubt if there are many, except for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix and any other that takes itself too seriously. Just expect a good old fashioned B-Movie to watch with a couple mates and a 6 pack of beer with some intelligent (arguable) ideas padded throughout. The DVD is worth purchasing, as it features an interesting 8 page booklet, a fine non-anamorphic widescreen transfer with occasional grain, but rather clean and sharp with vivid colours. The dolby surround is a little dissapointing but still throws a lot of sound into the rear speakers. This works wonders with the terrific music score! Long live JCVD. A truly underrated star who has a deserved cult following. I know he's not the best actor on the planet, but his films have a cheesy charm all the same. I liken him to Keanu Reeves, a man who can't act well, but is damn entertaining nonetheless.

One of Pyun's best
I hope you will forgive me when I tell you I have a crushing headache as I write this review. Why? Because I devoted several hours of this sunny day thinking about not one, but two, of Albert Pyun's films. Pondering the importance of "Ticker" and "Cyborg" to the cinematic world wore me out in ways I would not think possible. Pyun, if you are not familiar with his oeuvre, constructed his B movie credentials by releasing such classics as "The Sword and The Sorcerer," "Nemesis," "Mean Guns," and "Postmortem." He's a hack's hack in the hack world of zero budget schlock. Not to pound you over the head with it, but watching a Pyun film often resembles in no little way craning your head out the window to see that car accident on the freeway. Initially, you are intrigued by what you might see only to realize later how low you feel as a human being for looking at scenes of abject horror. Ok, I am exaggerating slightly. "Cyborg," the 1989 film that launched the dubious career of Jean-Claude Van Damme, is one of Pyun's better efforts. In fact, it is one of the few movies in his canon I can watch on a regular basis and not feel too badly about it the next day.

Here's another film dealing with life in a post-apocalyptic world. Gibson Rickenbacker (Van Damme) arises from the ruins to play the part of a Good Samaritan. He tries to help survivors of a plague flee from the ruined cities to the countryside, hopefully so they can reconstruct some semblance of a normal life. Rickenbacker, as the hero, of course has an unpleasant memory of one of his missions. He tried to save a family and ended up falling in love with a woman. You don't need me to spell out what happened next. Ever since this unfortunate incident, Gibson struggles with what he should do next. When he runs into a woman named Pearl Prophet (Dale Haddon), a cyborg attempting to carry a cure for the plague back to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, he must decide whether to resume the role of hero. Why not take part in helping Pearl carry the antidote? This mission could turn Rickenbacker into the savior of the world. Unfortunately for Rickenbacker and Pearl, Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn), a scary looking dude with weird eyes and a mechanical voice, and his gang of like-minded cyborgs have their own ideas. They think if they can capture Pearl and get her to Atlanta, they will control the future of the world.

When Prophet falls into the hands of Tremolo's gang, Rickenbacker decides to get her back. With the help of a mouthy young lady he picks up along the way named Nady Simmons (Deborah Richter), Gibson lurches from one violent confrontation to another. Thugs fall to the ground like leaves as the two pursue Tremolo with malevolent intent. Numerous showdowns in burnt out and broken down buildings provide Pyun and Van Damme with plenty of opportunities to showcase martial arts madness. Kicks, punches, and blunt and sharp instruments-anything you can think of that will cause damage to a human or cyborg body finds a use in this movie. And for the most part Pyun carries off the action well, much better than he has in many of his other movies. You are surprised that you actually root for this guy who speaks English like he just walked off a boat. Before feelings of giddiness carry you away, however, you need to reconcile yourself with a few of the cheesy aspects of the movie. Nearly all of the characters are named after musical instruments, the outfits look like the film crew robbed a New Wave band's wardrobe closet, and the dialogue tends towards the insipid. Still, "Cyborg" entertains as few Pyun films do.

"Cyborg" works largely due to the gritty, blasted urban background that the characters move through. It is here, in the ruins of civilization, where most of the action takes place. Moreover, the picture quality of the film (probably as a result of poor film stock) has a dirty look to it, which actually gives the movie a better, more realistic atmosphere. I even thought Pyun tried to inject a philosophical statement in the film (yeah, right) when we see Rickenbacker staked to that ship's mast. Is Gibson a Christ figure "rising" from the grave to help save the world? Maybe, but I'm probably reading more into "Cyborg" than the director intended. Sure, the acting could be better-lots better-and the fight scenes are a little over the top, but why else would you watch this movie? You don't expect Oscar performances and you don't get them. What you do get is an entertaining way to spend eighty plus minutes (the movie doesn't run for even an hour and a half).

The DVD version is strictly bare bones. If memory serves me correctly, the only extra on this disc was a trailer. Too bad, but a bit surprising considering this is officially a cult classic. It's interesting to note that none other than Cannon, the company that released TONS of low budget action flicks in the 1980s, helped fund this effort. Charles Bronson benefited from Cannon's attentions back then, so why not Van Damme? I recommend "Cyborg" not only to fans of action films, but even to fans of science fiction since the movie takes a stab at incorporating both elements under one umbrella. Is it intelligent cinema? Nope, but who says it needs to be?

This Movie Has a Message
I realize this movie is campy by today's standards, so only someone who watched it back in the day when it was a different era in movie making can appreciate it. I'd say you'd have to be at least 25 to enjoy it, because of it's sentimental and nostalgic atmosphere.

If you can get past that, it's actually really good. I've always enjoyed postapocalyptic reality-of-life depictions. The music is a bit much, but it does portray survival of the fittest in a realistic sense. The characters beat each other up a bit unbelievable and the breaking-himself-off-the-cross scene was absurd even then, but the fight scenes are well done and closefaced showdown scenes were gold. Definitely one for the collection. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Pure Entertainment
I remember watching this movie several times a year when I owned it as a kid. I never forgot about it, and kept promising myself that someday I will buy it. That promise has not yet been made, but I just now saw the film on TNN, and it was like watching a new movie because I didn't remember any of it. And let me just tell you...forget Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce and all those other quaky (entertaining, but quaky) martial art films. Cyborg blows them all away.

I've seen other Van Damme films (God were they horrible). This is the only one that captivated me. The fight scenes were just so realistic. You don't got a guy climbing walls like he's spider man throughout the entire film, or jumping off buildings or flying around like he's a bird - he actually gets hurt and falls to his knees every now and again. It's not like the Matrix where you're just sitting there waiting for the guy to win - you really feel the pain of Jean-Claude's character when he gets cut or kicked.

All the reviewers are correct. There is hardly any dialog to this film...because it's an atmospheric film. You remember the Shining? No dialog on that one either, just pure atmosphere. And let me tell you, the doomsday world that this movie depicts was mind blowing. It really delivers to the viewer a sense of utter desolation. Everyone in the film is maniacal - totally out of their minds. It's the Drak Ages all over again, where little differentiated bewteen both sexes, and women actually faught in wars, at times accompanied by their children. Take Escape from LA, and combine that with REALISM, and that's just the world you'll enter when you watch this film.

Jean Claude did such an excellent job of playing a traveling vagrant consumed by the nightmares of a seriously disturbing past. His only priority in life is to kill the Cyborg that killed him a long time ago. The world is at the mercy of an awful plague, and even when the doors of a possible cure is open to him, all he can think about is vengeance. Note the face he makes when he first sees the Cyborg after years of searching for him. The hatred was so well defined in every contour...I was thinking, 'My God, I would NOT want to be that Cyborg!'

Well, whatever he had in mind, it didn't turn out so well. His nemesis proved to be quite...unstoppable.

The music in this film has got to be the best I've ever heard in any action film. It plays along perfectly with the atmosphere and the fight scenes. Slow, but hard pounding. Very nice touch. The whole movie was choreographed with the utmost of precision. Right on target with each kick and punch. Had me totally captivated. Get this film if you're not much for that cheesy stuff that comes from all these popular Chinese directors that is totally fake, (with the exception of a few Bruce Lee films). Jean Claude's character actually carries a gun around which in most martial art movies, this element lacks (Hey, a gun is more effective than a sword. Am I right or am I right?) And he is not afraid to use it, but tries to conserve his ammunition by fighting (bullets and guns are scarce in this upside down world). Lots of battles with sharp bladed weapons too. I mean, this movie has it all.

Van DAMN!!!!
Jean-Claude Van Damme was 28 when he made CYBORG, a low budgeted, post-apocolyptic martial arts adventure. At that time in his career, he'd made his name through a number of low budget, B-quality kung fu flicks. I liked BLOODSPORT, all the more so, becuase it's based on thrue events in the life of kumite champion Frank Dux, and Van Damme was definitely the right guy for the role.

Then there's KICKBOXER, which, like BLOODSPORT, shows Van Damme as an apprentice on a vendetta with a Mike Tyson-esque Muy Thai champ. That movie is distinguished, if nothing else, by the final battle between Van Damme and Tong Po, who was played by Van Damme's close friend Michael Quissi (though he was still credited as Tong Po.)

Then came CYBORG. It was released it 1989, and starred Van Damme as a martial arts master named Gibson Rickenbaker living in the post-apocolyptic ruins of New York. He finds himself rescuing a cyborg codenamed Pearl Prophet (Dayle Haddon) from a murderous gang of hooligans led by the sadistic Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn). Seems Pearl has detailed information on how to sythesize a cure to the plague that has caused all the chaos and is on her way to Atlanta to give the info to the last scientists. Tremolo and his gang would do anything to get ahold of the information and rule the world. It up to Gibson to save Pearl.

Now, I'll admit that when I was short on cash, and I had a choice between buying CYBORG or TIMECOP, I went with the latter, but I almost immediately after ordered CYBORG over the internet, and it was well worth it. As another customer pointed out, the fights in CYBORG are amazingly realistic and show Van Damme getting hurt and taking just as much of an butt kicking as he dishes out. (In a particularly brutal scene, Gibson is battered and exhausted, and gets beaten to a pulp by Tremolo.)

The movie has sort of a ROAD WARRIOR quality to it, the bigeest difference being the budgets of the two films. The villians and even the good guys dress in ragged clothing, like THE ROAD WARRIOR. The land is basically deserted, and there is an utter feeling of helplessness and anarchy. That's the essence of post-apolyptic action films.

Bottom Line: CYBORG is a great movie in my eyes, because it shows that in any martial arts movie, what is at it's heart is the fact that the hero can have all the strength, speed, and power in the universe, but no matter what, the hero is always human. In other Van Damme movies, like STREET FIGHTER, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, TIMECOP, REPLICANT, or DOUBLE TEAM, he was a righteous fighting machine, but he could still be hurt. Even in THE MATRIX movies, Neo was the Chosen One, capable of fantastic, inhuman feats, but he was still just a man, he could be beaten to the point where he would cough up blood, but he had the spirit to back him up.

And so it is with CYBORG. Gibson is a fantastic martial artist, but he could be beaten up almost to death by a bigger, stronger opponent. He got into certain situations where he would have to rely more on what he had inside than his blackbelt status. That's what truly makes a great karate flick, having a fighter who has fantastic fighting skils, or even superhuman powers who has the the heart and will to win. CYBORG is such a movie.

Scary future indeed! An underrated classic.
As far as JCVD movies are concerned this is terrific, and anyone expecting Schindlers List stay clear. I will recommend this movie to people who are fans of movies like Soldier (Kurt Russell) and even the other Albert Pyun movie Nemesis. Hey, i would go as far as saying that this film shares many qualities as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. They both take the cake for having the best villians in the history of cinema, Fender and Vernon Wells. This movie really is a guilty pleasure and also contains many disturbing scenes and religious undertones predominant in the sci-fi genre; such as Blade Runner, but it also manages to understand clearly what kind of movie it is trying to be - a gritty and scary martial arts flick! I'll back this film up and also the underrated Christopher Lambert flick Fortress till the day I die. Just don't expect an intellectual martial arts film, I even doubt if there are many, except for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix and any other that takes itself too seriously. Just expect a good old fashioned B-Movie to watch with a couple mates and a 6 pack of beer with some intelligent (arguable) ideas padded throughout. The DVD is worth purchasing, as it features an interesting 8 page booklet, a fine non-anamorphic widescreen transfer with occasional grain, but rather clean and sharp with vivid colours. The dolby surround is a little dissapointing but still throws a lot of sound into the rear speakers. This works wonders with the terrific music score! Long live JCVD. A truly underrated star who has a deserved cult following. I know he's not the best actor on the planet, but his films have a cheesy charm all the same. I liken him to Keanu Reeves, a man who can't act well, but is damn entertaining nonetheless.

One of Pyun's best
I hope you will forgive me when I tell you I have a crushing headache as I write this review. Why? Because I devoted several hours of this sunny day thinking about not one, but two, of Albert Pyun's films. Pondering the importance of "Ticker" and "Cyborg" to the cinematic world wore me out in ways I would not think possible. Pyun, if you are not familiar with his oeuvre, constructed his B movie credentials by releasing such classics as "The Sword and The Sorcerer," "Nemesis," "Mean Guns," and "Postmortem." He's a hack's hack in the hack world of zero budget schlock. Not to pound you over the head with it, but watching a Pyun film often resembles in no little way craning your head out the window to see that car accident on the freeway. Initially, you are intrigued by what you might see only to realize later how low you feel as a human being for looking at scenes of abject horror. Ok, I am exaggerating slightly. "Cyborg," the 1989 film that launched the dubious career of Jean-Claude Van Damme, is one of Pyun's better efforts. In fact, it is one of the few movies in his canon I can watch on a regular basis and not feel too badly about it the next day.

Here's another film dealing with life in a post-apocalyptic world. Gibson Rickenbacker (Van Damme) arises from the ruins to play the part of a Good Samaritan. He tries to help survivors of a plague flee from the ruined cities to the countryside, hopefully so they can reconstruct some semblance of a normal life. Rickenbacker, as the hero, of course has an unpleasant memory of one of his missions. He tried to save a family and ended up falling in love with a woman. You don't need me to spell out what happened next. Ever since this unfortunate incident, Gibson struggles with what he should do next. When he runs into a woman named Pearl Prophet (Dale Haddon), a cyborg attempting to carry a cure for the plague back to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, he must decide whether to resume the role of hero. Why not take part in helping Pearl carry the antidote? This mission could turn Rickenbacker into the savior of the world. Unfortunately for Rickenbacker and Pearl, Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn), a scary looking dude with weird eyes and a mechanical voice, and his gang of like-minded cyborgs have their own ideas. They think if they can capture Pearl and get her to Atlanta, they will control the future of the world.

When Prophet falls into the hands of Tremolo's gang, Rickenbacker decides to get her back. With the help of a mouthy young lady he picks up along the way named Nady Simmons (Deborah Richter), Gibson lurches from one violent confrontation to another. Thugs fall to the ground like leaves as the two pursue Tremolo with malevolent intent. Numerous showdowns in burnt out and broken down buildings provide Pyun and Van Damme with plenty of opportunities to showcase martial arts madness. Kicks, punches, and blunt and sharp instruments-anything you can think of that will cause damage to a human or cyborg body finds a use in this movie. And for the most part Pyun carries off the action well, much better than he has in many of his other movies. You are surprised that you actually root for this guy who speaks English like he just walked off a boat. Before feelings of giddiness carry you away, however, you need to reconcile yourself with a few of the cheesy aspects of the movie. Nearly all of the characters are named after musical instruments, the outfits look like the film crew robbed a New Wave band's wardrobe closet, and the dialogue tends towards the insipid. Still, "Cyborg" entertains as few Pyun films do.

"Cyborg" works largely due to the gritty, blasted urban background that the characters move through. It is here, in the ruins of civilization, where most of the action takes place. Moreover, the picture quality of the film (probably as a result of poor film stock) has a dirty look to it, which actually gives the movie a better, more realistic atmosphere. I even thought Pyun tried to inject a philosophical statement in the film (yeah, right) when we see Rickenbacker staked to that ship's mast. Is Gibson a Christ figure "rising" from the grave to help save the world? Maybe, but I'm probably reading more into "Cyborg" than the director intended. Sure, the acting could be better-lots better-and the fight scenes are a little over the top, but why else would you watch this movie? You don't expect Oscar performances and you don't get them. What you do get is an entertaining way to spend eighty plus minutes (the movie doesn't run for even an hour and a half).

The DVD version is strictly bare bones. If memory serves me correctly, the only extra on this disc was a trailer. Too bad, but a bit surprising considering this is officially a cult classic. It's interesting to note that none other than Cannon, the company that released TONS of low budget action flicks in the 1980s, helped fund this effort. Charles Bronson benefited from Cannon's attentions back then, so why not Van Damme? I recommend "Cyborg" not only to fans of action films, but even to fans of science fiction since the movie takes a stab at incorporating both elements under one umbrella. Is it intelligent cinema? Nope, but who says it needs to be?

This Movie Has a Message
I realize this movie is campy by today's standards, so only someone who watched it back in the day when it was a different era in movie making can appreciate it. I'd say you'd have to be at least 25 to enjoy it, because of it's sentimental and nostalgic atmosphere.

If you can get past that, it's actually really good. I've always enjoyed postapocalyptic reality-of-life depictions. The music is a bit much, but it does portray survival of the fittest in a realistic sense. The characters beat each other up a bit unbelievable and the breaking-himself-off-the-cross scene was absurd even then, but the fight scenes are well done and closefaced showdown scenes were gold. Definitely one for the collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A diminuitive, 12-year-old boy named Spencer (Joseph Mazzello of Jurassic Park and The River Wild) has been hit with every whammy possible: he's new in town, he's motherless, his preoccupied father and bored sister have no time for him, he's speechless each time he's near a girl he likes, and the school bully would like to dance on his head. Blessed are beleaguered boys in movies, however, for sometimes high adventure awaits. In Spencer's case, things get better when he finds a seven-foot-tall, alien robot suit that becomes one with whoever climbs inside it. Locked inside the metallic visitor, our little hero is capable of super feats and naturally goes after his tormentor. He also inadvertently leaves a lot of wreckage in his path from unfamiliarity with the suit's size and controls. This family film's message, of course, is that nothing can really make one stronger than learning to face problems within one's own skin. Then again, most people don't end up having to fend off hostile extraterrestrials who come to Earth to steal the suit for their own nefarious purposes. Written and directed by Manny Coto, this charming story relies a bit on some clever, well-executed special effects (the look of the robot's face as seen from inside itself is particularly ingenious), but it is largely driven by its actors' abilities. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Just barely OK....
I like Joseph Mazzello a lot (he's a great young actor!), but I have to say that this movie stunk! It's basically about a kid with no friends who hides his identity and finds courage in a robot-like cyber suit from another world and becomes a super hero. I mean, it's not the WORST movie I've ever seen, but definitely not the BEST or even close to it. The acting is pretty OK, but most of it is a little cheesy. Star Kid is more for our younger audiences than older audiences. I rented this video and I can say that renting it once was enough for me! I've seen all of Joseph Mazzello's movies, and I have to say that his other ones are better. If you're a Joseph Mazzello fan, skip this one and pick up The Cure, Jurassic Park, Simon Birch, or The River Wild. Watching this movie once should be enough! Very disappointed.

Awful
This movie was terrible. Jimbob was the worst actor I have ever seen. He didn't know what he was doing, or how to act. For example, the scene where he is in the submarine, and the flying turtle blasts his head off, he looks like he is having fun. Wow. Can you believe it? I can't.

star kid is a star!
i like star kid. i want a star kid suit myself to play with. he can fight bullies and look scary but star kid is really just a boy. my best part of the show was star kids special effects. it looked much realer than power rangers. they are grown ups, and star kid is a kid. the suit makes him look bigger and feel happier. if i get lonesome i ask to watch star kid and i pretend to be star kid after the movie. i like star kid!

The Rock Throw Is Classic!
This is a great movie about a kid named Spencer Griffith. He is a pretty normal 12-year-old who gets bullied around a lot. He's into comic books. He wants to be friends with a certain girl in his class but whenever he tries to talk to her he goes mute.

One day while he was sitting in his room alone he sees something fall from the sky and land in the local junkyard. He goes to investigate and finds an a capsule. He throws a rock at it. Nothing happens, so he touches it. It opens up to reveal an alien suit that asks him if he needs transport. He says yes and goes inside. Spencer then proceeds to go around town having fun in his suit and getting back at his bullies. But a bigger evil is lurking around and soon he needs to decide the fate of mankind.

This is an excellent movie, it is a bit cheesy at times but I like it. Joseph Mazzello is superb as Spencer. This is also the first movie where he was the biggest name. I give this great movie 5 stars. But I don't recommend it to anyone who is not a child at heart or you'll just shrug it off as a bad cheesy movie.

PS: Is it just me, or does every Joseph Mazzello movie have things thrown? Especially rocks. Jurassic Park, Radio Flyer, Simon Birch, Three Wishes, and The Cure all have things thrown. It's a Joseph Mazzello movie trademark.

I LIKE FOR SOME REASON
I NOW ALOT OF YOU GUYS HATE THIS MOVIE BUT FOR SOME REASON I LIKE IT. JOSEPH MAKES YOUU CARE ABOUT HIS CHACTER. BUT THE EFFECTS WERE PRETTY CHEESY. ... Read more

Reviews (169)

"Scuusssssseeee Me?"
Holes is a brilliant book by the fantastic Louis Sachar. Now its the utlimate book adaption and family film. Many films based on books, rarly compare, but this won me and many others over.
This movie has a fantastic cast as well. Let me start off with my favortie cast memeber. Sigourney Weaver is AWESOME as the mean spirted warden. She lights up the screen and you find yourself begging for more Sigourney. Shia LaBeouf is great at Stanley Yelnats and brings humor and heart to the screen. Patricia Arquette is great as Kissin Kate Barlow and totally embodies her perfectly. The rest of the cast I will mention in the following review.
When a famous pair of sneakers falls from the sky and lands in Stanleys hands, he finds himself in court with the decision of jail or Camp Green Lake. His family (except his mom) quickly blame this on Stanleys dirty rotten pig stealing greatgrandfather. Well, hes never been to camp so thats better than jail. He is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake to build character. Once there, he realizes he is not in any normal camp. He also finds out that there is no lake, and the place is not green. He is in the middle of the desert, and Camp Green Lake has the only water source for 100 miles. It doesnt take long, before MR.SIR (Jon Voight, who perfectly acts out this odd character) takes Stanley's bags and gives him his work clothes and his relaxation clothes and explains to him that every morning he will be required to dig one hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide to turn around his bad character.
The movie continues to explain how something fishy is going on at Camp Green Lake, and explains Stanley's greatgrandfathers curse, and the life of Kissin Kate.
I bought this film without seeing it and i am pleased. It is a fantastic movie for kids and adults. Its funny and extremely heart-warming. Dont miss this one.

Remains remarkably faithful to the book!
I read "Holes" several years back for a children's literature course I took in college. I highly enjoyed it! It was one of the best books I read in that class.

So when they introduced the movie, I was quite interested. Part of me was hopeful it would turn out well, the other part of me was skeptical that it would be anywhere near as good as the book. However, my fears were dashed. This movie was FABULOUS!

The story jumps back and forth a little between three different tales -- the story of Elya Yelnats, the main character's "no good, dirty-rotten, pig-stealing great-great-grandfather"; the story of Stanley Yelnats IV himself; and the story of a legendary outlaw, Kissing Kate Barlow. The three stories are interwoven quite ingeniously. In some cases, you aren't completely sure what the connection will be, but then when you find out, it fits perfectly.

The story IS slightly altered, of course, as most books-brought-to-movies tend to be. But it very much keeps the spirit of the original book. The boys are very believable -- I especially love Zero! Sigourney Weaver makes a wonderfully nasty warden. And John Voigt does a wonderful insane portrayal of Mr. Sir.

This movie will keep you laughing and curious throughout. And if you enjoyed the book, you'll like this film!

Adults can watch it with their kids and all actually enjoy!
The wildly popular novel for youngsters "Holes" gets turned into a movie that is completely in keeping with the spirit of the book.

The young cast bring to life the beloved characters at Camp Green Lake, where convicted juvenile delinquents are sent to toil in broiling Texas sun. It was great to see X-Ray, Zero, Armpit and of course Caveman brought to life. The adult parts are played by Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver and Tim Blake Nelson, and they look like they're having a WORLD of fun playing the malicious staff at Camp Green Lake. The story is not insulting to kids, and adults can watch it and be entertained the entire length of the movie. Vignettes back at Caveman's home where Stanley Yelnats the second and third live under the curse incurred from the first Stanley Yelnats, and trips back in time where that first Stanley was cursed by European VooDoo Woman Eartha Kitt as well as the back-story around Kissin' Kate and her treasure all add to the viewing pleasure.

The DVD comes with just the right amount of supplemental features, interviews and commentaries.

Not many "children's movies" are as appropriate for all ages. Highly recommended.

if you don't like this movie - shame on you!
This is a movie for the entire family to watch and love with its humorous and clever plot, based on the hit book "Holes" by Louis Sachar, who also writes the screenplay for this. The movie is about a twelve-year-old boy named Stanley Yelnats who's family has been cursed due to his "no-good, rotten, pig of a grandfather". He's walking along the road when a fantastic pair of shoes fly out of nowhere. He thinks his luck has finally started, when he finds police chasing him and in a courtroom because those shoes were the greatest basketballer player's of all time, and it was for a charity event where the money raised would be given to homeless children. He is sent to Camp Greenlake, where once was a beautiful lake, which is now a dry and scorching desert. Deadly adventures befall him there as he makes a friendship with Zero, a mysterious, shy boy. Their adventures lead them to a hidden treasure that belongs to Stanley... If you want to findout more, watch the film!

Girls' movies are better
I liked the movie, which Stanley stole a pair of shoes that fell from the sky and landed on his head. Then he got sent to the courtroom and the judge asked him: "Your choices: Camp Green Lake or Jail?" Then Stanley decided to go to Camp Green Lake because he never been into any Camp before. Camp Green Lake is a camp for bad boys, because they're too young to go to jail. When he got sent to Camp Green Lake, he had to dig one hole each day, and each hole must be 5 feet deep and 5 feet in diameter. I think this movie is OK, but I like girls' movies better, like "The Parent Trap", "The Lizzie McGuire Movie", "What A Girl Wants". ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Pure Entertainment
I remember watching this movie several times a year when I owned it as a kid. I never forgot about it, and kept promising myself that someday I will buy it. That promise has not yet been made, but I just now saw the film on TNN, and it was like watching a new movie because I didn't remember any of it. And let me just tell you...forget Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce and all those other quaky (entertaining, but quaky) martial art films. Cyborg blows them all away.

I've seen other Van Damme films (God were they horrible). This is the only one that captivated me. The fight scenes were just so realistic. You don't got a guy climbing walls like he's spider man throughout the entire film, or jumping off buildings or flying around like he's a bird - he actually gets hurt and falls to his knees every now and again. It's not like the Matrix where you're just sitting there waiting for the guy to win - you really feel the pain of Jean-Claude's character when he gets cut or kicked.

All the reviewers are correct. There is hardly any dialog to this film...because it's an atmospheric film. You remember the Shining? No dialog on that one either, just pure atmosphere. And let me tell you, the doomsday world that this movie depicts was mind blowing. It really delivers to the viewer a sense of utter desolation. Everyone in the film is maniacal - totally out of their minds. It's the Drak Ages all over again, where little differentiated bewteen both sexes, and women actually faught in wars, at times accompanied by their children. Take Escape from LA, and combine that with REALISM, and that's just the world you'll enter when you watch this film.

Jean Claude did such an excellent job of playing a traveling vagrant consumed by the nightmares of a seriously disturbing past. His only priority in life is to kill the Cyborg that killed him a long time ago. The world is at the mercy of an awful plague, and even when the doors of a possible cure is open to him, all he can think about is vengeance. Note the face he makes when he first sees the Cyborg after years of searching for him. The hatred was so well defined in every contour...I was thinking, 'My God, I would NOT want to be that Cyborg!'

Well, whatever he had in mind, it didn't turn out so well. His nemesis proved to be quite...unstoppable.

The music in this film has got to be the best I've ever heard in any action film. It plays along perfectly with the atmosphere and the fight scenes. Slow, but hard pounding. Very nice touch. The whole movie was choreographed with the utmost of precision. Right on target with each kick and punch. Had me totally captivated. Get this film if you're not much for that cheesy stuff that comes from all these popular Chinese directors that is totally fake, (with the exception of a few Bruce Lee films). Jean Claude's character actually carries a gun around which in most martial art movies, this element lacks (Hey, a gun is more effective than a sword. Am I right or am I right?) And he is not afraid to use it, but tries to conserve his ammunition by fighting (bullets and guns are scarce in this upside down world). Lots of battles with sharp bladed weapons too. I mean, this movie has it all.

Van DAMN!!!!
Jean-Claude Van Damme was 28 when he made CYBORG, a low budgeted, post-apocolyptic martial arts adventure. At that time in his career, he'd made his name through a number of low budget, B-quality kung fu flicks. I liked BLOODSPORT, all the more so, becuase it's based on thrue events in the life of kumite champion Frank Dux, and Van Damme was definitely the right guy for the role.

Then there's KICKBOXER, which, like BLOODSPORT, shows Van Damme as an apprentice on a vendetta with a Mike Tyson-esque Muy Thai champ. That movie is distinguished, if nothing else, by the final battle between Van Damme and Tong Po, who was played by Van Damme's close friend Michael Quissi (though he was still credited as Tong Po.)

Then came CYBORG. It was released it 1989, and starred Van Damme as a martial arts master named Gibson Rickenbaker living in the post-apocolyptic ruins of New York. He finds himself rescuing a cyborg codenamed Pearl Prophet (Dayle Haddon) from a murderous gang of hooligans led by the sadistic Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn). Seems Pearl has detailed information on how to sythesize a cure to the plague that has caused all the chaos and is on her way to Atlanta to give the info to the last scientists. Tremolo and his gang would do anything to get ahold of the information and rule the world. It up to Gibson to save Pearl.

Now, I'll admit that when I was short on cash, and I had a choice between buying CYBORG or TIMECOP, I went with the latter, but I almost immediately after ordered CYBORG over the internet, and it was well worth it. As another customer pointed out, the fights in CYBORG are amazingly realistic and show Van Damme getting hurt and taking just as much of an butt kicking as he dishes out. (In a particularly brutal scene, Gibson is battered and exhausted, and gets beaten to a pulp by Tremolo.)

The movie has sort of a ROAD WARRIOR quality to it, the bigeest difference being the budgets of the two films. The villians and even the good guys dress in ragged clothing, like THE ROAD WARRIOR. The land is basically deserted, and there is an utter feeling of helplessness and anarchy. That's the essence of post-apolyptic action films.

Bottom Line: CYBORG is a great movie in my eyes, because it shows that in any martial arts movie, what is at it's heart is the fact that the hero can have all the strength, speed, and power in the universe, but no matter what, the hero is always human. In other Van Damme movies, like STREET FIGHTER, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, TIMECOP, REPLICANT, or DOUBLE TEAM, he was a righteous fighting machine, but he could still be hurt. Even in THE MATRIX movies, Neo was the Chosen One, capable of fantastic, inhuman feats, but he was still just a man, he could be beaten to the point where he would cough up blood, but he had the spirit to back him up.

And so it is with CYBORG. Gibson is a fantastic martial artist, but he could be beaten up almost to death by a bigger, stronger opponent. He got into certain situations where he would have to rely more on what he had inside than his blackbelt status. That's what truly makes a great karate flick, having a fighter who has fantastic fighting skils, or even superhuman powers who has the the heart and will to win. CYBORG is such a movie.

Scary future indeed! An underrated classic.
As far as JCVD movies are concerned this is terrific, and anyone expecting Schindlers List stay clear. I will recommend this movie to people who are fans of movies like Soldier (Kurt Russell) and even the other Albert Pyun movie Nemesis. Hey, i would go as far as saying that this film shares many qualities as Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior. They both take the cake for having the best villians in the history of cinema, Fender and Vernon Wells. This movie really is a guilty pleasure and also contains many disturbing scenes and religious undertones predominant in the sci-fi genre; such as Blade Runner, but it also manages to understand clearly what kind of movie it is trying to be - a gritty and scary martial arts flick! I'll back this film up and also the underrated Christopher Lambert flick Fortress till the day I die. Just don't expect an intellectual martial arts film, I even doubt if there are many, except for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix and any other that takes itself too seriously. Just expect a good old fashioned B-Movie to watch with a couple mates and a 6 pack of beer with some intelligent (arguable) ideas padded throughout. The DVD is worth purchasing, as it features an interesting 8 page booklet, a fine non-anamorphic widescreen transfer with occasional grain, but rather clean and sharp with vivid colours. The dolby surround is a little dissapointing but still throws a lot of sound into the rear speakers. This works wonders with the terrific music score! Long live JCVD. A truly underrated star who has a deserved cult following. I know he's not the best actor on the planet, but his films have a cheesy charm all the same. I liken him to Keanu Reeves, a man who can't act well, but is damn entertaining nonetheless.

One of Pyun's best
I hope you will forgive me when I tell you I have a crushing headache as I write this review. Why? Because I devoted several hours of this sunny day thinking about not one, but two, of Albert Pyun's films. Pondering the importance of "Ticker" and "Cyborg" to the cinematic world wore me out in ways I would not think possible. Pyun, if you are not familiar with his oeuvre, constructed his B movie credentials by releasing such classics as "The Sword and The Sorcerer," "Nemesis," "Mean Guns," and "Postmortem." He's a hack's hack in the hack world of zero budget schlock. Not to pound you over the head with it, but watching a Pyun film often resembles in no little way craning your head out the window to see that car accident on the freeway. Initially, you are intrigued by what you might see only to realize later how low you feel as a human being for looking at scenes of abject horror. Ok, I am exaggerating slightly. "Cyborg," the 1989 film that launched the dubious career of Jean-Claude Van Damme, is one of Pyun's better efforts. In fact, it is one of the few movies in his canon I can watch on a regular basis and not feel too badly about it the next day.

Here's another film dealing with life in a post-apocalyptic world. Gibson Rickenbacker (Van Damme) arises from the ruins to play the part of a Good Samaritan. He tries to help survivors of a plague flee from the ruined cities to the countryside, hopefully so they can reconstruct some semblance of a normal life. Rickenbacker, as the hero, of course has an unpleasant memory of one of his missions. He tried to save a family and ended up falling in love with a woman. You don't need me to spell out what happened next. Ever since this unfortunate incident, Gibson struggles with what he should do next. When he runs into a woman named Pearl Prophet (Dale Haddon), a cyborg attempting to carry a cure for the plague back to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, he must decide whether to resume the role of hero. Why not take part in helping Pearl carry the antidote? This mission could turn Rickenbacker into the savior of the world. Unfortunately for Rickenbacker and Pearl, Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn), a scary looking dude with weird eyes and a mechanical voice, and his gang of like-minded cyborgs have their own ideas. They think if they can capture Pearl and get her to Atlanta, they will control the future of the world.

When Prophet falls into the hands of Tremolo's gang, Rickenbacker decides to get her back. With the help of a mouthy young lady he picks up along the way named Nady Simmons (Deborah Richter), Gibson lurches from one violent confrontation to another. Thugs fall to the ground like leaves as the two pursue Tremolo with malevolent intent. Numerous showdowns in burnt out and broken down buildings provide Pyun and Van Damme with plenty of opportunities to showcase martial arts madness. Kicks, punches, and blunt and sharp instruments-anything you can think of that will cause damage to a human or cyborg body finds a use in this movie. And for the most part Pyun carries off the action well, much better than he has in many of his other movies. You are surprised that you actually root for this guy who speaks English like he just walked off a boat. Before feelings of giddiness carry you away, however, you need to reconcile yourself with a few of the cheesy aspects of the movie. Nearly all of the characters are named after musical instruments, the outfits look like the film crew robbed a New Wave band's wardrobe closet, and the dialogue tends towards the insipid. Still, "Cyborg" entertains as few Pyun films do.

"Cyborg" works largely due to the gritty, blasted urban background that the characters move through. It is here, in the ruins of civilization, where most of the action takes place. Moreover, the picture quality of the film (probably as a result of poor film stock) has a dirty look to it, which actually gives the movie a better, more realistic atmosphere. I even thought Pyun tried to inject a philosophical statement in the film (yeah, right) when we see Rickenbacker staked to that ship's mast. Is Gibson a Christ figure "rising" from the grave to help save the world? Maybe, but I'm probably reading more into "Cyborg" than the director intended. Sure, the acting could be better-lots better-and the fight scenes are a little over the top, but why else would you watch this movie? You don't expect Oscar performances and you don't get them. What you do get is an entertaining way to spend eighty plus minutes (the movie doesn't run for even an hour and a half).

The DVD version is strictly bare bones. If memory serves me correctly, the only extra on this disc was a trailer. Too bad, but a bit surprising considering this is officially a cult classic. It's interesting to note that none other than Cannon, the company that released TONS of low budget action flicks in the 1980s, helped fund this effort. Charles Bronson benefited from Cannon's attentions back then, so why not Van Damme? I recommend "Cyborg" not only to fans of action films, but even to fans of science fiction since the movie takes a stab at incorporating both elements under one umbrella. Is it intelligent cinema? Nope, but who says it needs to be?

This Movie Has a Message
I realize this movie is campy by today's standards, so only someone who watched it back in the day when it was a different era in movie making can appreciate it. I'd say you'd have to be at least 25 to enjoy it, because of it's sentimental and nostalgic atmosphere.

If you can get past that, it's actually really good. I've always enjoyed postapocalyptic reality-of-life depictions. The music is a bit much, but it does portray survival of the fittest in a realistic sense. The characters beat each other up a bit unbelievable and the breaking-himself-off-the-cross scene was absurd even then, but the fight scenes are well done and closefaced showdown scenes were gold. Definitely one for the collection. ... Read more