When I saw this I thought it was going to be a cheesy, low budget, poor acting movie. After all it had Adrian Paul in it so what else could it be. Well it is what I thought. BUT somewhere along the line it developed some interesting subplots and some greater social conscience. The movie wasn't able to maximize its potential but it still makes you think. So let's break movie down: ACTING. It's what you expect. Little or unknown actors with limited ability. But the acting is no worse than 90% of what we see on television.
CONTINUITY. The movie flows OK but there's so many unexplained bits and pieces that should have been linked or explained. The singer from the band and the girlfriend are killed in the car making the President's uncle the new lead singer. No connection to the movie's plot. Why sneak explosives into the building when you've already loaded tanks of explosive material in the basement with timers on them. Why have a running gun fight when the purpose is to explode the building? Just do it. How did the plot with guitar man mesh with the explosives in the basement? It's like two plots to kill the President. And why would the guitar man want to kill the President as the Vice-President would take over and it's clear the latter is more the hawk of the two? Plot line. The plot line is confusing at times. We never figure out who is controlling the eyeborgs (likely the VP) or if they are acting independently (AI). Sometimes it seems like it has to be the latter but the basic plot line only seems to benefit the VP.
GRAPHICS. Overall not too bad. The eyeborgs were fairly well done. The larger units looked a little too computer generated at times but other units, such as the soldier units, looked good.
So why give it a 6 instead of a 2 or 3? I found the movie unsettling as it is just a slightly more extreme example of what exists today. Our survelliance cameras might not be linked but they are everywhere. I read somewhere that in large cities, if you are walking on a city street, that you will likely be captured on tape by at least 14 cameras on average. Even if that stat is wrong and it's only 2-3, that's still a lot of times to have someone record you. In the movie people could never get away from the cameras. Even low end criminals selling guns, dope or plotting to kill the President couldn't keep them out of their houses.
Also found it unsettling how they relied on robots for all evidence such as film footage, blood samples and other crime scene investigations. Sort of a Magnus Robot Fighter environment. No one thinks for themselves.
Finally it has the feeling and the closing that would work well as a pilot for a TV show.
It's worth a rental or purchase in the low cost movie bin.
CONTINUITY. The movie flows OK but there's so many unexplained bits and pieces that should have been linked or explained. The singer from the band and the girlfriend are killed in the car making the President's uncle the new lead singer. No connection to the movie's plot. Why sneak explosives into the building when you've already loaded tanks of explosive material in the basement with timers on them. Why have a running gun fight when the purpose is to explode the building? Just do it. How did the plot with guitar man mesh with the explosives in the basement? It's like two plots to kill the President. And why would the guitar man want to kill the President as the Vice-President would take over and it's clear the latter is more the hawk of the two? Plot line. The plot line is confusing at times. We never figure out who is controlling the eyeborgs (likely the VP) or if they are acting independently (AI). Sometimes it seems like it has to be the latter but the basic plot line only seems to benefit the VP.
GRAPHICS. Overall not too bad. The eyeborgs were fairly well done. The larger units looked a little too computer generated at times but other units, such as the soldier units, looked good.
So why give it a 6 instead of a 2 or 3? I found the movie unsettling as it is just a slightly more extreme example of what exists today. Our survelliance cameras might not be linked but they are everywhere. I read somewhere that in large cities, if you are walking on a city street, that you will likely be captured on tape by at least 14 cameras on average. Even if that stat is wrong and it's only 2-3, that's still a lot of times to have someone record you. In the movie people could never get away from the cameras. Even low end criminals selling guns, dope or plotting to kill the President couldn't keep them out of their houses.
Also found it unsettling how they relied on robots for all evidence such as film footage, blood samples and other crime scene investigations. Sort of a Magnus Robot Fighter environment. No one thinks for themselves.
Finally it has the feeling and the closing that would work well as a pilot for a TV show.
It's worth a rental or purchase in the low cost movie bin.