Avatar (2004)

In the near future in the Asian city-state Sintawan, everyone's identity is recorded in the vast CyberLink. The only way around this is using illegal simulated identity implants (sims). A ... See full summary »

Director:

Jian Hong Kuo

Writer:

Christopher Hatton

Stars:

Genevieve O'Reilly, Luoyong Wang, Kay Siu Lim

Cast

Credited cast:
Genevieve O'Reilly	...	Dash MacKenzie
Luoyong Wang	...	Victor Huang
Kay Siu Lim	...	Julius
David Warner	...	Joseph Lau
Joan Chen	...	Madame Ong
Michael De Mesa	...	Davinder Sandhu
Henry O	...	Uncle Hui
Remesh Panicker	...	Player #5
William Sanderson	...	Riley
T. Sasitharan	...	Minister
Kumar	...	Zai
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ferdaus Bin Ahmad	...	Raver #3
Lennard Chan	...	Man in crowd
Gerald Chew	...	Edward Chan
Hwee Chin Chiam	...	Goggles Man

Storyline

In the near future in the Asian city-state Sintawan, everyone's identity is recorded in the vast CyberLink. The only way around this is using illegal simulated identity implants (sims). A young bounty hunter who makes her living tracking sims, finds herself the unlikely ally of a police detective who suspects the CyberLink is being perverted for an insidious and deadly purpose.

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Plot Keywords:

police chase | traitor | city | knocked unconscious | computer | 

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Taglines:

Join the revolution.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for violence, brief nudity and language

Details

Country:

Singapore

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cyber Wars

Filming Locations:

Singapore

Box Office

Budget:

$3,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinemancer Pte Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Matrix (1999)

User Reviews

Domino meets The Matrix, in Blade Runner world

Not bad, not bad at all. I gather this is Australian, at least in part, and it seems of a piece with the generally good quality of Australian films, at least those imported to the US compared with the US domestic product.

As my title suggests, it combines general plot elements of Domino, The Matrix, and the general concept of Blade Runner; it doesn't try to outdo any of them, but instead is a somewhat stripped down, sleek SF action film, more in the spirit of Domino than the somewhat ponderous senses of The Matrix and Blade Runner, which had to set up the cyberpunk world that this movie can now take for granted.

What's nice about it is a general lack of crap or cheesiness; actors are all good, including Joan Chen and William Sanderson, apparently a permanent fixture of the cyberpunk world since Blade Runner; dialogue is good; no cheesy effects, performances, dialogue, etc. I find this compares favorably with something like Freejack, which had the faint whiff of fromage floating about it, as well as Mad Max (the original) which was sort of obviously cartoonish.