My review of the underrated cyberpunk film, Johnny Mnemonic(1995) starring Keanu Reeves, Dina Meyer, Ice-T, Takeshi Kitano, Denis Akiyama, Dolph Lundgren, Henry Rollins, Barbara Sukowa, and Udo Kier. Johnny Mnemonic is a 1995 American cyberpunk sci-fi action film directed by Robert Longo. It was loosely based on the short story "Johnny Mnemonic" by William Gibson.Keanu Reeves plays the title character, a man with a cybernetic brain implant designed to store information. The film portrays Gibson's dystopia view of the future with the world dominated by mega corporations and with strong East Asian influences. Seriously this movie kicks ass. Keanu Reeves and Dina Meyer are awesome. I love when An assassin try's to kill Johnny he aim his gun on his back and says "Time to die" and Johnny says "Time" and he switch's his watch and the bomb explodes. Dina Meyer as body guard Jane throws a grenade and kills a few assassins. Dina Meyer also co started in her latest movie in the 90's Starship Troopers unfortunately her character in that movie was killed. I really love Dolph Lundgren as Street Preacher "It's Jesus time!" "HALT SINNERS!" Dolph shows up after next 45.mins. in the movie I wish he would have showed earlier. He's acting is still pretty good. Ice-T and Udo Kier did a great performance in their roles.
This movie is very underrated an solid Action flick I wish there would be more Action flick like are this today. In my opinion The Matrix and Johnny Mnemonic are my top 2 best Action Sci-fi flicks from Keanu Reeves of the 90's. Movies like are this don't exist today anymore.
The film was shot on location in Canada, with Toronto and Montreal filling in for the film's Newark, New Jersey and Beijing settings. A number of local monuments, including Toronto's Union Station and Montreal's skyline and Jacques Cartier Bridge, feature prominently.
The film premiered in Japan first on April 15, 1995, with a longer version (103 Min's) that is closer to the director's cut and features a previously composed score by Mychael Danna, different editing, and more scenes with Japanese star Takeshi Kitano and Dolph Lundgren notably. Val Kilmer was originally set to star, but left the project after he was offered the role of Batman in Batman Forever.The character Molly Millions, from the original story, was changed to Jane for the film. They are very similar characters except that Molly had retractable razor blades under her fingernails and augmented vision. It is believed that the change was due to the "Molly" character being attached to the rights for any possible future Neuromancer film adaptation.
The script was rumored to have been dumped on the doorstep of Keanu Reeves' house, a tactic that piqued his interest and led to him accepting the role of Johnny.
B.J. Rack, one of the producers, is still credited although he left the project due to creative differences with director Robert Longo First of all, the prologue is different and more poignant.
Here it is, in this exact form:
"New century. Age of terminal capitalism.
The armored towers of multinational corporations rise above the ruins of the democracies that gave them birth.
Soldiers of the Yakuza defend them.
Hackers, data-pirates, LoTek media rebels are the enemy, burrowing like rats in the walls of cyberspace.
A new plague convulses the cities: Nerve Attenuation Syndrome, incurable, fatal, epidemic, bringing fear and misery as old as the species itself.
But the most precious data is sometimes entrusted to elite private agents, wet wired to function as human data banks.
Mnemonic couriers."
10/10
