Cyber Wars (2004)

In a future Singapore, CyberLink is used for communication (sometimes virtual reality), monetary transaction and records of all citizens. Headhunter Dash is commissioned to find Edward Chan. Why are so many interested in him?

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:

cyberspace | cyberpunk | female protagonist | one word title | shot in the heart | 

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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:

Matrix Hunter

Filming Locations:

Singapore

Box Office

Budget:

$3,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinemancer Pte Ltd.

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Matrix (1999)

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Soundtracks

The Blue Tiger
Written by Jonathan Price
Performed by Jonathan Price

User Reviews

Corporations' War

In the early 21st Century, society is connected through the Cyberlink. All communication and monetary transactions occur within its sphere. The Cyberlink records the identities of all legalized citizens. Simplants provide criminal with alternative identities. Ident police and private headhunters track them down.

In Entropolis, the efficient bounty hunter Dash MacKenzie (Genevieve O'Reilly) is hired by the big corporation boss Joseph Lau (David Warner) and his henchman Davinder Sandhu (Michael De Mesa) to hunt down his former employee Edward Chan (Gerald Chew). Edward has vanished after submitting to the state-of-art procedure neuromorphing. While seeking Edward out, Dash stumbles with Ident Detective Victor Huang (Luoyong Wang) and he warns her that someone might want to kill Edward, but she does not pay attention to him. Dash finds Edward but he is assassinated before telling her why he is hunted down. However his mistress Sylvia escapes from the killer. Soon Dash finds a clip and her biotech guru Julius Kui (Kay Siu Lim) stumbles with the truth and finds why Edward was murdered. Dash brings Victor to meet Julius and he shows Megacorp transactions in Sintawan to them. He explains that these five companies make up the total infrastructure and have total control over Cyberlink. They form a powerful consortium and play a game based on the ancient Chinese game Wei Chi. Sintawan is the playing field where they wage corporate war in accordance with the strategies of the five companies, manipulating the course of the society and everyone living here. Therefore the place is an illusion and nothing is what it seems and there is no distinction between the game and reality. Then Dash finds that they are all avatars. What will they do?

"Cyber Wars" is an interesting film with a complex story. The plot has flaws and gives too much new information to the viewer; therefore the best to do is to watch the film again on the next day to understand better the details. Dash is an unpleasant character and Genevieve O'Reilly and Luoyong Wang are histrionic in certain moments and do not show any chemistry, but this combination of Matrix and Blade Runner entertains. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not available on Blu-Ray or DVD.