Robert Longo’s “Johnny Mnemonic” (1995) was thought-about an outright catastrophe upon its summer time of 1995 launch.
Now, it’s one thing of a cult favourite, not solely as a result of its new black and white model is most popular amongst its fanbase however as a result of it has yet one more Keanu Reeves efficiency that has aged much better than anticipated.
That’s to not say the film is sweet, solely that the leisure worth and an appreciation of Reeves’ most notorious scene (I’ll get to that shortly), have elevated over time.
Reeves is so robotic because the title character, it comes as a shock once we study he isn’t taking part in a robotic or android. Johnny is a high-tech courier in a futuristic world of 2021 the place, relatively than ship one thing by way of e-mail on the web (ideas the movie appears conscious of however doesn’t totally broach), he inserts info into his mind, which serves as a tough drive.
What occurs to all the opposite recollections he holds? Johnny helpfully explains to us, “I needed to dump a big chunk of long-term reminiscence … my childhood.”
When Johnny is given an particularly worthwhile piece of data, hit males are despatched to decapitate him. All of that is accompanied by a cool soundtrack by artists like Stabbing Westward, Bono and the Edge, Buckethead and Orbital, although the songs are higher heard on the soundtrack than the barely-there means they float by means of the film.
Longtime readers know the way a lot I like Reeves, however his efficiency right here isn’t nice, to place it properly. The movie itself is a missed alternative however an enchanting one. It’s a uncommon case of cyber-genius creator William Gibson translating his imaginative and prescient to the massive display.
Regardless of Gibson authoring the screenplay (based mostly on one in all his tales), acclaimed artist Longo directing and sporting a most uncommon forged, “Johnny Mnemonic” stays an enchanting, visually arresting and fatally goofy failure.
Reeves is usually very humorous as Johnny, often on objective, however principally as a result of his amusingly wood performing and the foolish dialog mix to make an ideal storm of an enjoyably dangerous efficiency.
Within the 1995 movie Johnny Mnemonic, the eponymous character (Keanu Reeves) was a knowledge courier with a mind implant that would maintain 80GB of knowledge.
A couple of days again, I picked up this Lexar 512GB JumpDrive for $39.95 and didn’t need to sacrifice my childhood recollections like Johnny did. pic.twitter.com/vkzu5LAA9l
— Clayton Hove (@adtothebone) February 18, 2024
The pc graphic imagery nonetheless seems to be cool, whether or not it’s Johnny conducting a hack with VR headgear and what seems to be like a Nintendo Energy Glove, or the all-out, “TRON”-like end. Regardless that this was made within the age of CD-ROMs, and “the online” was nonetheless in its infancy (however is referenced sufficient to recommend Gibson’s understanding of its potential), it’s enjoyable to see the 1995 cyber punk concept of 2021 expertise.
As if the camp worth wasn’t already intact, there’s Dolph Lundgren’s efficiency as The Preacher, an extended haired murderer who spouts religious-themed one-liners the way in which Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze is stuffed with “ice” puns in “Batman & Robin” (1997).
This got here out the identical 12 months as “The Web” and “Hackers,” all of which paint a distinctly ’90s imaginative and prescient of laptop hacking and techno consciousness as dated as a dusty outdated copy of Wired Journal. Gibson’s prophetic warnings of “info overload” are intriguing however don’t totally come throughout.
Takeshi Kitano has a supporting position as a charismatic murderer; Kitano’s half was a lot greater within the movie’s longer abroad launch and is partially restored within the newer, most popular model. Even with a forged that features Dina Meyer (who reveals actual film star presence), Udo Kier, Ice-T (wanting as foolish right here as he was in “Tank Woman” the identical 12 months) and Henry Rollins, that is much less playfully quirky than conceptually messy.
Take away the star energy and flashy results, and it’s as grungy and under-lit as these Nineteen Eighties Golan/Globus sci-fi productions from Cannon Movies.
Longo clearly will get the worth of textured artwork path however aiming for Terry Gilliam visuals doesn’t work if there isn’t a human heart on the core. The pc graphics are each bit as hyper-stylized and cool-looking as these in “The Lawnmower Man” (1992) and “Disclosure” (1994) and supply a short lived distraction from how dangerous the movie is.
But, it’s arduous to withstand a film with a mystical, hardwired dolphin, a literal “ghost within the machine” and Reeves’ immortal “I Need Room Service” monolog. The latter was reportedly because of Reeves having had simply performed Hamlet (in an acclaimed efficiency on the Canadian stage) and wanting a beefy little bit of dialog.
I’m glad the Bard impressed Reeves, as his late-in-the-movie bit about wanting a “$10,000.00 an evening hooker” is funnier than most of his performances in precise comedies.
An audacious cult favourite, JOHNNY MNEMONIC (1995)—starring Keanu Reeves—is a curler coaster of motion and high-impact imagery.
As a part of our AI assortment, we’re presenting the Unique Streaming Premiere of a black-and-white model of the movie. https://t.co/KbIup3Er45 pic.twitter.com/MOoULIJuxe
— Criterion Channel (@criterionchannl) July 3, 2023
Unhealthy films will be enjoyable, as this one most undoubtedly is. Reeves had no luck with this instantaneous field workplace flop, nor taking part in one other John (Jonathan Harker) in “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992), the place he was the weak hyperlink in an in any other case good movie.
Reeves’ efficiency as John Constantine in 2005 was, likewise, not broadly cherished till the movie developed a greater status a decade or so later. The actor stumble on a winner with “John Wick” (2014).
I’d additionally argue that his all-time finest efficiency taking part in a “Johny” will be present in “Level Break” (1991), the place he performs Johnny Utah. If this looks as if a foolish factor to ponder, simply attempt watching “Johnny Mnemonic,” with its speaking dolphin and Lundgren-gone-wild.
I’ve at hand it to Reeves – his finest films are genuinely terrific, whereas his dangerous ones, in hindsight, are proving to be extra enjoyable than anticipated.
The put up ‘Johnny Mnemonic’ at 30: So Unhealthy … It’s Good? appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.