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Cyborg
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List Price: $14.98
Our Price: $12.99
Your Save: $ 1.99 ( 13% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Deborah Richter, Vincent Klyn, Alex Daniels, Dayle Haddon
Directed By: Albert Pyun
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780792835738
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 0792835735
Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Letterbox
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 1997-08-20
Running Time: 86
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Theatrical Release Date: 1989-04-07
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Editorial Reviews:
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Jean-Claude Van Damme, a.k.a. "the Muscles from Brussels," had only a few movies to his credit when he played the hero in this lame postapocalyptic action flick from 1989. It's really just another martial-arts movie, dressed down with near-future trash and dirty sets that have "low budget" written all over them. Van Damme plays the protective escort for a half-human, half-cyborg woman whose programming contains a possible cure for a plague that's threatening to wipe out the entire population of Earth. But the woman is kidnapped by Van Damme's evil nemesis (is there any other kind?) while they are en route to her Atlanta headquarters. That leads Van Damme right into a lion's den of sadomasochistic torture and torment. If you've made it this far (and if you have, why?), you're probably a founding member of the Jean-Claude Van Damme fan club. To everyone else: Don't say you weren't warned--this is the kind of movie in which naming characters after electric guitars (Van Damme's character is named "Gibson Rickenbacker") qualifies as clever screenwriting. --Jeff Shannon
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: I LIKE THIS WORLD!!
Comment: Here we go again! Another love it or hate it film. "Cyborg" is notable for a number of reasons. It is a showcase for Van Damme's considerable Martial Arts talent. It shows a world totally devoid of the concept of mercy. Since no one in this film can act their way out of a paper bag, the lack of dialog doesn't hurt it either.
Back before his run-in with Cocaine, Van Damme was trying to tap into the Martial Arts film genre as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris did. He almost succeeded, were it not for the Coke. Since then, he has been seen in a number of films that only die-hard Martial Arts fans would know, or care about. The last film I saw him in that had very little to nothing of Martial Arts in it was "Legionaire".
"Cyborg" is a tale set in the somewhat near future, where a plague has decimated the Earth's population down to a few scattered camps of humanity. Albert Pyun inserted a bit of unorthodoxy, in the form of character names. Van Damme's moniker is Gibson Rickenbacker, and his nemesis goes by the moniker of Fender Stratocaster, played by Vince Klyn, who's only claim to fame is this film.
A cure has been found by a group of Scientists in an underground bunker. It is worthless, however, unless they can get it to another lab located in Atlanta, Georgia. A woman (Dayle Haddon) who, by all intents and purposes, is another Scientist, volunteers to undergo a transformation to turn her into a "Cyborg", hence, the title of the film. Presumably this is done so she cannot contract the plague, and possibly die before reaching Atlanta.
Gibson Rickenbacker is a loner with a dark past. He plays a "Slinger", or hifalutin' future-talk for mercenary. He meets "Pearl" (the Cyborg), while fighting off "Flesh Pirates" (catchy, huh?). She tells Gibson of her plan to go to Atlanta, but Fender has other ideas. He is the BMOC of the "Flesh Pirates", and He's not diggin' that Gibson or Pearl wants to save the world, so he goes to Atlanta to destroy the cure, and the Scientists with it.
During this period in Hollywood, there was a small contingent of filmmakers who contracted Custom Knifemakers to create some of the most beautiful knives ever seen in film (these were not dime-store specials, but real custom collector pieces). The film "First Blood" started the craze with "Survival Knives", and the trend just took off. You still continue to see them, they're just not the center of attention as they were before. They are all over this film. Every piece you see is a custom creation!
"Cyborg", while far from perfect, is a first-rate Action/Sci-fi/Martial Arts film. Great for a boring afternoon!
Customer Rating:
Summary: CYBORG - Van Damme
Comment: This was one of Van Damme's earlier movies in his career.
Van Damme is one of the better action heroes in my opinion.
This movies has non stop action, if your a fan of Van Damme
this movie is a must have!!
I rate this movie a 8 from 1to10!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Had potential, but in the end weak.
Comment: Post apocalyptic movies always tend to be a mixed bag for several reasons. Since you can build the sets on a low budget it seems just about everyone has tried to make a movie set in a wasteland, and end up making a weak film. So here's another post apocalyptic film that seems to have a look and feel that's a cut above most of them, however it ends up not having much more to offer. It has the good stuff technically, but the script is rather basic, the characters are two dimensional, and there just isn't enough to truly stand out as one of the great wasteland movies.
The premise is interesting enough and it does get the movie started on the right direction. The problem is it doesn't really get any deeper than what you find out in the first 20 minutes or so. All the movie does is have Rickenbacker (Van Damme) run around chasing after the bad guys, getting into fights with them repeatedly. Sure they try to put a sub-plot about Rickenbacker's past and how it ties together with what's going on, and yes it does offer some depth to the story. But ultimately it doesn't do much to really be considered a strong back story. Even more disappointing is the fact the cyborg the movie is named after hardly does a thing at all besides being the hostage everybody wants. Kind of misleading if you ask me.
What gives Cyborg its graces are two things: some of the directing and some of the fight scenes. Jean Claude Van Damme is of course known for his martial arts movies so of course you get some pretty impressive fight scenes. Though none of it would be considered a strong caliber of choreography you still get some decent action. I will give director Albert Pyun some credit for taking what he had and giving it a polished look. Cinematography, camera angles, lighting, they all definitely set Cyborg apart from your standard B-movie type post apocalypse movie and kick it up to A-caliber status on production values alone. Unfortunately the rest of the movie wasn't as well done.
The acting is serviceable and works well enough, but isn't anything to write home about. The main bad guy looks really awesome and intimidating. I was hoping he was a cyborg too just because of the fact he looked so cool and was so amoral. The problem is the character doesn't go anywhere aside from wanting everybody to suffer. This sort of limited character depth hurts the movie's virtues. If they did more with these characters other than have them fight all the time there could have been a better movie coming out of this.
Martial arts fans might like this movie as long as they don't expect merely good fight scenes and not great ones. Van Damme fans will definitely like this one as he does get a chance to play a character different than any other he has done before or since. If you like post apocalyptic movies I supposed it's 50/50 for you. The wasteland concept is there and they establish it, but it doesn't fill you with that atmosphere like The Road Warrior or The Postman. To be honest this is a 50/50 shot for most of you. It really depends on what how good you want a movie before you turn away. Cyborg isn't really bad, but it's borderline weak.
Customer Rating:
Summary: When quality doesn't count you can count on Van Damme
Comment: Cyborg is a typical Van Damme movie. All the action you can handle and none of the quality you desire.
You get the typical splits and man-'ttocks sweetness from Van Damme.
Some how Van Damme on foot is faster than a tug boat. Also, open fields in a grass covered savannah-like areas have man-holes and massive labyrinths-like systems below.
You do get an unexpectedly nice mullet on the main villain, as well as some top-notch dialogue.
All in all, if you're forcing yourself to watch the entire Van Damme catalogue, you'll have to watch this one too! Generally shipping is going to be about 25% higher than the price of the movie, so you win on all fronts!
Be a man, give yourself what you deserve, watch Cyborg.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Cyborg is just what you expect from Van Damme
Comment: Funny how people write and say how aweful this movie is--they apparently aren't fans. This movie is exactly what a fan would expect to seen--lots and lots of martial arts and fighting. Think of this movie as a post-apocalyptic Bloodsport. This movie is a pure '80's cult movie. If you are looking for Oscar caliber acting and screenwriting, you are looking in the wrong place--Van Damme movies have never been intended for that and never will be.
Plot - C
A very overused post-apocalyptic plot is used where most of society is dying (or is already dead) from a plague and those that aren't dying are either searching for a cure or have resorted to barbarian-like creatures who rape and pillage every little town or city they come to. Enter Van Damme. He plays Gibson who is a freelance mercenary type who is payed to escort people through the city. He encounters the Flesh Pirates who are lead by a menacing leader named Fender. The cure to the plague has been placed into a cyborg (hence the name) and through a chance encounter, Gibson must escort her to Atlanta (which is apparently the headquarters of humanity--at least for the U.S.). Along the way, Gibson meets a female mercenary and they have a brief interlude. She claims to be a able to help Gibson, but really interfers with his progress (the typical damsel in distress). As he jouneys with the Cyborg, he has flashbacks of the life he used to lead before his life was shattered by a tragedy. With the Flesh Pirates after the cyborg (because apparently they don't want humanity cured) and Van Damme protecting her, it is a constant struggle to get the cyborg to Atlanta.
Van Damme is actually very convincing as the reluctant hero. He has hardly any dialogue in the movie, yet is able to express a range of emotions through expressions and actions (something very good for someone who is always being accused of having no acting ability). The fights are very well choreographed and all of the martial arts you would expect can be found in the movie. Perhaps the best fight is at the end in the rain with Gibson versus Fender. This is pure '80's Van Damme.
Acting - C
Van Damme is surprisingly good as Gibson. Though virtually no dialogue, his actions seem to mean more anyways. As for the rest of the cast, I can't say much. Most of it is either very underplayed or overplayed--no happy medium. But if you wanted a drama you wouldn't be watching this movie anyways, right?
Music/Soundtrack - B
It is basically techno-like music, but interestingly enough, it works quite well in this movie and embarrassingly I have to admit to owning the soundtrack.
Cinematography - C
Very bleak and apocalyptic. There are lots of deserted locales and marshes and warehouses (filmed in Wilmington, NC--as a NC resident, I can tell you that NC does not look anything like that for the most part). The lighting and camera work for the last fight is very good (it is night time and raining).
DVD - C
No real extras. It has the original trailer and some bio information. It does have a widescreen presentation which is nice. The image transfer is average and the sound is average. A basic DVD all around.
Overall - C
If you want action, it has it. If you want drama, skip it. If you want martial arts and to see Van Damme at his best, buy it. This is a cult movie, pure and simple.
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