Cyborg (1989)

A martial artist hunts a killer in a plague-infested urban dump of the future.While this is exactly what I expect from a late-1980s science fiction action film with no budget, it is still very strange. The plot is sort of a mash of dystopian themes with vague references to "Blade Runner" and "Clockwork Orange" thrown in. Beyond that, it lacks a strong coherence.If you want to see a movie about kicking, punching and plenty of grunting, this is the movie for you. Because it is loaded with those things, especially coming from a bad guy who is dubbed with a very monstrous voice for no clear reason other than to increase the weird factor.

Following his spectacular debut with Bloodsport (1988), Jean-Claude Van Damme appears in the post-apocalyptic sci-fi action thriller Cyborg. I did not enjoy Cyborg one bit. I found it to be unpleasantly violent and somewhat depressing and bleak. Cyborg was certainly one of Van Damme's movies I would rather forget.Cyborg takes place in an post-apocalyptic future where a plague has infested most of the world. Civilisation is almost on the verge of being wiped out through anarchy, genocide, and starvation. A lone mercenary named Gibson Rickenbacker (Jean-Claude Van Damme) finds himself protecting Pearl (Dayle Haddon) who is carrying information about a cure for the plague which has infected the world. Unbeknownst to Gibson, Pearl is a Cyborg. Gibson must protect Pearl on her journey from New York to Atlanta and must evade a group of sociopathic pirates led by the intimidating and sadistic Fender (Vincent Klyn) who is also sporting a pair of sunglasses and loves to wear chainmail outfits.Cyborg was very unpleasantly violent and unlike most Van Damme movies where audiences accepted that it was part and parcel of his movies, I just could not find myself comfortable watching the movie. The movie itself was also very bleak and depressing. I can understand why Cyborg encountered many censorship issues to its strong graphic violence. It just felt like it has a very sadomasochistic appeal to it.To conclude this review, Cyborg was a very unpleasant movie and not one to remember for Van Damme. Don't touch this movie with a stick.1/10.

The following review is for the Albert Pyun release of "Slinger," his director's cut of the film. It also explores the differences that make the director's cut a far superior film.I grew up with the film "Cyborg," along the same lines as the film "Terminator." Even then, I saw that "Cyborg" was something special. But, no matter how much I tried to pinpoint it, I knew there were things missing in the storyline. It wasn't until about 2010 when I finally saw what it was.The rough-cut release of Albert Pyun's vision of "Cyborg" - known by its original title "Slinger" - was a final attempt to show what the film should've been, not what it could've been. The film was masterfully put together in its original version and adds more of a back story into the world of the film, which was excised for whatever reason from the "finished" product. The subplot that showed a war between the warriors of the light (slingers) and the children of darkness (the Satan-worshiping pirates), which was only hinted toward in the theatrical version, was plainly stated in this version.Also, it flowed as a story better than the theatrical version, which seemed to me very choppy in places, leading up to the alternate shortened ending. This ending actually suited the film when put against the previous 80-plus minutes.Lastly, the newly-composed score by Tony Riparetti And Jim Saad put a rock and roll theme to a great science-fiction send up to the spaghetti western. It's not the orchestral score that disassociated the theatrical version.All in all, the Albert Pyun director's cut is a far superior version of the film. It has more of the heart and stark bleakness that was surgically removed from the first release, which is what I completely love in a post-apocalyptic film of this caliber. If you haven't seen this version and are a fan of science-fiction in general, please support Albert Pyun and buy it from his website. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Robotics is an interesting field. It has fascinated scientists for decades and now it is becoming more and more integrated into everyday life. The next step is bionic robotics where mechanical equipment is connected to the living tissue. In some cases, it does exist but in limited ways. Upon first seeing the title to this movie, the first impression is that the star, Jean-Claude Van Damme is a cyborg. However, this isn't the case, which is misleading. Credit should be given for this at least being one of the few science fiction films Van Damme has been in that takes place on earth somewhere in the future. Many of Van Damme's early films involve him just participating in tournaments. That being like his most popular, Bloodsport (1988) a year before.Back to cybernetics, the title is actually for what propels the plot. In a dystopic future, a lonely man named Gibson (Van Damme) happens to meet a female cyborg being chased by a notorious street gang. The cyborg holds what could be for a possible cure for a plague that inhabits this future. The leader of the street gang, Fender (Vincent Klyn) wants the cure for himself because he and his crew love death. Maybe chaos and being the headman but death? Mmm,..I don't know. As it turns out, Gibson has a history with Fender for him killing his wife, who which also happens to look like the cyborg he ran into. However, Gibson is only after Fender for revenge. He could care less about the cure, but someone else does. Meet Nady (Deborah Richter), a girl who also lost her loved one to Fender but is also more adamant about finding a cure for the plague.So now there's your set up. Two lonely people venture out to take back from them what Fender and his cronies took away. Unusually, for such a simple follow and grab plot, the movie drags - even for its 86 minute running time. There are numerous scenes that just set up Van Damme for another brawl against Fender's mates. Albert Pyun's direction lacks focus in its storytelling. It is a minor chase film but it never feels like there's a need for a chase. Much of the time the protagonists just nonchalantly walk to their destination. Even though this cyborg is the main plot device, no one seems to be concerned to be in a rush about it. The writing is another strange element. The main characters do have back-stories but have little to no development. For example, when the cyborg finally confronts Gibson, it says "There's no point in rescuing me because the enemy is too strong". Then later on, she decides to help fight back with no explanation. Why the change in opinion?Gibson's history with Fender is also explained but told through flashbacks. There are even a number of flashback scenes that were repeated, which is a waste. I'm amazed that viewers will be able to understand as much as they can because the dialog peculiarly lacks anything intellectual either. Van Damme barely says anything and Klyn booms with one-word commands that are too simplistic for a gang leader. That and he and the rest of his numbskulls just yell a lot. The only character that does the most talking is Nady (which may be annoying to some) since she's one of those tag along characters. Thankfully, the writer Kitty Chalmers did not move very far after this movie. Well, since this is a Van Damme film, there's got to be some decent action; appallingly not. If you're the truest Van Damme fan, then maybe, but if you just want something to entertain, it's not all that special.In fact, the action scenes might bore at times. Throughout the running time, there were only two really unique kills. Other than Van Damme doing his usual and being all that he can be, it's a standard affair. Viewers may enjoy Nady (even though I mentioned earlier she may be annoying too). She too displays feminine power and fights with Gibson. Along with that are decent looking practical effects for the cyborg. That looked good. Philip Alan Waters' cinematography looked good around the beginning but as the film enters its final act, there aren't many shots to admire. Sadly, Kevin Bassinson's score isn't all too effective to the film. It attempts to involve its viewers with appropriate tunes, but the entire sound is synthetic and feels detached. It could've been at least average, but its writing prevents it from getting there.Jean-Claude Van Damme tries his best, but his and several other cast members' characters barely make an impact. The writing is sloppy, the direction is slow, the action is derivative and the music is unappealing.