Director – Albert Pyun (Dangerously Close, Captain America)
Starring – Jean-Claude Van Damme (Street Fighter: The Movie, Kickboxer), Deborah Richter (Cheers, Airwolf), Vincent Klyn (The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., Baywatch)
Release Date – 1989
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
Most of you may have noticed that I have been on a Jean-Claude Van Damme lately. MVD Rewind hooked me up with two JCVD flicks on blu. About the time I received those I got the Scream Factory release of Cyborg in on blu.
The two JCVD flicks from MVD was hit or miss with me. Black Eaglewas a very lackluster film but Lionheartwas amazing. I really enjoyed it. I couldn’t wait to turn this into a triple feature so I tossed in Cyborg. Thank you Shout and Scream Factory for sending this one my way to check out!
**Spoiler Alert**The world has been destroyed by a plague and most of the human population has been wiped out. The landscape is now a dangerous place with groups of pirates killing and raiding as they please. A group of scientists discover a cure and put the information in a cyborg in hopes it would make the journey across the country so the cure can be manufactured.
When a group of pirates hear of the news they strop to stop her before she can get there so they can use the cure for themselves. What they don’t count on is her crossing paths with a slinger named Gibson (JCVD) who has the skill to get her to where she needs to go.**Spoiler Alert**
I absolutely loved Lionheart which has become one of my favorite JCVD flicks right along Hard Target, Timecop, Street Fighter: The Movie (I was a kid when it was released and loved the games), and Double Team. They are all cheesy action flicks that are 100% the product of the time. Cyborg was cheesy but not in the clichéd action movies of the late 80s and early 90s kind of way but more in the lines of an early 90s low budget sci-fi epic but it all made sense when I saw Albert Pyun’s name flash across the credits. The film was fun and I’m glad I was able to review it.
The acting in this one is what you would expect from a JCVD flick. His character is emotionless but still carries the film. His emotional range falls flat but he once again showcases some world class martial arts skills and impressive stunts. The supporting cast is fun. Their characters are very clichéd as well but they made them their own which resulted in a fun experience.
The story for this one is one we had seen before but not as often as we do now. There has been countless films set in the post-apocalyptic landscape where a scientist discovers a cure for the virus/disease that wiped out most of the world’s population and is then tasked with a difficult journey to get it where it needs to go. However, by 1989 this was only done a handful of times. Pyun and companies take on it was very fun. The pacing flows very well and we get plenty of action scenes to hold our attention. It is predictable but in 1989 I’m sure it felt new.
Finally, this wouldn’t be a JCVD flick without some violence. The fight scenes are fun and a little better choreographed over some of his other films and there is a solid amount of practical effects and blood. The effects are decent but some, especially the cyborg scene, is a little goofy to look at. Overall, Cyborg may not be perfect but god damn is it fun. If you are looking for a post-apocalyptic film without zombies then be sure to check this one out. I highly recommend it!
Special Features:
2K Scan
Interviews
The Effects of Cyborg Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
