Director – Albert Pyun (Cyborg, The Sword and the Sorcerer)
Starring – Olivier Gruner (Savage, Mercenary), Tim Thomerson (Near Dark, Trancers), and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Planet of the Apes, Mortal Kombat)
Release Date – 1992
Rating – 3/5
Blu Release – 3.5/5
Horror is my obsession but I grew up on a heathy diet of direct to video action flicks and cut for television exploitation. Like many kids that grew up when I did I spent a fair share of my free time in the video store especially on a Friday night. A lot of these movies sucked but they were still fun with their cheesy dialogue, ridiculous story, and horrible action scenes.
One movie I never got around to seeing during all those trips to the video store was 1992’s sci-fi action flick Nemesis starring Olivier Gruner. I had heard about this one in a few of the different movie forums I was apart of back in the day but I never had the chance to see it. Sometime ago MVD released this one on blu and sent me a review copy but it was, unfortunately, one of the few movies damaged in a house fire. I recently replaced the damaged copy and decided it was time to finally review it.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a cyborg cop who is tasked with tracking down a cyborg who has stolen important information that could bring about a war between the humans and cyborgs. This last mission for him is not as easy as it sounds and makes him question his humanity. **Spoiler Alert**
I wasn’t expecting a movie that would stick with me for days after watching it but I was looking for some campy and cheap fun. Olivier Gruner is an actor that I don’t know a lot about but I had seen his debut film Angeltown and really enjoyed it. Nemesis is far from perfect but it was solid for a first time watch.
The acting in this one is pretty rough and that’s even by direct to video standards. The cast lazily spits out their dialogue and makes no attempt at creating characters. I’ve seen acting on day-time soaps better than this one. With that being said, it’s the actors hamming it up on screen that makes this one fun. The unintentionally bad dialogue, the way they deliver their lines, and watching Olivier Gruner act like a bad ass is enough to leave you laughing.
The story for this one has a lot of the same feel as other Albert Pyun movies most notably Pyun’s 1989 film Cyborg. From my understanding Nemesis and Cyborg took place in the same universe with the two eventually having their own crossover film that never came to be but that would explain why both films are oddly similar. With that being said, Nemesis is a wild story that does struggle with pacing. Data terrorists mixed with the cyborg angle made for a pretty decent story that has a lot of potential but budget and other factors prevent it from reaching it. It’s awkward but interesting.
Finally, if you are looking for a bloody action flick you will be very disappointed. However, there is a few gags using prosthetics and practical effects that I really enjoyed. The cyborg moments were pretty solid. Overall, Nemesis is not going to be for everyone. However, if you enjoy the early 90s SyFy Channell quality films then you may enjoy this one. I have a soft spot for shitty movies so I appreciated this one. The blu release of this one looks absolutely amazing. However, the DVD was pretty low quality. I highly suggest snagging this one from MVD.
Special Features:
DISC 1: BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the main feature in both 2.35:1 and 1.78:1 aspect ratios
Audio: English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Stereo, French 2.0 Stereo, German 2.0 Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH, German
NEW! 2018 Interview with Producer Eric Karson (HD)
NEW! 2018 Interview with Director Albert Pyun (HD)
”Nemesis 2.0” (aka ”Director s Cut”) with Director s Commentary audio (SD, 2.35:1, 92:29)
Original Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2:26)
DISC 2: DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
”Nemesis 2.0” (aka ”Director s Cut”)(SD, 2.35:1, 87:49)
Japanese Extended Cut (SD, 1.33:1, 95:49) (w/ Japanese subtitles burnt-in)
Introduction by Albert Pyun (SD, 2:19)
Introduction by Olivier Gruner (SD, 3:13)
Afterword by Albert Pyun (SD, 0:48)
‘Behind The Scenes: The Making of Nemesis’ (SD, 7:13)
Interview with Olivier Gruner (SD, 2:18)
‘Making Of – Stunts & Effects’ (SD, 2:43)
‘Making Of – Visual Effects’ (SD, 1:41)
‘Killcount’ featurette (SD, 2:26)
Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery (SD, 3:00)
Key Art Photo Gallery (SD, 2:20)
TV Spots (SD, 4:43)
Collectible Mini-Poster
