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Blu Review – Nemesis Triple Feature (MVD Rewind Collection)

Blu Release – 2.5/5

Nemesis 2: Nebula

Director – Albert Pyun (Cyborg, Dollman)
Starring – Sue Price (RoboWoman, House of Pain), Chad Stahelski (Constantine, Vampires), and Tina Cote (Barb Wire, Bram Stoker’s Dracula)
Release Date – 1995
Rating – 3/5

Tagline – “The future just got darker”

When it comes to the world of direct to video action films you can almost always bet that a sequel is going to be cheaper than the first one film and nowhere near as good. There is a few instances where this is not true but for the most part a lot of direct to video sequels are garbage. Nemesis was a film that was pretty fucking bad but it’s a fun kinda bad.

When I saw that there was not only one sequel but four additional films I was blown away. However, once I started looking into them I realized that one of the films, Nemesis 2: Nebula, was one I had actually seen when I was younger at a friends house. I never finished the film but it was cool to revisit it. This is, in my opinion, one of the few times where the sequel surpasses the original film.

**Spoiler Alert** The film picks up almost 80s years after the original. The cyborgs has enslaved the human race with the few survivors hidden away trying to defeat them. They are able to develop a mutated strand of DNA which they hope to use it to breed an army that can defeat the cyborgs. They inject it into a female survivor and she gives birth to a little girl. However, they are found out forcing her to flee to 1980 where they arrive in Africa. The mother is hunted down but an African tribe finds the baby and raises her to be a warriror. Now, 20 years later, a cyborg bounty hunter has tracked her down and the survival of all mankind rests in her hands. **Spoiler Alert**

Honestly. I went into this one expecting pure shit but I found myself seeing some of this one for the second time. The movie is another rough one but I actually enjoy it. Shitty acting, unoriginal story, and horrible fight scenes but when you put it all together it’s a stupid but fun film.

The acting in this one is so bad. I don’t know much about female bodybuilder Sue Price aside from the fact that her imdb page is relatively small. After binging these four Nemesis films starring her I can see why. She’s very fit and does a solid enough job during the more physically demanding roles but the dialogue heavy scenes are pretty fucking awkward to watch. The same can be said about her co-stars. Some have some pretty impressive credits under their belts but they didn’t bring their “A” game to set on this one.

The story for this one was not originally intended to be a follow up to Nemesis. Instead, it was meant to be a stand alone sci-fi action flick centered around aliens. A few scenes were added to make it loosely a sequel. With that being said, it’s cheesy as fuck but it works. As much as I like it I know it’s far from perfect and has more holes in it than swiss cheese.

Finally, this one has a little blood and some fun practical effects but the icing on this cake is the horrible visual effects that will leave you laughing your ass off at how bad they are. Overall, Nemesis 2 is, in my opinion, a little better than the first film but still far from perfect. It’s cheap but entertaining. Fans if mid-90s sci-fi action flicks can appreciate it.

Nebula 3: Time Lapse

Director – Albert Pyun (Left for Dead, Road to Hell)
Starring – Sue Price (Nemesis 2: Nebula, RoboWoman), Tim Thomerson (Near Dark, The Twilight Zone), and Norbert Weisser (Hocus Pocus, Brimstone)
Release Date – 1996
Rating – 2.5/5

Tagline – “The terror has returned”

I’ve seen my fair share of shitty installments to amazing films but it’s not often that you get to watch sub-par installments to mediocre films. I don’t remember seeing Nemesis at my local video store but someone had to like it enough to release four additional films. Yet, here I am staring my review for the third Nemesis film.

MVD released the first in a stand alone blu release and then not long after released 2, 3, and 4 on a triple feature release. The second film was one I had seen bits and pieces of before but I really enjoyed it. I was looking forward to the third installment.

**Spoiler Alert** The film begins with Alex (Price) awakening miles from civilization with a wound in her head and no memory of how she got there. She soon crosses paths with Farnsworth (Thomerson) who attempts to get her to go with him but fails when her memories come rushing back. She realizes he is part of the cyborg terrorists. She attempts to kill him and is forced to flee but not without discovering she has numerous half-sisters who are waiting for her in the future. **Spoiler Alert**

I went into this one hoping it was just as cheesy and fun as the second film but found myself seriously dozing off with it. The story is repetitive, the acting is horrible, and the effects were worse than the previous film. This could be the perfect storm of cheesy goodness or a septic tank on film. Sadly, this was the septic tank installment.

The acting in this one is just as bad as the pervious film. Sue Price once again shines in the physical scenes but the dialogue scenes are awkward to watch. The supporting cast is so generic and one dimensional that they blend in with the background at times. No depth to the cast here. The story for this one is more of the second film with the addition of the half-sisters which is not fully explored. They just toss this in on a whim and nothing comes out from it. They wanted to expand the story but forgot to along the way. Honestly, if you’ve seen the second film then you don’t need to see this one.

Finally, this one has some blood and a little bit of practical effects but the visuals are so bad. I’m talking laughing to the point your body hurts bad. Why anyone signed off on these shots is beyond me. Overall, Nemesis 3 is a bit of a waste. I really enjoyed 2 but this one is a fail for a follow up. Skip it.

Nemesis 4: Cry of Angels

Director – Albert Pyun (Dollman, Captain America)
Starring – Sue Price (Nemesis 2: Nebula, RoboWoman), Andrew Divoff (Wishmaster, Highlander), and Nicholas Guest (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)
Release Date – 1996
Rating – 2/5

Tagline – “The future has a past”

I was excited to start my Nemesis journey. The posters for these films really brought my imagination to life. I hate that I had to wait so long to review them but they were worth the wait for the most part. The first film in the series is solid enough but the second was, surprisingly, my favorite of the series. T

he third film was the dropping point for the series. After seeing this I was on the fence about checking out part 4…and it looks like my suspicion was correct. It would be the low point of this particular trilogy.

**Spoiler Alert** The film follows Alex (Price) who is the genetically modified human from the previous two installments who was humanities last hope to stop the cyborgs. Now, she’s a cyborg who has turned into an assassin. Her humanity seems to be wiped from her with each additional upgrade to her body and when she accidentally kills the wrong person she finds herself hunted by other bounty hunters. **Spoiler Alert**

I was expecting an amazing film but I was expecting something better than this chaotic mess. The movie is sloppy, the cast just doesn’t give a shit about their roles, and the effects are so bad that they aren’t even funny like the pervious films. I don’t know what was going on with this one behind the scenes but it feels like it was pieced together.

The acting in this one is so bad. Price attempts to deliver a performance similar to Gruner’s in the first film but it just comes across as extremely flat. She can’t carry a scene like this and it results in the story and scene falling apart. The supporting cast is extremely inconsistent. In some scenes they really try and in others it’s as if they are burned out by this point. As I said earlier, I’m curious about the behind the scenes of this one because it’s as if something negative happened which affected the filming.

The story for this one is just a messy mix of the first two films. I’m sure Pyun wanted to make something that brought the series full circle but the way it is the movie is just a rehashing of the first two films. It’s dull, extremely boring, and repetitive.

Finally, if you want some pretty weird and cool practical effects this one has it but they are not enough to save this film. The practical effects and cyborg mechanisms are way more detailed and intense in this one. One scene in particular features a killer boob but these awesome gags are hidden beneath the unwatchable story. Overall, Nemesis 4 is the lowest point up to this point for the series. You could stop with 3 and still feel confident that you’ve watched the series.

Special Features:
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all three films (Nemesis 2 & 3 Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1, Nemesis 4 Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1)
Audio: 2.0 Stereo
Albert Pyun talks Nemesis 2 (SD, 30:39)
Albert Pyun talks Nemesis 3 (SD, 17:00)
Albert Pyun talks Nemesis 4 (SD, 19:38)
Original Theatrical Trailers for all three films

Blacktooth

(Staff Writer) Lover of all things horror and metal. Also likes boobs and booze.

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