5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
In a dystopian 2021, Johnny (Keanu Reeves) is a data trafficker who has an implant that allows him to securely store data too sensitive for regular computer networks. On one delivery run, he accepts a package that not only exceeds the implant's safety limits - and will kill him if the data is not removed in time - but also contains information far more important and valuable than he had ever imagined. On a race against time, he must avoid the assassins sent to kill him and remove the data before it, too, ends his life.
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren, Takeshi Kitano, Ice-T, Henry RollinsSci-Fi | 100% |
Action | 37% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Earlier this week, experts at the World Health Organization announced an inconclusive conclusion that electromagnetic fields generated by mobile phones are “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” I mention this only because one of the plot points in the William Gibson-penned 1995 cyberpunk film Johnny Mnemonic is a disease called Nerve Attenuation Syndrome—a.k.a. “The Black Shakes”—which is caused by, yes, you guessed it, overexposure to electromagnetic radiation. Clearly, Gibson wasn’t entirely off base in imagining a future world where our increasing reliance on ever- present electronic technology has more harmful side effects than just our collectively decreased attention span. One of the charms of predictive sci-fi in general is in looking back at past novels and films and seeing how they were right or wrong about the current technological trajectory. In Johnny Mnemonic, for example, the future of the internet is a ludicrous, Tron-inspired virtual reality interface constructed from CGI that looks completely primitive now. On the other hand, during one scene, you can hear the film’s titular main character—played by Keanu Reeves—asking for a “Thompson iPhone.” A coincidence, of course, but one that will probably make you do a rewind double-take. Someone should warn Keanu that that Thompson iPhone may cause cancer.
Keanu knows jujitsu...again.
Image Entertainment has given Johnny Mnemonic one of those this is probably as good as it's ever going to get transfers—that is, a 1080p/AVC encode that's faithful, but reminds us that the film was never exactly eye candy to begin with. First things first; there's no sign of excess DNR, edge enhancement, or other kinds of tampering here. The film's sometimes-chunky grain structure is largely intact, and you'll see no haloing or harshness when it comes to outlines. The image, however, is frequently gauzy and soft, with a sore lack of truly resolved detail. Fine facial textures, for example, are only visible in the tightest close-ups. The picture is also drab and somewhat dim. Vibrant color is pretty much limited to a few explosions and the Lawnmower Man-esque CGI scenes; otherwise, you can expect lots of sludgy grays and muddy browns. Additionally, lifeless contrast and soupy blacks do nothing to give the image depth. Could the film look any better? I'd say yes, but it's hard to say. The one thing that's clear is that this Blu-ray version is certainly at least a modest improvement over prior DVD editions. Personally, I don't think I'd go out of my way to upgrade—unless this is one of your favorite films—but if you don't yet own the movie, this release is your best bet.
The film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is much more objectively impressive than the picture quality, if that helps your buying decision at all. While not as active, accurate, or immersive as today's whiz-bang-pow sci-fi soundtracks, this mix offers plenty of surround speaker involvement and a surprisingly potent dynamic range. The "INTERNET 2021" sequences have all manner of zippy, swishy cross-channel movements, and Johnny's data uploads/downloads are accompanied by an assault of sound from all sides. There are a few sequences that could have punchier or more involving sound design—the scene where the yakuza first bust in on Johnny comes to mind—but there are also some unexpectedly nice sonic touches, like the deep thwoosh of a rocket launcher being fired and the powerful explosion of a hand grenade. The score sounds like it belongs more in the late '80s than the early 1990s—lots of electronic tom-tom drum rolls—but it has a sufficiently strong presence. Dialogue throughout is clear and easy to understand, and if you need or want them, the disc comes with optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
The lone supplement on the disc is the film's theatrical trailer, in high definition.
Johnny Mnemonic feels like a shoddy prototype for The Matrix, a similar but superior film that beat William Gibson at his own game, giving us a cyberpunk world that was both more sophisticated and more influential in terms of how action films are now made. Nonetheless, Johnny has its share of cult movie charms, from its ridiculous premise to a surfeit of bad acting. (I can't get enough of Dolph Lundgren waving his staff around.) Fans will be glad to know that the film looks and sounds good on Blu-ray, although it looks like we may be waiting a long time for a 2- disc or seamless branching addition that also includes the longer Japanese cut of the movie. If you've never seen Mnemonic, rent it first.
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