Lawnmower Man I & II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Lawnmower Man I & II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 3, 2026

Brett Leonard's "The Lawnmower Man" (1992) and Farhad Mann's "Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace" (1996) arrive on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary by Brett Leonard and producer Gimel Everett; deleted scenes; storyboard comparisons; archival documentary on the conception and production of the original film; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is interesting to see that so many of the big themes channeled through The Lawnmower Man no longer seem like ridiculous sci-fi material. The arrival of the self-conscious, fully interactive AI information harvester. The realization that the human mind’s perception of reality is highly manipulative. The admission that access to unrestricted information would begin to fuel dangerous delusions of grandeur. After his massive transformation, Jeff Fahey’s character even accurately describes several specific ways in which current developments, such as the emergence of the global digital surveillance system, will forever transform human beings and irreversibly reshape the contemporary social system in which they have existed.

It is also interesting to see that plenty of these themes were further contextualized and carefully expanded in The Matrix and its sequels. The Lawnmower Man was released in 1992, while The Matrix arrived in 1999, and the two have very different reputations only because they do their messaging very differently. In The Lawnmower Man, the big themes begin emerging in its second half, and they only point the mind in the right direction, leaving it to ponder intriguing what-if scenarios. The Matrix and its sequels go much further and then begin unleashing detailed futuristic conspiracy theories. But are they all ridiculous sci-fi material? What if, as in the once ridiculous sci-fi material The Lawnmower Man produced, several of the big themes in it correctly predict future developments as well?

Removed from this context, The Lawnmower Man is just a relic of the 1990s with limited entertainment value. It is not a boring film, but it has a dated appearance, and its ability to create attractive conventional suspense and action is far from impressive. After an advanced experiment featuring a cutting-edge mind-enhancing technology goes terribly wrong, Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan) launches a series of tests with dim-witted gardener Jobe (Fahey), who, much to his amusement, evolves into a superhuman. However, Angelo discovers that the corporation that has been funding his work has made some drastic changes and irreversibly reset the brilliant mind and ambitions of his guinea pig.

The Lawnmower Man can be seen in two versions, both included on this release, each with different issues. The longer Director’s Cut is the better, more coherent version. It helps the main relationships evolve more convincingly and then attaches the big themes mentioned earlier more effectively to the superhuman’s emergence. However, it still has various underdeveloped areas. The shorter Theatrical Cut looks like a rushed editing job, merging various bits of material and leaving the impression that something crucial is missing. Neither the former nor the latter can be described as a faithful cinematic adaptation of the short story Stephen King penned and included in the Night Shift collection.

Brett Leonard’s direction is difficult to evaluate because both cuts of The Lawnmower Man seem incomplete. However, in the better Director’s Cut, there isn’t just better edited material. There is more high-quality material.

***

Also included on this release is Farhad Mann’s sequel Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace. Unfortunately, this film is a major letdown. It begins where the original film ended, or so it appears, and then instantly evolves into a childish cybertale about a virtual reality survivor, supposedly Jobe (Matt Frewer), who dreams of becoming a worldwide dictator. To accomplish his goal, Jobe lures an old friend (Austin O’Brien) to assist him, but instead gets a formidable opponent (Patrick Bergin) with an intimate knowledge of his virtual lair.

Lawnmower Man I & II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Lawnmower Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

The release presents two versions of The Lawnmower Man: Director's Cut and Theatrical Cut, both sourced from 4K masters struck from an interpositive. However, the former is also a reconstruction job, utilizing inserts sourced from the original camera negative.

I viewed the Director's Cut and only sampled the Theatrical Cut. The former looks loverly, the best I have ever seen it. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to excellent, and while it is rather easy to tell where the inserts are placed, the overall consistency of the visuals is rather impressive. Obviously, all of the VR footage has unique fluctuations that are retained. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections, such as degraining, sharpening, contrast boosting, etc. Color reproduction and balance are terrific. All primaries and supporting nuances are perfectly set and balanced. All look very healthy and rather striking lush as well. Unsurprisingly, the entire film has a very convincing period appearance. I did not encounter any distracting age-related surface imperfections.

Also included in this release is Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace. I would describe its presentation as mostly pleasing. However, it is not difficult to tells that a proper remastering job could give this film a much more vibrant, healthier, and attractive appearance. At times, depth and delineation can be underwhelming, and the VR may even appear unnaturally flat. I did not notice any major surface imperfections to report in our review. (Note: Both Blu-ray discs included in this release are Region-Free).

Lawnmower Man I & II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Director's Cut of The Lawnmower Man can be viewed only with an LPCM 2.0 track. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for it.

The lossless Mono track is healthy. All dialogue is clear, stable, and easy to follow. The action footage -- the shootouts and explosions in the real world and all the antics in the virtual reality -- sounds pretty good. However, there are quite a few spots where it feels like the audio should not be just Mono. On the Theatrical Cut, it is easy to understand why as well. I did not encounter any anomalies to report.

The Theatrical Cut of The Lawnmower Man can be viewed with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0 Stereo tracks. If you choose the former, you will notice that a lot of the action material sounds noticeably better. The LPCM 2.0 Stereo track offers more variety than the LPCM 2.0 Mono track on the Director's Cut, too. None of this is surprising, but I should mention that these tracks are also optimized to enhance some pretty average content.

Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace can be viewed with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 Stereo tracks. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it. I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It is a good track, but I think it is easy to tell that it was finalized a long time ago. Its aggressiveness and ability to create memorable dynamic contrasts are somewhat underwhelming.

Lawnmower Man I & II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

DISC ONE - DIRECTOR'S CUT

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, director Brett Leonard and producer Gimel Everett explain how the concept of virtual reality polished and made and became the key piece of The Lawnmower Man, how they expanded the short story that they had to work with, and why various scenes were cut and reinserted into the Director's Cut. Also, there is interesting information about Angel Studio, which prepared the VR material, and Jeff Fahey and Pierce Brosnan's performances, as well as the film's publicity and presence on the home video market.

DISC TWO - THEATRICAL CUT

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, director Brett Leonard and producer Gimel Everett explain how the concept of virtual reality polished and made and became the key piece of The Lawnmower Man, how they expanded the short story that they had to work with, and why various scenes were cut and reinserted into the Director's Cut. Also, there is interesting information about Angel Studio, which prepared the VR material, and Jeff Fahey and Pierce Brosnan's performances, as well as the film's publicity and presence on the home video market.

• Cyber God: Creating The Lawnmower Man - this archival documentary explores the conception, production, and some of the controversy that surrounded The Lawnmower Man. Included in are clips from interviews with Brett Leonard, author Joseph Maddrey (Beyond Fear), editor Alan Baumgarten, and Jeff Fahey, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here is a large collection of deleted scenes. In English, not subtitled. (28 min).

• Edited Animated Sequences - presented here are several edited animated sequences with original music. (5 min).

• Electronic Press Kit (1992) - presented here is the original electronic press kit for The Lawnmower Man. Included in it are clips from interviews with Brett Leonard and cast members, as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Conceptual Art and Design Sketches - presented silent. (3 min).

• Stills - presented here is a large collection of behind the scenes and production stills. Silent. (8 min).

• Storyboard Comparisons - in English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage theatrical trailer for The Lawnmower Man. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• TV Spot - presented here is a vintage TV spot for The Lawnmower Man. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

DISC THREE - LAWNMOWER MAN 2: BEYOND CYBERSPACE

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage theatrical trailer for Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Lawnmower Man I & II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Both versions of The Lawnmower Man feel like compromises, though the Director's Cut is unquestionably the better, more coherent film. Also, I like the fact that The Lawnmower Man is not an accurate cinematic adaption of the original material Stephen King penned because it channels different themes that are now its greatest strength. While a relic of the 1990s with a dated appearance, if seen from the right angle, The Lawnmower Man can become a surprisingly relevant film. Unfortunately, its sequel is still a dud. This recent two-disc set offers a gorgeous, very faithful presentation of the original film, sourced from a recent 4K master, with a terrific selection of bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.