Johnny Mnemonic

[Derf]

I finally got around to watching Johnny Mnemonic today. It's got a reputation of being a terrible movie, so, while curious about it, I never took the time to watch it. Now that I have, I can honestly say that I found it to be not a terrible movie. It's a godawful movie. And I like Keanu Reeves.

The story is interesting enough. Johnny "Smith" is a courier hired by renegade scientists to take the data on a cure for the latest technology-caused disease, NAS (Neurological Attenuation Syndrome) to other rebels so that it can be spread to the world. He has overloaded his head memory, so if he doesn't get it out within 24 hours, his head will basically explode. So much for the interesting part.

The director of this movie, Robert Longo, needs to never be allowed near a movie production again, and, indeed, Johnny Mnemonic seems to be his career-killing film. Otherwise reasonably competent actors (not great, but reasonable) deliver horribly stilted performances, sets are unimaginative, and the dialogue is often just silly.

In order to clear this movie out of my head, I'm watching Waterworld. That says a lot to me.

[Doggett]

It's a horrible film.
I've tried to watch it many timea and have never finished it. For you to watch it all shows true courage.

Well done!

[Archivist]

When this movie came out in the cinema, I was very excited.  I was quite the William Gibson fan and the thought a movie of Johnny Mnemonic was a thrilling idea.  But I ended up missing it somehow.  I asked some friends who had seen it, and they said, 'welllllll... it's not the best movie.  It's not.  Dolph is kind of cool.  But that's about it.'

I eventually picked up a cheap DVD many years later.  And sure enough, it was crap.  I barely remember it now, only with some vague images of the guy with the microfilament weapon.

One comment on youtube says, "This movie sucks more that sucking itself."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJmKLzmPMso&feature=related

Oh my god, is that Dina Meyer???

[Mofo Rising]

I actually like this movie, even though I'm aware it's very bad.

Well, I haven't seen it in ten years, but I got a kick out of it. I have no defense for this. I can sum it up like this: "Johnny Mnemonic, not the worst thing I've ever seen."

Anyway, back to the Mnemonic bashing.

[bob]

I own this. Have for some time, but I've always been afraid to watch it since Reeves has pretty much sucked in everything not having The Martix in the title. My hats off to you Derf.

[Derf]

I actually like this movie, even though I'm aware it's very bad.

Well, I haven't seen it in ten years, but I got a kick out of it. I have no defense for this. I can sum it up like this: "Johnny Mnemonic, not the worst thing I've ever seen."

Anyway, back to the Mnemonic bashing.

While I will agree that I have seen worse, and while I don't have anything against anyone who enjoys this movie, I can say anything that will make me voluntarily put in a Kevin Costner movie to cleanse my mental palate has some MAJOR problems. 

And bob, this movie has Reeves in a very similar role to Neo--the unwilling savior of mankind. However, I will freely admit he does much better in The Matrix than he does in Johnny Mnemonic. Again, I blame the director.

[Ted C]

I rather like it in a This-is-bad-let's-heckle-it kind of way. Keanu is playing to his strength: the adventurous nerd. Dolph actually has an amusing character to work with, and I always like Dina Meyers for some inexplicable reason (I'll even tolerate watching Bats because she's in it).

Threadbare plot, dubious direction, silly script... but it all comes together into something that's still fun. The amount of intoxicant you need to find that place may vary, of course.

[Hammock Rider]

I rather like it in a This-is-bad-let's-heckle-it kind of way. Keanu is playing to his strength: the adventurous nerd. Dolph actually has an amusing character to work with, and I always like Dina Meyers for some inexplicable reason (I'll even tolerate watching Bats because she's in it).

Threadbare plot, dubious direction, silly script... but it all comes together into something that's still fun. The amount of intoxicant you need to find that place may vary, of course.

 When it was first released I was pretty upset about how subpar it was, because I was on a huge William Gibson kick. I really wanted to see an excellent version of the book.

I watched it more recently and I pretty much feel this way now. Maybe Hollywood has beaten the expectations out of me.

[Archivist]

Now I remember, having looked at Keanu's filmography.  I enjoyed his movies like Point Break, Speed and Dracula, and that really added to the disappointment of Johnny Mnemonic.  But he did redeem himself in The Matrix.

[Flick James]

I'll never watch it because it contains one of my most hated actors, Keanu Reeves. The only thing that could make it more of a must-not-see if if it also contained Sandra Bullock.

[Doggett]

I'll never watch it because it contains one of my most hated actors, Keanu Reeves. The only thing that could make it more of a must-not-see if if it also contained Sandra Bullock.

Not a big fan of 'Speed' then...

[Flick James]

I'll never watch it because it contains one of my most hated actors, Keanu Reeves. The only thing that could make it more of a must-not-see if if it also contained Sandra Bullock.

Not a big fan of 'Speed' then...

DING DING DING DING!