Virtuosity (1995)

SID 6.7: "You're frightfully inadequate for a deity Darryl."

By Brett Leonard
With Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe and Kelly Lynch

I think this is the kind of film that is quite fun to see 18 years after they came out. Most movies wouldn't age that fast but when a film wants to predicts a technology that will be upcoming or what the world will look like, it usually appears pretty impressing when it comes out but it ages really quick. In fact that's the main reason I decided to see Virtuosity, on addition to its great cast, I wanted to see one of those virtual-reality flick of the 90's.

In a near future, the law enforcement trains policemen to chase after dangerous killers in virtual-reality. Lieutenant Parker Barnes was a police officer but was tricked by a killer who captured his family and ended up killing everyone at the scene after he saw his family dying. Parker Barnes is now in jail but he is one of the best cop in the virtual-reality. Training one day, he catches SID 6.7 but SID 6.7 kills his partner by tricking the program and frying his brain. The virtual serial killer manages to escape the virtual world and starts threatening people in real life, with real consequences. Parker Barnes is offered freedom if he manages to catch SID 6.7, only to discover that SID 6.7 is made of many real life killers profiles, including the one that killed his family.

Although it appears quite polished the movie looks really old, simply because of this virtual-reality that is supposed to look futuristic but looks pretty bad. It is not necessarily something that one should hold against them as it simply was using the techniques at the time. However, the lack of real interesting story and characters development cannot be excused in the same way. Russell Crowe's portrayal of the serial killer is actually the best part of the movie, he is quite exuberant, fit and it's great to see him in the role of the evil guy. Denzel Washington, while being good, is simply cast in what he is famous for, grieved man looking for redemption and battling evil with the good. Even the duo of actors can't really save most of their scenes as their discussions are simply based on taunting each other. The movie is filled with action however and there isn't much space for down times. The plot is overall pretty silly and forgettable.

I liked: No downtime. Pair of actors.

I disliked: Quite bad script and story. No real investigation or serial killer profile. The cyber-virtuality talks just sound bad.

33/100
Watch it to make fun of it, it'll be as good as a bad comedy.