Search - The Lawnmower Man

Loosely based on a short story by Stephen King, The Lawnmower Man was the first film to explore virtual reality technology and boasts a dazzling collection of computer-animated sequences. The story concerns the slightly-mad scientist Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan), who as part of a secret government agency called Cybertech has been experimenting with something termed "intelligence enhancement." By using drugs and virtual reality technology, Angelo has managed to boost the IQ of experimental chimps. But he also makes them more aggressive and, bit by bit, they go insane. When one of his animal subjects goes on a rampage, Angelo decides to go for a human guinea pig instead -- Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), a slightly retarded man who cuts his lawn. Not only do Jobe's intelligence and sex-drive improve thanks to Angelo's regimen, but he also develops extrasensory perception. As Jobe's mental and emotional state keeps increasing, so does his strength. As he gains more power, Jobe becomes angrier and more vindictive until he vows to get even with all the town's people that patronized him and treated him badly. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Jeff Fahey - Jobe Smith
Pierce Brosnan - Dr. Lawrence Angelo
Jenny Wright - Marnie Burke
Geoffrey Lewis - Terry McKeen
Mark Bringelson - Sebastian Timms

The virtual reality thriller The Lawnmower Man looks a little dated nowadays, but its colorful special effects and the presence of a pre-Bond Pierce Brosnan should ensure a cult following for some time to come. This is a good DVD edition of the film, albeit one that still leaves room for improvement. The use of vivid color in the movie looks very impressive in anamorphic, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track reveals the film's soundtrack to have a surprising amount of depth and detail. In strict audio-visual terms, this disc cannot be faulted.
There are plenty of extra features on this DVD, although they probably look more impressive on the box than they do when they're accessed. There are all the basic features one would expect, such as the theatrical trailer, production notes, and cast filmographies. The interviews with the stars total about five minutes and aren't very interesting, but the storyboard comparison with the virtual reality scenes is well-presented and a worthwhile feature. There is a montage of the animated sequences that is truly spectacular, even if it is set to music that eventually irritates. The feature commentary by director Brett Leonard and producer Gimel Everett is one of the most enthusiastic viewers will ever hear; in fact, viewers' enjoyment of it may well depend upon whether or not they love the film as much as Leonard and Everett (though trouble is taken to explain a little of the science behind virtual reality). The 12 deleted scenes are of high quality (they include the "Cyberman" escaped chimp subplot), but anyone who has seen the director's cut of The Lawnmower Man will have seen all of these scenes before. In fact, it is annoying that the deleted scenes are not integrated into the film itself, since they lose much of their impact in separate form. Fans of The Lawnmower Man should probably find this DVD satisfactory, although one suspects that it could have been even better. ~ Patrick Lee, All Movie Guide

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