Cyborg had all the hallmarks of being a fun good bad 1980s sci-fi action movie and while there are certainly some great moments, still get a chuckle out of Tremolo growls, there’s too much of it that is derivative that it became a bit boring at times.
Cyborg
— Collector’s Edition —
(1989)
Genre(s): Science Fiction, Action
Shout Factory | R – 86 min. – $34.93 | April 24, 2018
Date Published: 04/10/2018 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 2.25/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Deteriorating from a deadly plague, 21st-century America is descending into a barbaric nightmare. Only Pearl Prophet (DAYLE HADDON), a beautiful half human/half cyborg, has the knowledge necessary to develop a vaccine. But during her quest to gather data and bring the cure to the world, Pearl is captured by cannibalistic Flesh Pirates led way by Fender Tremolo (VINCENT KLYN) who plot to keep the antidote for themselves and rule the world. Now, only saber-wielding hero Gibson Rickenbacker (JEAN-CLAUDE VAN DAMME), with the aid of a feisty woman named Nady Simmons (DEBORAH RICHTER) can rescue her and save civilization. Quick Hit Review: I realize Cyborg has developed a following over the years and while I actually did enjoy some moments and can appreciate how laughably bad the editing tended to be, alongside solid fight sequences, there came a point where the movie became so derivative that I actually became bored, but the film does boomerang back with the outlandishly hilarious “acting” from Vincent Klyn whose lines deteriorates to loud grunts and growls. Van Damme for his part was… alright, the role doesn’t nearly give him enough to allow any kind of charm to come through, however; but he was convincing as he got his ass kicked by the main villain. |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 4.0/5 |
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This release comes with a matted slip cover. The interior cover is reversible revealing the film’s original poster artwork. A Ravaged Future: The Making of Cyborg (29:40; HD) is a well put together retrospective featurette that includes new interviews with the cast (including Deborah Richter, Vincent Klyn) and crew (director Albert Pyun and others) as they recall their time working on the project. Shoestring Fantasy: The Effects of Cyborg (11:57; HD) takes a look at the practical effects work done on the film such as the cyborg head early on in the film and what it took back in the 1980s. Extended Interviews from Mark Hartley’s Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (1:03:34; HD) – Here we get interviews from the documentary with participants who worked on Cannon’s Cyborg movie. Actually quite interesting as you get an extended history on the filmmakers involvement with Cannon Films. Theatrical Trailer (1:31; HD) Still Gallery (4:39; HD) which includes both pictures from the movie, but behind-the-scenes and publicity shots as well. |
VIDEO – 3.75/5 |
| Shout Factory releases Cyborg onto Blu-ray with a new transfer culled from the 2K scan. For the most part, this transfer, presented in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and 1080p high-definition resolution, looks pretty good. Detail on the close-up shots was sharp while some of the more distant or wide scenes weren’t as finely detailed. Colors were adequate however I did notice a few instances of dust marks and specs, nothing distracting, though. |
AUDIO – 3.75/5 |
| The movie includes a DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo track which is rather basic but considering what was a somewhat low budget 1980s-era movie, still did output clear dialogue and any of the action had some decent effect. This is nothing extraordinary yet still more than sufficient. |
OVERALL – 3.0/5 |
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Overall, Cyborg had all the hallmarks of being a fun good bad 1980s sci-fi action movie and while there are certainly some great moments, still get a chuckle out of Tremolo growls, there’s too much of it that is derivative that it became a bit boring at times. As for the “Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray release, the video and audio transfers are both above average and the features pretty well done, though would’ve been nice to have a new interview with JCVD. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.