The Dominator reviews

Distributed by
Pioneer LDCE

Cat.no: PLFEB 34471

Cert: 15

Running time: 102 minutes

Sides: 2 (CLV)

Year: 1995

Pressing: UK, 1996

Chapters: 20 (11/9)

Sound: Dolby Surround

Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Super-35)

Price: £24.99

Extras : None

---

Director:

Brett Leonard (The Lawnmower Man, Hideaway)

Producer:

Gary Lucchesi

Screenplay:

Eric Bernt

Music:

Christopher Young

Cast:

Parker Barnes : Denzel Washington (Courage Under Fire, Ricochet, Devil In A Blue Dress)
Madison Carter: Kelly Lynch (Heaven's Prisoners, Roadhouse, Three of Hearts)
Sid 6.7 : Russell Crowe (Romper Stomper, Proof, The Quick and The Dead)
Lindenmeyer : Stephen Spinella
William Cochran : William Forsythe (The Rock, Raising Arizona, Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead)
Elizabeth Deane : Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, High School High, Firestarter)
Media Zone Singer : Traci Lords (Stephen King's The Tommyknockers)

Virtuosity stars Denzel Washington as Parker Barnes, a cop jailed for murder at a time when he took the law into his own hands. While inside, he's the best at playing a computer simulation of a hostage situation where the bad guy, Sid 6.7, is a composite of the personalities of around 200 murderers including Matthew Grimes, the man who killed Parker's wife and daughter.

In this present, Virtual Reality has progressed to a level such that computer-generated creations can be brought into the real world, and so with an evil businessman taking his opportunity to bring Sid 6.7 into the world, instead of his friend's intended Sheila 3.2, so the scene is set for chaos.

Parker has been given the chance of freedom from his long jail sentence, but only if he can bring Sid 6.7 to justice - something that won't prove easy as any attempt to harm him results in him being able to regenerate his silicon-based body parts.

Oscar-winning acting is certainly not the order of the day here as Denzel's Parker Barnes character appears to be a future-set version of his Nick Styles character in 1991's Ricochet; Russell Crowe throws away his acting talent in favour of playing an over-the-top violent psycho, and Kelly Lynch plays the token bimbo-cum-psychologist who follows Parker about in his pursuit.

The cast is rounded out with the mean and moody William Forsythe, who I last saw in The Rock, another good-guy-jailed-for-life-but-given-a-pardon-if-he-gets-the-bad-guy-because-he's-the-only-one-who-can film, and Louise Fletcher, most famous for her role as Nurse Ratched in 1975's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, but now spends her time in small roles in films like this and High School High.

On the plus side, for those who like their films futuristic and littered with numerous visual effects, this certainly doesn't disappoint, as The Lawnmower Man's Brett Leonard keeps the pace moving, the visuals colourful, and throws a number of one-liners in for Crowe as he goes about his insane business.

Picture quality is excellent, the sharp, crisp image bringing the colourful futuristic setting to life. Sound quality also does not disappoint as the director throws in a loud bullet-fest from time to time to give your speakers a workout. Chaptering is adequate with an average of one every five minutes.

Overall, the film won't win any major awards, but if Hollywood action/sci-fi no-brainer's are your bag - and if you choose this title - then rest assured that Pioneer have tracked down an excellent widescreen master for this film.

Film: 2/5
Picture: 5/5
Sound: 5/5

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1997.