Subject: REVIEW: LAWNMOWER MAN

From: [email-masked] (Mark R. Leeper)
Date: 18 Mar 92 18:25:46 GMT

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				LAWNMOWER MAN
		       A film review by Mark R. Leeper
			Copyright 1992 Mark R. Leeper

	  Capsule review:  In LAWNMOWER MAN, a mix of virtual
     reality and mind-expanding drugs turn a mentally retarded
     handyman into a psychic monster.  The film borrows heavily
     from ALTERED STATES, FORBIDDEN PLANET, and CHARLY, and pays
     back in some nice computer graphics and an over-used revenge
     plot.  Rating: +1 (-4 to +4).

     Dr. Lawrence Angelo (played by Pierce Brosnan) is one more Stephen King
character being exploited by the evil government intelligence agency "The
Shop."  His experiments with drug-enhancing virtual reality not only make
the effect more complete, it may actually be raising the intelligence of his
chimpanzee subject.  Unfortunately, the chimp does not want to find out.
The ape picks the lock of his cage and is killed walking to freedom, zapping
humans as he goes.  Angelo continues with Jobe (Played by Jeff Fahey), a
mentally retarded lawn man.

     In over-used King style (perhaps "pseudo-King" since King had little to
do with the story in the film), Jobe lives in a world of people willing to
torment him because he is so powerless.  If only he had the intelligence and
power to get back at his tormenters.  But then the brain boost he is getting
from the ultimate video game and psycho-active drugs starts giving him a
super intellect as well as telekinetic powers.  As Angelo's wife tells him
early in the film, "It may be the future to you, Larry, but it's the same
old shit to me."  She obviously knows her Stephen King films.  Other lines
seem downright silly.  "He learned Latin in two hours!  It took me a year to
learn the Latin alphabet."  That may well be true, Larry, but I assume you
were about four years old at the time.

     If the plot is overly predictable--and believe me, it is--the computer
graphics are spectacular.  They may not always make sense.  Jobe's new
girlfriend sneaks into the lab to try the virtual reality equipment.  While
she appears to be the first woman who has been in the lab, the computer
knows to visualize her virtual reality body as a female.  The computer
visuals make one wish this film had been shot in 3-D.  Even shot flat, the
visuals are quite a trip.

     The screenplay is loosely based on the short story by Stephen King.
(No, let me correct that: it is tightly based on a Stephen King story title.
It has virtually nothing to do with King's story of a lawnman who worships
the God Pan.)  It was written by the director Brett Lawrence and the
producer Gimel Everett.  It is dedicated to the memory of the co-producer,
the late Milton Subotsky.  Those of you who are fans of British horror film
will remember some classics, particularly anthology films such as THE HOUSE
THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, ASYLUM, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and BEYOND THE GRAVE that
were co-produced in the 1960s by Subotsky for his production company Amicus
Films.  His last film was typical for him: entertaining but not heavy on
thought.  I would rate LAWNMOWER MAN a +1 on the -4 to +4 scale.

					Mark R. Leeper
					att!mtgzy!leeper
					[email-masked]