A Brilliant Conflict

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Parker Barnes (Denzel Washington) is a former cop imprisoned for killing terrorist Matthew Grimes after he killed his wife and child. He and John Donovan are test subjects tracking down serial killer program SID 6.7 (Russell Crowe) in virtual reality training in the Law Enforcement Technology Advancement Centre. SID overloads the system and kills Donovan. Police Commissioner Elizabeth Deane (Louise Fletcher) orders the program shut down. Instead programmer Lindenmeyer tricks Clyde Reilly to download SID into a nano-machine body. With SID being free in the real world, the Commissioner offers Barnes a full pardon to bring SID back to virtual reality with the help of criminal psychologist Dr. Madison Carter (Kelly Lynch).I really love the ideas in this movie. I love the serial killer program, the virtual reality and the nanotech body. Russell Crowe is bringing a lot murderous glee into the character. I don't like the style of the computer program look. The whole movie could use a bit less of the stylized colored look. It was campy even back then. The movie is deliberately trying to be that 90s computer blocky look. I do really love the serial killer from Crowe and Washington as the dark hero. There's also an unrecognizable girl Kaley Cuoco as Carter's daughter. The brutality is relentless which doesn't wear out mostly because of the two great leads. It would have worked better with a darker look which would fit the subject better.

This is quite a fascinating look at early computer technology and an artifact of its time that is quite a colorful entertainment. A violent, great looking, slick Movie with a despicable Villain worth rooting for. Russell Crowe has a field day with his spot on interpretation of artificial intelligence programmed to be what he is, a psycho killer with an unforgettable sense of humor.It is all beautifully and brutally laid out in an abundance of wild state of the art SFX (for 1995) that become more over the top as it goes along and it is better for it. The ending and ticking time bomb is just a little too long and slows the momentum a bit, but til then, strap on your seat belt, put on your VR glasses, and prepare to be taken for a ride.

Brett Leonard is a name that has fallen by the wayside, and, maybe rightfully so. The director of such a film as The Lawnmower Man didn't really make anything of note since this film Virtuosity (unless one counts Highlander 5: The Source to be of actual quality which is hard to argue for), but there was a time when he knew where to put the camera and shoot as far as action and competency with his actors. The plot of Virtuosity is cut out of other movies to be sure, and would be again (one may be reminded of 12 Monkeys with its convicted man put on a mission by his captors, or even by Batman with its anti-hero and psychotic villain creating chaos all over the city), but, perhaps if only in retrospect, the movies carries some solid entertainment in the near-mindless tradition of loud, stupid Hollywood science fiction movies of the 90's. It's like John Woo lite.There isn't much to the plot except that a former detective (Washington) in prison for killing a man, and a few others, one of whom responsible for the death of his wife and daughter, is put into a virtual reality simulation against a psychotic being (Crowe), who is let into the real world by an asswipe who wants to get back at his bosses or something, and now the mano-a-mano is on in the real world (and, another former movie reference, Escape from NY: finish the mission, get a full pardon, but don't mind the chip in your head that might kill you). The plot is cookie cutter, and there is lack of motivation to some of the action until the over the top climax comes around. But within the silly context of things, it does make sense. And for those who may be tired of the super-fast action cutting of today's product (Bourne, Transformers, Expendables), it is a relief to be able to see what's going on.Will it be amazing for everyone? Probably not. It does have generic plotting and the very end is close to a cop-out. But one big factor in my enjoyment of Virtuosity, on top of the decent action, were the stars, Washington and especially Crowe. The latter gives a performance that is surprising considering where he went to for the rest of his Hollywood career. This is an actor with a lot to prove, and it's ironic considering Crowe is having more diabolical fun as a Terminator-cum-Joker than he has had in most other more serious action oriented roles. Sometimes his mannerisms make the stakes a little crazier, or simply the way he acts across from stoic and concerned Washington that makes it work so. Strange as it might seem, it's really one of Crowe's finest performances, true to the wonky nature of the character and just wicked fun. It's like Crowe's imitation of a Rutger Hauer performance, which is a sight to see on its own.Certainly it's no masterpiece, but Virtuosity has its charms and moments of excitement. It's likely the highpoint of Leonard's career, which may not be saying much, but putting together cool virtual reality sequences (the opening is most thrilling) and two high-caliber stars makes for some fun Saturday afternoon viewing.

Both Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe are 'A-list' actors who have been in some top-notch pictures during their careers. But even big stars are not immune from taking the attitude that they always must be working in order to make a buck. That's basically what happened here with their decision to be a part of this hopeless enterprise known as 'Virtuosity'.Set in a futuristic Los Angeles, Denzel Washington plays former police Lt. Parker Barnes, imprisoned for life after murdering a terrorist who kidnapped his wife and child. It seems during his failed attempt to rescue his family, not only does he kill Grimes and his associates but a pair of newsmen covering the story. Barnes is called upon (along with another inmate), to test out the Law Enforcement Technology Advancement Center's (LETAC) new virtual reality program, designed to improve officer's tracking skills by hunting down SID 6.7 (played by a one-note Russell Crowe), a virtual reality entity whose personality is a composite of the 200 worst criminals in history. During the test, SID figures out how to raise the sensitivity calibrations in the virtual reality program, which ends up killing one of the inmates who's been participating in the program test.As a result, the Commissioner in charge of the program wants to shut it down but the program's originator tricks his brainy co-worker into turning SID into a real-world regenerating android (similar to the android in Terminator II). SID then escapes and is determined to murder as many people as possible in the real world. Barnes, who proved his mettle during his virtual reality encounter with SID, is now given a chance to earn his freedom by tracking the sadistic criminal down and eliminating him. He's joined by Dr. Madison Carter, a psychiatrist, who acts as a consultant to LETAC.The bulk of the movie involves Barnes chasing SID in various venues in Los Angeles. In contrast to Terminator II, where Arnold Schwarznegger used a high powered shotgun to create large bullet holes in the android he's trying to subdue, Barnes shoots SID with an ordinary handgun, resulting in less dramatic smaller holes that regenerate every time SID is shot. I guess Virtuosity's budget wasn't as big as Terminator II.It appears that SID can really kill Barnes anytime he feels like it and at one point he frees him from a locked armored car as Barnes is being transported back to prison. We're told that SID does this because he simply enjoys the sport of Barnes chasing him. But if Barnes is SID's main impediment to creating more mayhem in the city, why doesn't SID dispatch Barnes right away? Obviously, you wouldn't have much of a movie left if Barnes is eliminated too soon.Finally, Dr. Carter leaves her daughter 'home alone' which allows SID to conveniently kidnap her and threaten to kill the child on national TV. Barnes tracks SID down at the TV station and continues to fire bullets at him that only temporarily impede his movements. Eventually, Barnes has a face-to-face fistfight with SID on top of a high-rise. Despite the fact that SID has superhuman strength and could probably kill Barnes with one blow, their confrontation lasts a couple of minutes, eventually leading to SID's demise as he falls through a glass ceiling and is impaled on shards of glass. As he is about to regenerate, Barnes takes the crystal software program from the back of SID's head which effectively shuts him down. Using the crystal, Barnes tricks SID into revealing the location of Dr. Madison's kidnapped daughter inside the virtual reality world, and then saves the little girl. End of movie.What could have been a fascinating journey through a virtual reality dream-like world, turns into an ordinary cop-criminal encounter featuring a series of dull chase scenes, once SID becomes a real-life android. The similarities between Virtuosity and Terminator II are obvious but the latter movie has much more class. Yes, Virtuosity does have a 'plot' but it's much more laughable than suspenseful. Denzel and Russell Crowe do collect their paychecks but really should be embarrassed to have been part of this vapid, cheesy production.