The Lawnmower Man

The Lawnmower Man follows scientist Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan) as he applies his VR-themed research to a local simpleton (Jeff Fahey’s Jobe), with problems ensuing as Jobe becomes a far more powerful and dangerous a figure than Lawrence could ever had anticipated. It’s an intriguing premise that’s employed to perpetually erratic effect by director Brett Leonard, as the movie, which suffers from an often excessively deliberate pace, is lacking in the sort of forward momentum from which an oddball story like this could’ve seriously benefited – with, instead, The Lawnmower Man at its best in short, random bursts (eg Jobe embarks on a campaign of revenge against the various folks that have wronged him, Jobe uses his newfound superpowers to scatter the molecules of pursuing cops, etc). Fahey’s surprisingly strong performance, ie the actor effectively captures his character’s radical shift from idiot to genius, certainly goes a long way towards keeping things interesting throughout, while Leonard’s use of computer-generated imagery, though decidedly crude and raw, ultimately does cement The Lawnmower Man‘s place as a fairly prescient sci-fi thriller.

**1/2 out of ****