Freejack

Directed by Geoff Murphy, Freejack follows ’90s Formula One racer Alex Furlong (Emilio Estevez) as he’s yanked from his time moments before his death and shuttled forward to the year 2009 by ruthless mercenaries (led by Mick Jagger’s Victor Vacendak) – with the movie subsequently detailing Alex’s efforts at solving the mystery behind his temporal abduction. It’s an intriguing sci-fi premise that’s employed to mostly watchable yet perpetually erratic effect by Murphy, as the filmmaker, working from a script by Steven Pressfield, Ronald Shusett, and Dan Gilroy, delivers a hit-and-miss endeavor that fares especially poorly in its distressingly arms-length opening stretch – with the less-than-enthralling vibe perpetuated by an ongoing emphasis on tedious, dimly-lit action interludes. It’s clear, then, that Freejack‘s tolerable vibe is, at the outset, due mostly to the novelty of the premise and its smattering of compelling performances, with the latter reflected most keenly in Jagger’s gleefully over-the-top, scenery-chewing turn as the reckless villain, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the movie improves considerably in a propulsive second half riddled with comparatively enthralling set-pieces and sequences (including a surprisingly exciting car chase). By the time the dated yet relatively fun climax rolls around, Freejack has cemented its place as a passable outing that probably could’ve benefited from a shorter running time.

**1/2 out of ****

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