When I first saw the title of Cannon's 'Cyborg' and the name Jean Claude Van Damme tagged, I thought of a cyborg Van Damme. Oh yeah! Well I couldn't be any more wrong. Well Van Damme's acting is robotic, but he still gets to kick butt in human form as he goes after a cyborg woman carrying vital information that could cure the plague that affects civilization in the 21st century. However in his way and holding the cyborg hostage is Fender, the barbarous leader of the 'Flesh Pirates' that roams the vacant cities carving out a hellhole.
There's rawness to it, but it's efficiently staged. What I had trouble with was how unexciting and emotionless the film was, despite its comic-book edge and choreographed action being superbly executedÂ… although director Albert Pyun could've cut down on the over-cooked slow motion. Nonetheless it was good to see Van Damme wipe the floor with those kick-boxing skills, but it did give me a snicker during the sloppy flashback sequences which has Van Damme in an awkward looking blonde wig. However the most pitiful aspect was the over-the-top, try-hard performance of Vincent Klyn as Fender. Boy I could only roll my eyes, especially when he opened his mouth and got into his posing stances. SadisticÂ… far from it. Deborah Richter was the opposite, with a lively and feisty turn.
The use of junky special effects works out. Being set in a desperate wasteland born from apocalyptic symptoms, Pyun does an exemplary job bringing that out the chosen locations. Some impulsively neat visuals caught by expressive camera-work and rapid pacing go onto add more to a blotchy narration without much of a story in this cheaply produced sci-fi outing. Although there's an odd inclusion of Jesus on the cross in some scenes in the background and then you another sequence with Van Damme. Is his character seen as society's true savior?
Passably average.