There's only one word that keeps coming to mind when I think of The Lawnmower Man....creative! Very creative, imaginative movie. And Jeff Faheys performance as Jobe, holy hotcakes, he knocked it out of the park! So what are the downfalls of The Lawnmower Man, I mean, certainly, there has to be some reason why this film is ranking at such a low level. Can you overlook the cheesy CGI? Can you overlook some of the choppy sequences? And can you please overlook that this was a short story by Stephen King. ( Stephen King, uh, you should have been thanking them, instead of suing them, I mean, this movie was not that bad. They even made a reference to Firestarter for you, you know, the whole Shop thing, oh, your a hard man to please, aren't you, King?) For myself, I thought the movie was not bad at all. You'll need some patience, that's about it. The good stuff doesn't happen until about the last 45 minutes, but that's okay, because the film does a decent job of telling a smooth, compelling tell up until then. The last 45 minutes, it's as if the dam breaks loose, and suddenly everything is coming apart at the seams, everything happening so fast. This is what I mean by choppy, it was once a solid, smooth tale, and now its rushing a few things here and there. Can I forgive? Sure! This was made all the way back in 1992, we arguably still made good movies then, so given its time period, I think this stood out very well. ( And it really did. If you look, this movie did not bomb, despite the bad reviews. It got its money back. It was successful. Nobody wants to talk about that.) When we finally get to the, uh, scenes where Jobe gets his revenge, two of them left me with the "what the puck" moment. The lawnmower scene makes up for the two of those scenes put together! Forgiven. So the verdict is in: Great story, powerhouse performance from Jeff, imaginative, inventive stuff going on here, bizarre, weird film, we will call it unique here, keep my attention even past the two hour mark, and a goosebump, hair raising, chilling ending to it all. I give it 7 out of 10. Did, uh, the rest of you boneheads who rate this watch the same movie, or what?

And so was "The Lawnmower Man," the 1992 sci-fi/horror cyber-thriller that came out one year after "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) blew open the door on the cinematic revolution for CGI special effects. Speaking of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "The Lawnmower Man," with its themes of out-of-control scientific progress and the physical/mental transcendence of humans into beings of pure electronic data, could very easily have been the next project for the techno-phobic James Cameron. Or maybe another one of his contemporaries, like David Cronenberg?Who knows.Either one of them probably would have been ideal for this film, but director Brett Leonard, despite some occasional missteps in his direction, is a capable presence behind the camera. Leonard, with co-screenwriter/producer Gimel Everett (from a short story of the same name by Stephen King, but the two works are unrelated and King sued to have his name removed from the project, and the film actually has more in common with the 1968 film "Charly"), have fashioned a cyber-thriller, that while it received mixed reviews upon its release, now seems ahead-of-its-time (or maybe it came out at the right time?), and would pre-figure ideas in science fiction, computer technology, and the mainstreaming of cyberpunk for pretty much the rest of the decade - "The Matrix" (1999) would pull all of it together just seven years later."The Lawnmower Man" was probably most-regarded at the time for its computer-generated visual effects (and was the first film ever to deal with the concept of virtual reality), which marked yet another major step in the progression of CGI effects in the early '90s after "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." But other aspects proved to be problematic, like its story and editing. So that's why this review is based on the unrated director's cut version, which seems like a more-fully-realized film production, like the kind of film that the filmmakers really wanted to release to the public in 1992.In the film, Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan) is using experiments in virtual reality to enhance the intelligence of his primate test subjects. "The Shop," the malevolent corporate entity overseeing the project, wants to use Angelo's technology for war, while Angelo, whose humanitarian interests conflict with those of his employers, believes in the original intent of increasing the intelligence capabilities of the mind.So far, all of his experiments with primates have failed, which is why he soon catches the attention of Jobe Smith (Jeff Fahey), the simple-minded, kind-hearted gardener who is a local fixture around town. Jobe agrees to become Dr. Angelo's newest test subject, but soon Jobe begins learning about the history of human civilization and new languages at an exponential rate. Eventually, along with his increased intelligence and comprehension, Jobe begins exhibiting astonishing superhuman mental abilities such as telepathy and telekinesis. Jobe, who is now a full-fledged superhuman psychopath, concludes that virtual reality has opened the door to the next stage of human evolution, and he's going to complete the process by transforming himself into a being of pure electronic energy."The Lawnmower Man" is a much-better film than I remember it, even though it's not perfect. Like I said earlier, its mainstay is its CGI effects, which are pretty laughable now but were state-of-the-art at the time. Yet, that is no reason to discount the film, its performances, or its complex themes about the role of technology in humanity's evolution. Pierce Brosnan is the film's human center and voice of reason in all this technological chaos (even if he is slightly mad himself), but Jeff Fahey, who often doesn't get the respect he deserves as an actor, is this film's real star. He's incredible as Jobe Smith. It's nice to see Jobe's progression from a simpleton to a superhuman genius - and we do sympathize with him to a degree, even if we know that ultimately he's supposed to become a monster the likes of which mankind has never seen before.As a film that's rapidly approaching 25 years in age, I found myself nostalgic and wanting to go back to a far simpler time in the movies - yet to a time when the movies were definitely changing. "The Lawnmower Man" came out at the right time - because it was caught in the middle of Hollywood's gradual transition from practical effects to nearly all-CGI. It's an amazing film to watch on a Friday afternoon in early March.8/10P.S.: And don't worry about all the phones ringing in your house at the same time...

I remember seeing this flick around 1994 and I found it a rather good flick with all the virtual reality action going on. What supposed to be a good B-flick became a cult flick due the effects and the story. And all the fighting going on between Stephen King and the producers did add another issue towards the fame of it. Normally it was supposed to be a flick based on a short story by King but it transformed into another story so sued by King they had to remove his name from the opening credits.Almost 25 years later I came across this flick again. Of course back then the effects and computer animation was top notch but technology went on and on and if you look to it nowadays it is completely outdated on that part. But it's still watchable, be advised, it is a slow mover and it takes a while before Jobe (Fahey) turns from a retarded lawnmower into a super genius men with special abilities so he becomes rather dangerous. It's up to Dr. Lawrence (Brosnan) to destroy the virtual reality and Jobe. Not one of the best flicks about technology but the superb Fahey makes it worth watching and if you're in a sentimental nostalgia tour do pick it up, back to the time before game consoles....Gore 0/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy

The Lawnmower Man is directed by Brett Leonard who also co-writes the screenplay with Gimel Everett. It stars Pierce Brosnan, Jeff Fahey, Jenny Wright, Geoffrey Lewis, Jeremy Slate and Dean Norris. Music is by Dan Wyman and cinematography by Russell Carpenter.Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Brosnan) is a big mover in the science of virtual reality. When he tries his new technology on mentally challenged gardener Jobe Smith (Fahey), it elevates him to a higher intelligence and it's not long before Jobe acquires scary new powers…Originally meant to be, and titled as, Stephen King's Lawnmower Man, the film eventually, after a King lawsuit, ended up bearing very little resemblance to the author's short story. There's a couple of small ligaments that link the two, but in the main (not Maine) this Lawnmower Man is its own entity and an obvious attempt to cash in on the then virtual reality zeitgeist.Lawnmower Man has a cult fan base, of that there is no doubt, where much like Tron from 10 years earlier, the effects work and the capturing of something very much being "in" with the youth of the time, has proved perpetually appealing to nostalgists. But strip away these and you have your basic Frankenstein story for the 90s, a pretty standard story lacking intelligent smarts or deep thematic points of worth. And then of course there is the bizarre fact of having a film decrying the advancement of computer technology, by using computer technology to make the film's strongest moments! Hee. It's only adequately performed by the cast, and Leonard's direction matches his writing, which is mundane when not about the visual effects; effects work that dated very quickly as it happened.Other cuts and sequels would follow, the former didn't improve the same basic problems of the theatrical cut, the latter releases proved to be laughably bad. The Lawnmower Man, an interesting movie in the context of its time, and certainly fun enough for those who were there cloaked in a visually inspired warm glow, but it has not been a must see film for anyone else since 1995. 4/10