Virtuosity Movie Review

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So, Iâ€™ve decided to review one of my favorite movies when I was a kid, Virtuosity. It was not a highly advertised or celebrated movie in its day. Actually, I donâ€™t think many people even remember it. But hopefully I can change your mind and maybe rekindle interest in this sci-fi gem.

Virtuosity follows ex-cop Lt. Parker Barnes (played by Denzel Washington) who is currently incarcerated for gunning down a news crew in a fit of rage. Barnes, being the Good Samaritan he is, volunteered himself to help test a new â€˜virtual realityâ€™ training system that the LAPD is looking at purchasing. The system basically places you in a completely virtual 3D world where you can interact with people, chase down criminals and get into gunfights all without the worry of being harmed. The developer of the system, Dr. Darrel Lindenmeyer (played by Stephen Spinella), created an AI he lovingly called SID 6.7 (played by a very young Russell Crowe). SID is a combination of 100â€™s of different serial killers psyches, which makes him an extremely tough opponent. The problem, however, is that he crafted SID so well that SID is aware of his existence and longs for more than his virtual â€˜cellâ€™ can do for him. He murders one of the testers during a training session by somehow overwriting the safety protocols that are built in to the program. With having tasted this new thrill, SID demands Lindenmeyer find some way to bring him out of the virtual world, and into the real.

In comes another of Lindenmeyerâ€™s technicians who has been working on new nano-technology. This new nano-tech makes it possible to create living beings from the character modules they use in the virtual reality system. Lindenmeyer tricks the tech into thinking he is creating a virtual woman, Sheila 3.2 (a short role played by the very sexy Heidi Schanz). In actuality he puts SIDâ€™s module in the nano-processor and presto, we have the worlds deadliest virtual serial killer in the real world. SIDâ€™s first order of business is to murder the tech and test out his new body (Lindenmeyer fears what he has created and promptly runs away). The thing about these nano-machines is they are silicon based, so any damage incurred to the body (such as when SID chops off his little finger) is repaired when the damaged part is fed â€˜glassâ€™ which the nanos remake into the appropriate missing piece.

With SID on the loose he begins his reign of terror, killing and torturing at will (and thoroughly enjoying himself in the process). Once the LAPD get wind of this the only thing they can think of doing to stop him is to release the one man who could beat him in VR. Yea, you guessed it, Lt. Parker Barnes. They release him under the pretense that if he captures SID that he will be given a full pardon and will be a free man. Of course he is hesitant at first but again, knowing what kind of terror SID can release on the real world, takes them upon their offer. The only catch is he has to have a tag-along psychiatrist, Dr. Madison Carter (played by Kelly Lynch), to make sure Parker doesnâ€™t go off the edge again.

This is an extremely entertaining movie and has some great action scenes in it. I especially love the character of SID. Russell Crowe does a great job at portraying a vicious psychopathic killer. Denzel also provides an entertaining performance and really creates a character that is cold at first, but then you begin to sympathize with him as the movie progresses. You learn why Denzel has such a grudge against SID and what motivates him to finish the job and catch the killer before he can do anymore damage to the city or itâ€™s population.

Overall an entertaining flick with great performances from everyone involved. Although itâ€™s 10 years old it doesnâ€™t show itâ€™s age as the technology mentioned is still in development today, so itâ€™s very easy to grasp. Nowâ€¦if I could just invent a VR machine and have my own Sheila 3.2, Iâ€™d be set!!