#650 – Cyborg X (2016)

Cyborg X (2016)

Film review #650

Director: Kevin King

SYNOPSIS: When a computer virus infects the weapons manufacturer X-Corp, it’s drone weapons hunt down humans and reduce the world to ruin. Hiding out in the desert, a group of survivors happen to learn that X-Corp CEO Jack Kilmore has been kidnapped by the cyborgs that now roam the planet nearby. They plan a rescue mission to retrieve him and use the knowledge he undoubtedly has to turn the tide of the war against the cyborgs…

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Cyborg X is a 2016 film and the fourth film in the Cyborg series of films. That said, the film has no ties with any of the previous films other than the name, and the year it is set would, in theory, make it a prequel. However, nothing in the film itself shows up in the others. The weapons manufacturer X-Corp has developed a new form of warfare in the form of cyborg drones that can implant and control humans, but when a computer virus infects the system, the weapons attack humans indiscriminately, reducing the world to a very familiar post-apocalyptic wasteland. In the aftermath, we find ourselves in a desert in the middle of nowhere: the favourite setting of post-apocalyptic films that have no budget to build sets. A group of survivors are banded together here and discover that the X-Corp CEO Jack Kilmore has been kidnapped by cyborgs nearby and mount a mission to rescue him, figuring he has knowledge that can be used to win the war. A very typical story (a bit too “inpspired” by Terminator at some points) accompanied by a typical cast of mediocre characters leave this film dull and predictable, although you shouldn’t be expecting much considering the obvious lack of budget and wooden acting.

The film has a fair amount of violence and gore, but the effects aren’t particularly great. There’s one scene where a guy wakes up to find the entire lower body is missing, and he just starts crawling with his insides hanging out and shooting cyborgs without any regard for logic and the fact he should be long dead. The CG effects are even worse, and aren’t going to convince anyone. All of the cyborgs have the same look to them as well, which is strikingly similar to Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. It’s a bit odd how the cyborgs are supposed to be humans who have had this drone thing attached to their face and transformed, but they all manage to look exactly the same for some reason, probably just because they could only afford to outfit one guy with the gear. Nothing in this film feels authentic, entertaining or exciting, it’s just another low budget post-apocalypse mess that fails to do anything noteworthy.