Johnny Mnemonic - why was it such a failure?
 

What happened here? Cyberpunk action sci-fi released in 1995 when cyberpunk popularity was at an all-time high. Keanu was already a big star. It had Henry Rollins saying "fuck" alot. Dolph Lundgren as a psychotic prophet/torturer. Beat Takashi as a villain. Ice T pimping the underground. Fairly compelling plot and some things previously only seen in anime. What was the problem? The acting was pretty sub-par, but aside from that it seemed to have lots going for it. I read somewhere that it was an editing problem or something. Was this better on paper? Is this likely to be a cult classic someday?

I hated this movie. I was really excited when this film came out, the concept sounded great but ugh it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
The acting was god awful and just didn't flow from scene to scene right.

I just remember not liking it. I don't remember why. It's been about 10 years since I saw it, right when it came on VHS, in an orange cassette!

I think you answered your own question.

There is supposed to be a longer more graphic verison released in Japan that is a 'better' film I have been told.

But from what I've seen that was released. It seemed rather pedestrian in execution. For all it's 'style',it felt limp and cheap looking. With no real flow from scene to scene.

Anyone know where I can find this extended cut on dvd?

Damn I hate this movie with a passion. I too was excited for it and it blew me away on how bad it was. I mean Nemesis with Olivier Gruner was better then this turd.

"What happened here? Cyberpunk action sci-fi released in 1995 when cyberpunk popularity was at an all-time high. Keanu was already a big star. It had Henry Rollins saying "fuck" alot. Dolph Lundgren as a psychotic prophet/torturer. Beat Takashi as a villain. Ice T pimping the underground."

There's your answer!!!

I think the question should be "Why wasn't it a bigger failure?" after you explained all the things in the movie!

I think the major problem is that the story itself is only about 20 pages.

One of the 3 worst movies I have ever seen.

Subpar acting is no reason for a movie to flop. For example, there was Speed, or The Matrix.

I saw this at the theater when it came out and ended up leaving about halfway through.

I rented this about three years after its failure and it was an hour and a half I wanted back. When I saw Keanu was making a sci-fi movie called "The Matrix" I actually thought I would get sick at nobody learning their lesson. Glad some friends insisted I overlook Keanu or I never would have seen Matrix.

Speed is fairly well acted for an action film. And it is well directed as well and paced....everything Johnny is not:)

People hate silent "M"s.

What silent M? It's correctly pronounced Johnny Mi-ni-monic, I heard Roger Ebert say it on the History Channel.

Ha!

I remember when previews for The Matrix were being shown on TV, I was thinkings "Oh, great...It's Johnny Mnemonic 2. This will suck."

Some movies are just plain crap....this was one of them

Isn't the basic premise flawed? When electronic information can be sent anywhere across the world in seconds, why do you need to put it into someone who moves as slow as, well, a person?

One of the truely unwatchable ones -and I have a very high tolerance for sci-fi/fantasy, forgiving every kind of movie-making weakness - just not all in one movie!

I pulled it right out of my spleen. ;)

(if you don't understand, feel free to email me via my profile)

While I didn't leave, it is the second worst movie I have ever seen at the theater. Top spot goes to Wing Commander, which I did leave about halfway through.

Great premise(as evidenced by the novel), but its downfall is poor execution.

This movie was pretty bad, but to this day no one has ever topped the 2 minute cyberspace scene. in the middle.

Plus it had the (glowing so we could see it) monomolecular filament and Dolph Lundgren saying, "Halt sinners." so it has a weird place in my heart.

Now if they could have followed the story and had Molly Millions in there and the dolphin on heroin, I might've even defended it.