Set in the not-too distant future of 2009, the post-apocalyptic action flick from 1992 ‘Freejack‘ had a solid cast, an interesting premise, but ultimately went down in cinematic history as one of the worst B-movies of all time. That being said, it’s most redeeming quality is the incredibly cool cars!
It’s 1991 and professional race car driver Alex Furlong (Emilio Estevez) is about to compete in a Formula Atlantic race. His girlfriend Julie gives him a good luck charm before he climbs into his pink and white Ralt RT 4. But Road Atlanta is treacherous, and during the race the protagonist’s car touches wheels a Swift DB-4 which launches him airbourne, crashing into a bridge. The moment before impact, Furlong is zapped into 2009 and wakes up on an operating table, about to be lobotomized and have rich old dude’s brain implated into his head! He’s been jacked… into the future!
Furlong freaks out, kicks some futuristic ass, and takes off running! He’s escaped death but now finds himself in a post-apocalyptic New York City. In this a hellish world, the rich are quarantined in luxury safe zones while the virus-infected poor are held down by militaristic police in colourful armored personnel carriers and dune buggies made out of VW Beetles (note from front suspension).
Society has deteriorated into non-stop violence and crime. Even worse, Furling is being chased by a bounty hunter (played by Mick Jagger from the Rolling Stones!) who snatches young men’s bodies to sell to sick, old billionaires so they can achieve immortality.
It’s an interesting premise, sort of like ‘Blade Runner‘ or ‘Total Recall‘ if those were cheap B-movies. There’s no gritty, eerie atmosphere to the setting. It just looks like a crappy part of New York at night. And the bad guys costumes, with those exaggerated shoulder pads, look like a New Wave band from the 1980s went goth!
In the future, all cars are jelly-beans on wheels. Curved, almost spherical shapes with enclosed wheels, the cars look like oversized insects. But why is the taxi driver’s head above the windshield? Forget about bugs in his teeth; dude is going to be decapitated in the first fender bender.
Despite the rapid advancement in vehicle technology in only 18 years, the ultra rich don’t have one of those fancy new cars. Instead, they drive around New York City in classics like the 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith and a 1929 Duesenberg J. Imagine how hard it is to get parts for an 80-year-old car once the supply chain has broken down. Very odd filming decision.
Fortunately ‘Freejack‘ is one of those so-bad-its-good kind of movies. Over the top acting despite the stellar cast that included Anthony Hopkins in his first role after playing Hannibal Lecter, plus Jonathan Banks (Mike Ehrmantraut from ‘Breaking Bad‘) and Amanda Plummer (Hunny Bunny from ‘Pulp Fiction‘) as a shotgun-wielding nun with the mouth of a sailor. Unfortunately, the special effects are a joke; no better than ‘TRON‘ from 1982, but worse considering this movie was filmed a decade later.
So, if you’re a fan of retro-futuristic vehicles, early 1990’s open-wheel race cars, and post WWII luxury vehicles, there’s plenty to look at. And yes, Checker taxicabs are still driving around the streets of New York in the 21st century.
Lots of good old movies mentioned here. You didn’t mention Road Warriors. It’s a great post-apocalyptic car movie.
You’re right, but I was thinking Freejack, Total Recall, Minority Report, Demolition Man, and Blade Runner (both) have a vibe of high-tech futurism that seem like glimpses into the same world. And the cars are “future-mobiles” which I get a kick out of.
I remember those chincy looking bubble cars. Mick Jagger should have stuck to just singing. Definitely a so-bad-it’s-good movie. But not one I’d watch again.
I thought his name was McJagger until I saw the movie poster as a kid.
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You know, like Like Prince or Modonna. He was McJagger. Good thing he did the movie!
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Totally agree about the silly looking furure cars. No windows, blacked out widscreen, open top for the driver (in a polluted, virus jnfested environment?) and those gull wing doors that all the actors bumped their heads on.