The Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace
Encyclopedia
Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace is a 1996 film, and the sequel
to The Lawnmower Man, which was loosely based on a short story
by Stephen King
. Retitled Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War for the video release, the film stars Matt Frewer
as Jobe.
on the most powerful worldwide communications chip ever invented. Touted as the one operating system
to control all others, in the wrong hands the "Chiron
Chip" has the potential to dominate a society dependent on computers.
When corporate tycoon and virtual reality entrepreneur Jonathan Walker takes over development of the Chiron Chip, he and his team discover Jobe Smith barely alive after the explosion at the end of the first film. Reconstructing his face and hooking him up to their database, they plan to use Jobe to help them perfect the Chiron Chip.
Six years later, a now 16-year-old Peter Parkette (Austin O'Brien) is now a computer hacker and lives in the subways of Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two other friends. While hooked into cyberspace, Jobe reconnects with Peter and asks him to find Dr. Trace for him. After Peter finds Trace, they discover that Jobe is back to his old ways and plots to finish what he started in the first film.
Joining forces with Trace's former lover, Trace, Peter and his friends must go on a race against time to save the world from Jobe's diabolical scheme and face him in one last battle in cyberspace. In the end, Trace defeats the villain with help from Jobe who turns back into his former good self.
. The plot and characters were generally panned, while the visual effects received mixed reviews.
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to The Lawnmower Man, which was loosely based on a short story
The Lawnmower Man
"The Lawnmower Man" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the May 1975 issue of Cavalier, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.-Plot summary:...
by Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
. Retitled Lawnmower Man 2: Jobe's War for the video release, the film stars Matt Frewer
Matt Frewer
Matthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
as Jobe.
Plot
The founder of virtual reality, Dr. Benjamin Trace, has lost a legal battle to secure a patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
on the most powerful worldwide communications chip ever invented. Touted as the one operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
to control all others, in the wrong hands the "Chiron
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
Chip" has the potential to dominate a society dependent on computers.
When corporate tycoon and virtual reality entrepreneur Jonathan Walker takes over development of the Chiron Chip, he and his team discover Jobe Smith barely alive after the explosion at the end of the first film. Reconstructing his face and hooking him up to their database, they plan to use Jobe to help them perfect the Chiron Chip.
Six years later, a now 16-year-old Peter Parkette (Austin O'Brien) is now a computer hacker and lives in the subways of Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two other friends. While hooked into cyberspace, Jobe reconnects with Peter and asks him to find Dr. Trace for him. After Peter finds Trace, they discover that Jobe is back to his old ways and plots to finish what he started in the first film.
Joining forces with Trace's former lover, Trace, Peter and his friends must go on a race against time to save the world from Jobe's diabolical scheme and face him in one last battle in cyberspace. In the end, Trace defeats the villain with help from Jobe who turns back into his former good self.
Cast
- Patrick BerginPatrick BerginPatrick Connolly Bergin is an Irish actor and singer. He may be best-known internationally for playing the menacing husband of Julia Roberts' character in the thriller Sleeping with the Enemy and is also known for his role as Irish terrorist Kevin O'Donnell in the film adaption of Patriot Games....
as Dr. Benjamin Trace - Matt FrewerMatt FrewerMatthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
as Jobe Smith - Austin O'BrienAustin O'BrienAustin O'Brien is an American actor. He may be best known for playing the co-lead Danny Madigan in the Arnold Schwarzenegger-movie Last Action Hero, followed by his turn into romance as Nick Zsigmond in My Girl 2, and a part in both The Lawnmower Man and its sequel.Austin O'Brien got married on...
as Peter Parkette - Ely PougetEly PougetElizabeth "Ely" Pouget is an American actress and former model.After studying film at the University of Miami, Pouget's first role came in 1985 when she played Rosella Maestres on the television series Miami Vice. In 1987 she played Gina in the series The A-Team. Her first film was The Wrong Guys...
as Dr. Cori Platt - Kevin Conway as Jonathan Walker
- Camille Cooper as Jennifer
- Patrick LaBrecque as Shawn
- Crystal Celeste Grant as Jade
- Sean P. Young as Travis
- Mathew ValenciaMathew ValenciaMathew Valencia is an American actor and voice actor. Mathew was born in Fontana, California. His father is a California Highway Patrol officer and his younger brother Joseph Ashton is also a voice actor...
as Homeless Kid - Trever O'BrienTrever O'BrienTrever O'Brien is an American actor from Newport Beach, California and younger brother of actor Austin O'Brien.-Life and career:...
as Young Peter - Richard FancyRichard FancyRichard Fancy is an American actor known for his long recurring role on Seinfeld as publisher Mr. Lippman, Elaine Benes' one-time boss. He appeared on the third and fourth seasons of It's Garry Shandling's Show as network boss Mr. Stravely. He also plays the Priest in the 1991 Film What About...
as Senator Greenspan - Ellis Williams as Chief of Security
- Castulo GuerraCastulo GuerraCástulo Guerra is an Argentine actor who found success appearing in American films and television. Film roles include: Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Cold Heaven, The Usual Suspects, Meet Me in Miami, Where the River Runs Black and The Celestine Prophecy""...
as Guillermo - Molly ShannonMolly ShannonMolly Helen Shannon is an American comic actress best known for her work as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995–2001 and for starring in the films Superstar and Year of the Dog. More recently, she starred in NBC's Kath & Kim from 2008–2009 and on the TBS animated series Neighbors from...
as Homeless Lady
Criticism
Lawnmower Man 2 was poorly received by critics, with an 11 percent rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The plot and characters were generally panned, while the visual effects received mixed reviews.