Pretty good sci-fi/computer/hacking film. As all other films in this catagory, they try to make computer geeks look cool :D They succeed pretty good in this one, but still it has its bad parts as well.. If you like this and havent seen Hackers or Hackers 2 (Operation Takedown) yet, do it!
Add a Review
-
jezaja3 December 2002
-
grinten384 January 2008Before anyone starts ranting about the highly unlikely plot. Read this: In 1997 former Secretary of Defence William Cohen is quoted as saying: "Terrorists are engaging in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes..through the use of electromagnetic waves". And if that isn't enough: In 2005 the USA enacted the Weather Modification Bill. Go figure how serious some people in the US Government apparently take William Cohen's remarks. Now for the movie: I expected nothing and got a decent movie, with some fine acting and a nice cast along the way. Not bad really. And given the fact that this movie was released prior to the major weather disasters in the USA one can wonder whether or not there is more to this movie? What did the Director know and when did he know it?
-
stormruston3 October 2004Code hunter was really OK.
No Bad acting to speak of,no outstanding acting either,decent special effects and editing.
The Story was good enough to keep me watching and the writing was fine.
In a nut shell this is a cyber espionage story..with a few twists.
I liked Adrian Paul and he is OK in this,but he and Bai Ling were much better in that Vampire movie they did together.
Still worth a watch in the Dollar rental section.
If you want to buy it..look for it in the discount bin,it is where it belongs. -
I'm not sure where to even start on Code Hunter. The box says 'The hottest sex, the coolest technology, the most extreme adventure you've ever experienced.' The box, like the movie and its decent cast, is a huge letdown by every standard.
The plot? An ex-hacker who hasn't been allowed to touch a computer for years (Kevin Mitnick? Hackers? How about Hackers II: Electric BoogaBLAH!) starts playing an online game and gets involved with someone who takes control of a government satellite that can control the weather and destroy both US coasts.
Wow...what a plot. Except that the movie, FILMED IN 2001, has the characters still doing virtual reality. Still using dial-up. Going into a game where they look just like themselves with no computer simulation what-so-ever. It's so REAL that it IS REAL. Except, like the Matrix, when they enter 'the game' they suddenly change their clothes and everyone looks oh so UBER-KEWL. The Lawnmower Man called while I was watching this movie and said he wanted his VR back.
Besides the plot that seems to have come from 1995, the quasily-famous cast includes General Hospital's Vanessa Marcil (who is still damn hot even with the short hair she has in the film), Highlander's Adrian Paul, "rappers" Tone-Loc and Coolio, and she-needs-subtitles-when-she-talks Bai Ling. As craptacular as this was it got even worse when Adrian Paul grabs a sword. Why grab a sword? Because he used one in the Highlander TV show so he knows how to use one...blah.
The main character, Nick Cornish, looks to be like 21 years old in the script. He plays his character...decently, but he doesn't quite take the movie over. That stinks because for the most part we are watching him. An hour into the movie I was so bored that I wanted to turn this off, but my best friend said, "Trust me...Coolio will be back." So we waited and sure enough, Coolio came back. I hate to say this but...I don't know where this movie would have been without Coolio.
If you are in the mood for a Z-movie with lots of stock footage, bad acting, A SWORD, Coolio, and 2001 Virtual Reality then this is so the movie for you. My recommendation? Go get Hackers. At least it has Angelina Jolie. -
ofjeworstlust12 February 2005Be warned when a movie has multiple names after being completed. Even though the ratings for this one promise an entertaining story, don't be fooled. If you liked War Games but thought it was outdated, if The Net was entertaining but a little over the top sometimes, leave this one in the shelves. Bad acting, worse humor and really no character that you're bound with. Nice effects can't save this one. As working in the IT myself, I noticed that except the occurring 'shortcuts'/'explosions' in the racks are ridiculous fireworks all the screens are realistic and most technical terms are used in the correct context. Read my lips: MOST ;)
-
This won't convince you as far as the story line goes and you won't be impressed by the direction and you will wonder why someone wanted to make an el cheapo Matrix and you will be befuddled how they got money for the project - but you still might enjoy it. Minimally.
Principal reason is the supporting cast which includes Nora Dunn, Serena Scott Thomas, and the extremely charismatic Vanessa Marcil. Perhaps Marcil is not all that charismatic otherwise - although her resume would argue she is - but in this context she literally shines. Right out of the mouthed dialogue with non-existent acting she pops in and takes over and you find yourself saying to yourself 'wow some real acting in this one'.
The others aren't always bad, but they're under-directed. Marcil, a star from 90210 and responsible for an unforgettable scene with Nicholas Cage in The Rock, plays yet another character here and does it to perfection.
So yes, the movie itself is fairly horrible, but if you have the cassette in and are not otherwise occupied, watch Dunn, Thomas, and especially Marcil do their stuff. They're great - especially Marcil. There is such a thing as acting talent - even in low budget movies that shouldn't have been made. -
simonsaway8 October 2003Really, where do they get the money to make rubbish like this? Suitable for (mental) ages 3-7 only. Plot and acting plumb the depths of the abysmal. Yet again a "computer" movie tries to pretend it is aware of what computers are about, one look at the scenes of 'fingers typing real damn fast on a keyboard' are enough to convince you that there must be better things to do with your life than waste 100 minutes or so on this cr*p.
-
Enchorde18 September 2004**HERE BE SPOILERS**
Thunderhead is developing a computer/satellite-based system with the potential to alter weather (read create huge storms). During a test were the government is to decide if support the project something goes very wrong. Although at first, the test is a success, but later the weather just go out of control. At the same time, Nick Chase (Cornish), a computer whiz (with a criminal record to boot), get blackmailed through a virtual reality game to break into Thunderheads computer to steal a file. As the weather continues to deteriorate, researchers try to break up the typhoons before they hit land and Nick desperately tries who find out who his employer/blackmailer really is so he can stay out of jail.
Not expecting very much, and with the will to overlook some dubious facts that is the base of the story. Sure, they would never work in real life, but within the universe of this story it works. The story is consistent with itself anyway, something other movies are not. The characters are somewhat stereotypic, but the actors are performing well, and many of them are known from TV-series or otherwise. Great entertainment for an afternoon or evening.
7/10 -
mendaliv26 November 2003OMG, this movie sucks so hard... it is absolutely lame.
It is better than The Matrix series, IMO, but I'd rate that series 0/10 if I could.
Basically, that guy from the Highlander TV show is in here, so is the chief of security from Babylon 5. Talk about star studded!
This movie has more plot holes than OpenBSD has remote holes.
Go watch something good, like 'Manos' the Hands of Fate.
Only good part was that it was <$5 at BestBuy for the DVD. -
dream_runner_az29 August 2005I generally don't watch any movie that hasn't gone to theaters. However, this one intrigued me and I enjoyed it enough that it has become a part of my movie collection. Special effects were very good, the actors played their parts well, and the plot worked well. It did seem similar to a Jude Law flick called Existenz though this was better in my opinion. As a technonerd I found the movie a little less plausible than most might. But taken as a work of fiction it did well in all my categories. Special Effects, Acting, Execution, and Storyline. Terry Cunningham, did an unbelievable job on this film and I look forward to seeing more that he has to offer. Hopefully he'll do some big screen presentations for all to enjoy.
-
wes-connors8 March 2011"The hottest sex, the coolest technology, the most extreme adventure you've ever experienced. Anything's possible in SHOCK, the ultimate reality challenge," according to the DVD sleeve description, "America's best player is being pulled in to the ultimate cyber-terror. The game's mastermind has stolen his identity, put him on the FBI's most wanted list, and is blackmailing him to take part in a REAL twisted plan of world destruction. With just hours left, can the code be broken to save the world from total annihilation?"
The above synopsis is accurate, but the first sentence is extremely misleading.
Chances are very good you will find neither the "coolest technology" nor the "extreme adventure" promised. As for the "hottest sex," forget it. There is, actually NO SEX in "Storm Watch" which was re-titled "Virtual Storm" then "Code Hunter" (the title, at least, keeps getting better). The cast is very good looking, especially lead actor Nick Cornish (as Nick Chase) and his main female co-star Vanessa Marcil (as Tess Woodward); really, they look more like models than computer geek and lady reporter.
It's nice to see heroic "Highlander" star Adrian Paul (as "Neville") as the story's main villain, but his "AI" character dies on the vine. Wearing a succession of neon wigs, Bai Ling (as "Skylar") also drifts into irreverence. Tone-Loc and Coolio play non-musical roles. Of the others, programmer Scott Rinker (as Mason Neville Kemeny) is nicely cast and essays his characterization well. Bit player Adam Lieberman is outstanding as the hotel clerk. As company leader Richard Cox (as Richard Clark) says, "The proof is in the pudding."
*** Code Hunter (5/1/02) Terry Cunningham ~ Nick Cornish, Vanessa Marcil, Adrian Paul, Scott Rinker -
Tweedenfan10 February 2003I rented this movie basically because I like Vanessa Marcil. When Netfilx sent me the DVD, at first I didn't want to watch it at all. After about five minutes I was hooked. It has a great storyline, solid acting and even good special effects. Vanessa Marcil was superb as the beautiful but cynical newswoman, and Adrian Paul turns in a teriffic performance as Neville. The rest of the cast did a commendable job as well. If you are looking for a movie that is very entertaining, I highly reccommend this one, perfect for a night spent in front of th Tv.
-
tabuno27 January 201924 October 2002. Code Hunter (Storm Watch) is an above average (apparently direct to video) sci fi, cyber thriller reminiscent of War Games. It has an intelligent plot with a good twist, and has nice theatrical production values making it worthy of a release in theaters. Entertaining throughout with plenty of activity going on (borrowing from a number of movie plots and themes smoothly incorporated into the script). A great choice to rent for an exciting adventurous evening.
-
=G=16 November 2003There's no point in typing a litany of all the things which are wrong with this movie. It would be a very long list. And, the list of things right with this movie....well, it doesn't exist. "Code Hunter" is one of those junk flicks which is so awful it's funny. So, if you want a good laugh at some pretty awful film making, give it a watch. (D)
-
gridoon202421 December 2010I was drawn to this film by the presence of Bai Ling, and she is fun to watch in a variety of colored wigs, but her role is actually very small (though pretty important to the plot). The main female part goes to Vanessa Marcil, who is utterly adorable and totally hot in her "librarian" look; in fact, the entire cast is competent, despite containing no A-listers. The film is fairly fast and fairly smart; near the end there is a big twist that I probably should have seen coming, but didn't. Of course its budget is limited and that affects the scale of its effects. But it never gets boring, and I wouldn't mind watching it again sometime. **1/2 out of 4.
-
PopStarB25 September 2002I was really surprised by this one. I only rented it because I recognized one of the actresses (Vanessa Marcil) in the movie, and there was nothing else at the video store that I hadn't seen. I thought the movie would be pretty lame, but it was half-way decent. It won't win any awards or anything. But I went in expecting crap, and got a pretty decent movie. If you're into the sci-fi, virtual reality kind of scene, you might actually enjoy this one. I was under the impression that it was called Code Hunter though.
-
ETCmodel0223 December 2002Grand to see a much simplified version of the basic principles of William Gibson's version of the Cyberpunk genre brought to life. Would have enjoyed more discourse between the two AI, but none the less I'm very happy to see this run it's course without ever targeting the lowest common denominator the way so many would be Cyberpunk contender films might. Also enjoyed the dialogue, the pacing, the use of the limited budget, and in all, the fact that this demonstrates that a film can be light and still be about character(s). A fun romp. Certainly not Matrix, but cool anyway. If nothing else, it proves that it's high time Neuromancer and Headcrash should be brought to the big screen. So I'd consider this a successful beta test.
-
esculap31 May 2003Some time ago i started to consider the quality of a movie only by my own judgement; then i decided that for me a movie will be a MOVIE only if i'd feel like experiencing something new through it.
And this one really got me in. So, i'd give it a 9. -
tsota2 August 2003I rented this only because I saw that ton loc was in it. I had no real expectations of the quality of the movie as I had never heard of it and assumed that it was straight to video (STV). I will honestly say that this was a great movie. It was a great plotline and the writing was pretty decent. The acting was definitely above average for a STV. I wish they would have elaborated a little more on the characters of Skylar and Neville but maybe they could do that in a sequel, or nowadays I guess it would be more fashionable to do a pre-quel. Regardless, this is a very good movie and well worth the rental fee.
-
kras2511 September 2002Ok here we go it is a bit Scfi movie but also action ,if you like movies about comp and stuff like that see it is awesome the special effects are great also ,nice playing lots of action ,well it is about a weather device computer sounds maybe bit boring but i found not if you like computers and gaming you really must see it! so the rest I'm not gonna tell in here just see it and judge by yourself .