(2002)

review by:

3-26-03

Written by: Terry Cunningham & Flavia Carrozzi Directed by: Terry Cunningham Starring: Nick Cornish, Vanessa Marcil, Bai Ling, and Coolio

RPG fiends rejoice! In the near future there exists a game called Shock, which is basically VR Everquest, but with more Coolio. Nick, the leading ass-kicker of Shock, is forced by the blue-haired Skylar to steal access codes for Project Thunderhead--a weather-manipulating satellite. Crap hits many a fan and Nick is held responsible for two hurricanes about to collide over the US. He must clear his name and find a way to avert the disaster. I popped in this movie, keeping my eye-gouging spoon close at hand, and was pleasantly surprised. Code Hunter is actually somewhat good, and I still have my eyeballs. It's yet another sci-fi/action/thriller/disaster movie, but, unlike most other films of this kind, it's actually presented well. Okay, so maybe Code Hunter is Hackers all over again, but Hackers doesn't have Coolio (dressed as a cowboy) or Adrian Paul from Highlander (complete with sword). The writing and direction, surprisingly, do not suck. In fact, the last few scenes do the impossible: they suggest some thought actually went into the climax of a sci-fi/thriller. This stuff mixed with some good acting keeps Code Hunter from falling into the pit of crap that is straight-to-video Hell.

AKA: Nicky Dunks Dallas          It Came From Planet Earth But Was Hacked by Some Loser Kid Who Plays Too Many Videogames And Now We're All Screwed Because We're Going to Drown And/or Blow Away 2: When Rappers Become Cowboys And Attack With Guns And Stuff

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