I've watched 'Metalstorm: The destruction of Jared-Syn.' I've watched 'Eliminators.' I've even watched 'Cyborg 3.' With all this prior experience, and more where that came from, did I have any expectation that 'Digital Man' would be particularly good? Oh my no; perish the thought. There are some noteworthy names in the cast, yes, for better and for worse; even the imagery found online for marketing purposes, however, casts immediate doubts about the potential. This is to say nothing about the mid-90s computer-generated visuals that greet us underneath the opening credits, wholly bereft of detail or texture; the appearance of Ed Lauter and Paul Gleason on the screen in the next moments, reassuring viewers that yes, there are honest-to-goodness Stars in this flick; and the unreserved forthrightness of even the first touches of plot. I'll say this for filmmaker Phillip J. Roth, he made no bones about the type of thing he was making, and in turn, even sights unseen we viewers shouldn't have any illusions, either.
The unflinching directness of the writing continues to be a foremost element of these ninety-odd minutes, not to mention blunt tactlessness. The dialogue is pretty terrible, characters are fairly bland, and the scene writing is at best empty and characterized by tropes. It may be overly charitable to say the story is baseline serviceable, and one way or another some facets are particularly weak. Make no mistake, all such qualities are absolutely echoed in Roth's direction, and whether one wishes to blame the direction, the writing, or the producers, other facets similarly suffer in some capacity. This arguably applies even to the cinematography, Jim Goodwin's uninspired score, and the manner in which the very obvious CGI is subsequently employed. The actors? Well, I suppose they're doing what they can with the hand they've been dealt; some are more successful than others, including Chase Masterson and Don Swayze - the comedic relief, of all things - and in my opinion Amanda Wyss, who isn't even listed in the film's credits. In fairness, it's an action picture above all else, and the least that can be said is that the stunts and practical effects are pretty swell. It's too bad that there's no meaningful energy or vitality in the proceedings, and no true sense of stakes or thrills. Some would-be action just comes across as hollow and pointlessly overcharged for its own sake.
I suppose the sets are pretty nice, and the costume design, and even the lighting. There's nothing original in the fundamental visuals, but they look decent enough, and the designs of aspects realized through digital wizardry bore possibilities. The filming locations are lovely. For the most part I think all involved did their part, or at least the best they could, and the responsibility for the movie's failings can handily be chalked up to the writing, direction, and/or producers Talaat Captan and Marion Oberauner. I don't think 'Digital Man' is utterly rotten; I've seen the bottom of the barrel, and this isn't it. Why, there are some scattered moments that are actually really fun and well done. The action is wholly unable to evoke the intended excitement, however; the best ideas in the writing are given treatment that is all too meager, and too much of the screenplay was very poorly considered in the first place. In its dull mediocrity the title quite makes one think of a 90s predecessor to The Asylum, and in all earnestness the Band family have churned out some fare that was more solid and entertaining.
What it really comes down to is that there's just no real reason to ever check this feature out. Even if you're a big fan of someone involved, there's just not enough value here for it to earn our viewership. There are worse ways to spend your time, certainly, and I guess if you're looking for something uninvolved to turn on and leave playing in the background this will fit the bill. Any greater hopes for 'Digital Man' will unequivocally be met with disappointment, though, so if you do come across it, just be well aware that this is low-grade action fare for an extra lazy day, and that's about it. And maybe even that is being too kind.
