Where to watch American Cyborg: Steel Warrior
1 1/2 Stars
After the nuclear war people are sterile and ruled by the artifical intelligences they created in this violent world. The only woman who was able to give life to a child has to take the child through the dangerous city to the ship to save it. She is followed by an immortal killer robot through all the dangers, and only one guy tries to help her survive and protect her from the killing machine.
American Cyborg: Steel Warriors is, as expected, a rip-off of Terminator, Cyborg, Blade Runner, and numerous other sci-fi action films. While the movie isn’t officially a Cannon Films production, the cast and crew is a lineup of familiar names and faces to those acquainted with the guilty pleasures of the former mini-major studio. John Saint Ryan, not to be confused with fellow Cannon stalwart John P. Ryan, is the ruthless cyborg of the title who is in constant, relentless pursuit of our protagonists. Ryan’s bleached hair and leather outfit are a nod to both Arnold and Rutger Hauer in their respective iconic roles.
The screenplay is credited to three writers, which is confusing considering that the story is very thin and the majority of the runtime is dedicated to a chase. American Cyborg is so close in story, characters, and themes to Van Damme’s Cyborg (1989) that Steel Warrior could be considered a remake/reboot of sorts. Joe Lara, TV’s Tarzan at that moment in time, looks like Daniel Day-Lewis in The Last of the Mohicans but with less charisma, acting ability, and only slightly better agility in the lazily choreographed action sequences.
Directed by: Boaz Davidson
Written by: Bill Crounse, Boaz Davidson, Brent Friedman
Starring: Joe Lara, Nicole Hansen, John Saint Ryan