Johnny Mneumonic is a confusing movie. It leaves viewers as confused as Keanu is at any particular time, and requires an attention to detail to understand that. Why is that guy Jesus? Why is that dolphin killing things? Why is Dizzy from Starship Troopers reprising her role (note: I have no proof of which film came first – my internet is down)?
Beyond these burning questions is some semblance of inspiration for further questioning. While I’d love to tackle the identity of Jesus, frankly, I lack the energy and gusto. Or maybe I just missed it the one line where they explain it. Regardless, bounty hunter Jesus, hired by the teacher from Battle Royal (hoorah for the evil corporation, a time honored villain) is after our old protagonist. And there’s a reason for this: our Johnny Mnemonic is special, and has some valuable info in his brain. That’s what I’m getting at.
For the second time, we come across a commodifying of humanity (the first example being – scroll down to it when you finish this sentence – THX 1138). A conscious choice to get parts – natural ones – removed to increase your data storage space? Seems nuts, but it is essentially data prostitution; the newest oldest profession. In our capitalist society filled with bottom line thinking, number crunching, downsizing, and outsourcing, thinking of a human as a number isn’t a huge stretch. When person A costs more than they produce, they get removed. This is true even out of business. Think of a professional sports team: when loud-mouth A becomes a detriment to the team that exceeds the positive gain of his skills, he’s getting traded. So perhaps this “dystopic” view is one that doesn’t fall too far from the tree.
And that is why "The Sandlot" is the pinnacle of modern film.
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