TekWar: TekLords (1994) (TV)

reviewed by
Dragan Antulov


TEKWAR: TEKLORDS
A Film Review
Copyright Dragan Antulov 2001

Rapid progress of information technology in last few decades, like any other phenomenon, had its negative side effects. One of the most obvious among them is creation and spreading of computer viruses. Their destructive potential has increased as rapidly as our global society became dependant on said information technology and many believe that viruses are going to be cause of major disasters in the decades to come. However, few of those viruses are going to be as mean and destructive as the one unleashed in the opening scenes of TEKWAR: TEKLORDS, 1994 TV movie, second in the series based on the TEKWAR science fiction novels by William Shatner. Their protagonist, former policeman Jake Cardigan (played by Greg Evigan), had fought dealers of Tek - electronic substitute for old chemical narcotics. Now he is faced with another menace - intelligent virus which doesn't affect only software but also human beings who have misfortune to get in touch with it. As the virus begins to work its way through global computer networks, Cardigan must also deal with some more personal issues concerning his son and former wife, as well as with former Tek lord Sonny Hokori (played by Van Flores) who might have something to do with the new phenomena.

TEKWAR: TEKLORDS represents huge disappointment for every viewer who had expected the same quality as its predecessor TEKWAR, rather decent little TV movie directed by Shatner himself. The second film was directed by seasoned Canadian TV director George Bloomfield who managed to keep most of TEKWAR's cyberpunk atmosphere thanks to CGI effects yet failed to remedy huge defficiencies of Morgan Grendel's script. Story of TEKWAR: TEKLORDS is burdened with predictable situations, cheap melodrama and especially disappointing deus ex machina ending. Even the acting is bad compared with the first film, and TEKWAR: TEKLORDS might give arguments to all those who had dismissed the whole series based on the already unenviable reputation of Shatner's books.

RATING: 2/10 (-)
Written on July 1st 2001
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