Watch Hardwired

Hardwired is a sci-fi action thriller movie released in 2009 directed by veteran movie director, Ernie Barbarash. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr. as Luke Gibson, a former soldier who lost his family and was left with a brain injury in a fatal accident. Luke is offered a way out of his disability from a mysterious corporation named "The Union" who claim to have the technology to restore his body's functions as well as his cognitive abilities.

The Union implants Luke with a chip that allows him to access the internet directly through his mind. The chip gives him almost superhuman abilities such as the ability to control technological devices around him and also enables him to recall anything he might have forgotten. The Union holds Luke hostage by threatening to shut down his chip and thereby rendering him incapable of functioning without it.

Throughout the movie, Luke is pursued by The Union's operatives, and with the help of a fellow resistance fighter named Punk Red (played by Tatiana Maslany), Luke begins uncovering and escaping from the deep web of conspiracy formed by The Union. His search leads him to a political power struggle that has the potential to destabilize not only the corporation but also the government.

Cuba Gooding Jr.'s performance of Luke Gibson in Hardwired is fantastic. His character starts off as a vulnerable and damaged individual but quickly becomes a confident and commanding leading man. The progression of Luke's character in the movie is well thought out and executed, and by the end of the movie, you feel a connection to Luke and his experiences.

Val Kilmer, Michael Ironside, and Tatiana Maslany are also present in the movie but don't have as much screen time as Cuba Gooding Jr. However, their characters are essential to the story and play their roles convincingly.

The action scenes in Hardwired are visceral and exciting, and the use of technology in the movie is both impressive and frightening. There are several scenes in which the characters interface with machines, and these scenes are executed so well that you almost believe that such a technology might exist.

Hardwired has a gritty and dark tone to it, which creates suspense and foreboding throughout the movie. The settings in which the movie is shot are also impressive, and the cinematography is on point. The movie's use of lighting, color grading, and camera angles helped to create a sense of unease and tension.

The story in Hardwired is not unique, but it's executed well. The use of technology to augment human abilities and to manipulate the world around them is a common theme in science fiction, but Hardwired's story is still engaging and thrilling, even if it's not breaking new ground.

That said, the movie does have a few flaws. There are moments in the movie where the story feels like it's dragging on, and some of the dialogue feels forced. The character of Punk Red feels slightly underdeveloped, and it would have been nice to see more interaction between her and Luke.

In conclusion, Hardwired is an entertaining movie that will appeal to sci-fi and action movie enthusiasts. Cuba Gooding Jr. gives an impressive performance, and the movie has a dark and gritty tone that creates tension and suspense. Although the movie doesn't break new ground in terms of its story, it's well-executed, and the use of technology is both impressive and frightening. If you're looking for an action-packed and thrilling movie that will keep you at the edge of your seat, then Hardwired is definitely worth a watch.

Hardwired is a 2009 science fiction movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 34 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.7.