All Rise...

Judge Patrick Naugle is just...so...cherry.

Editor's Note

Our review of Cherry 2000, published March 14th, 2001, is also available.

The Charge

She's blond, beautiful, and forever young. She's Cherry 2000—a robotic woman that become's a man's driving passion…until he meets the real thing.

The Case

Taking place in the far future (2017!), Cherry 2000 finds a world where romance is extinct and robots the new normal when it comes to love. Sam Treadwell (David Andrews, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) spends his days with his favorite model, the Cherry 2000 (Pamela Gidley, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me). When his previous love-bot breaks down, Sam must find a replacement which poses its own problems because the Cherry 2000 is no longer in production. Sam is forced to hire E. Johnson (Melanie Griffith, The Bonfire of the Vanities), a grizzled tracker who agrees to help Sam hunt down a replacement unit for his beloved Cherry 2000. Sam and Johnson have their work cut out for them when they leave the city limits and have to content with Lester (Tim Thomerson, The Wrong Guys), a sociopath leading a band of outliers who lack any sense of peace and order.

Years ago I worked for Varese Sarabande Records, a film score company that often released obscure and rare scores on CD and cassette. There were a lot of soundtracks Varese Sarabande released that were highly sought by collectors and none quite so rare as Basil Poledouris' compositions for Cherry 2000. At one point the compact disc climbed as high as $2,500 on eBay for a single copy. Even though I worked at Varese Sarabande and got my hands on a few out-of-print film scores (The 'Burbs was my personal holy grail), I never came across a copy of Cherry 2000. I share this story with you because, aside of that exceptionally rare CD, I had no other knowledge about director Steve De Jarnatt's Cherry 2000. When it arrived for review I had no idea what to expect…an apacalyptic thriller? A sci-fi shoot 'em up? A futuristic erotic skin flick? From the looks of the poster, it could have been all of these. What I wasn't anticipating was, essentially, a sci-fi comedy road movie.

There is much strangeness to Cherry 2000. From robots designed for sex to characters dancing the 'hokey pokey' in the desert, De Jarnatt's film isn't as weird as it could be but certainly pushes the boundaries of wackiness during a few key scenes. There is action a-plenty throughout the film including car chases, bazookas, and rapid gunfire, enough to keep adventure fans happy. Yet at the heart of Cherry 2000 is an abstract sense of humor that sometimes works, and sometimes lands flat as the Mojave desert. The movie is basically a seek-and-find rescue mission, only for some robot parts (that eventually turns into a love story). It's not a complicated movie; Cherry 2000 rolls along from scene to scene in a breezy style that never takes itself very seriously.

Melanie Griffith is the actor who truly shines brightest in Cherry 2000—vibrant, sarcastic, and tough, her character almost feels ahead of her time. David Andrews is passable as the male lead, though he's usually overshadowed by Griffith's character. One of Cherry 2000's pleasures is the supporting cast filled with familiar faces including Tim Thomerson in a standout role as the maniacal but amusing Lester, Bon Johnson (Red Dawn) as a fellow tracker, a crazy eyed Marshall Bell (Starship Troopers), and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix trilogy) in a small supporting role.

Cherry 2000 is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen in 1080p high definition. This MGM title (licensed to Kino Lorber) sports a very nice looking transfer, albiet one with some minor imperfections in the image. Overall Cherry 2000 looks attractive although there are some minor dirt and grain in the image that pops up occasionally. Colors are bright and black levels fairly solid. The soundtrack is presneted in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo in English. For a 2.0 mix I was pleaseantly surprised at how good this mix was. While there isn't a lot of channel separation, it's a full bodied soundtrack with lots of explosions and gunfire to keep viewers interested.

Bonus features include an audio commentary with director Steve De Jarnatt and film critic Walter Chow, an interview with actor Tim Thomerson, a short featurette ("The Making of Cherry 2000"), and theatrical trailers for Cherry 2000 and Jarnett's Miracle Mile (also available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber).

Just this past summer director George Miller released Mad Max: Fury Road. There was much uproar on the internet about the fact that Charlize Theron's Furiosa upstages Max and ultimately becomes the hero of the film. I wonder if Miller ever saw Cherry 2000? Griffith's Johnson seems to share a certain kinship with Furiosa, heading the charge through a desert wasteland while her male sidekick is, well, just that—a sidekick. It worked for Mad Max: Fury Road, and it works just as well here.

The Verdict

An oddity that will please fans of comedy and sci-fi.

Give us your feedback!

Did we give Cherry 2000 (Blu-ray) a fair trial? yes / no

What's "fair"? Whether positive or negative, our reviews should be unbiased, informative, and critique the material on its own merits.

Share This Review

Follow DVD Verdict

Other Reviews You Might Enjoy

• Gridiron Gators: History Of Florida Gator Football
• Freeway Killer (Blu-Ray)
• Taxi: The Complete Third Season
• Mount Nemrud: The Throne Of The Gods