Nemesis: The Forgotten Cyberpunk Action Classic of 1992
When you think of the early ’90s and the action sci-fi epics that pushed special effects to the brink, you’re probably thinking of Terminator 2 and James Cameron… or maybe Spielberg and Jurassic Park. But you’d be wrong. Today, we’re talking about the unheralded, maligned, 1992 face-melter Nemesis. This is the making and the magic of a ’90s, balls-to-the-wall sci-fi action epic that feels like Hard Target made love to Demolition Man and had a baby together… but the father might also be RoboCop. The Temu version. And I mean that in a good way. This movie even boasts Terminator 2 Academy Award–winning special effects artist Gene Warren, so don’t think I’m messing around.
Strap in. It’s time to learn about the coolest cyberpunk action movie you may not have known existed. And yes, get ready for some crack house karate. Again, I mean that in a good way.
From Cannon Films Chaos to Cyberpunk Madness
The story of Nemesis begins in 1987 with late director Albert Pyun, before his success directing Jean-Claude Van Damme in Cyborg (or the JCVD-free Kickboxer 2). Pyun was finishing the last film in a three-picture deal with the infamous Cannon Films and had begun writing a futuristic thriller called Alex Rain. The story followed a female cop battling Nazis on Mars in the future, starring Road House’s Kelly Lynch.
Unfortunately, Cannon was doing Cannon things. The project was shelved so Pyun could help salvage other troubled productions, most notably their 1988 Journey to the Center of the Earth, which currently enjoys a legendary 2.6 rating on IMDb. Then came Cyborg… and even the real first Avenger, Captain America (1990).
A year later, Pyun returned to Alex Rain with an extremely strange new idea: What if the lead character was now a 13-year-old girl working undercover for the LAPD? Thankfully, when funding finally arrived via Imperial Entertainment, they had one rule: Replace the teenage girl with 30-year-old French kickboxer Olivier Gruner.
Imperial gave Pyun free rein over everything else. And just like that, Nemesis was born.
Familiar Faces and Absolute Maniacs
The cast came together beautifully and includes:
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (sadly, recently lost) as a Hawaiian-shirt-wearing dude-bro villain
Friday the 13th royalty Thom Matthews
Thomas Jane, doing Thomas Jane things
And many more familiar faces we’ll meet along the ride
Welcome to 2027: Cyborg Prostitutes, Terrible Aim, and Instant Chaos
The movie opens and you immediately know you’re in good hands when the score blends made-for-TV Stephen King miniseries piano with cheap flute or plastic recorder straight out of a Cannon Films fever dream.
Our hero Alex Rain solemnly monologues about cyborg outlaws and information terrorists before dropping us into smog-choked California, 2027. Just a few short years away, Simba. Moments later, we jump straight into a bizarre encounter between Rain and a supposed prostitute. Wait… is this Hellraiser? Is skinless Frank watching from the corner? Nope. She’s a hot cyborg. And Alex shoots her in the face.
Boom. Title drop.
We’re gonna have a good time tonight.
Guns, Guitar Cases, and John Woo Moves
What follows is a shootout and chase sequence involving cyborg prostitute friends on a set that looks ripped straight out of a Call of Duty map. Some call this B-movie schlock. I call it Robert Rodriguez directing Desperado.
Guitar case? Check.
Future guns? Bigger check.
Terrible aim? Legendary.
John Woo moves? Oh yeah.
Wilhelm scream? You bet your ass.
This movie is as entertaining as the villains’ outfits are short.
Poles, Puppies, and RoboCop Déjà Vu
While escaping, Rain performs a ridiculous stunt involving a giant pole in the desert. So ridiculous, they reportedly tested three different poles to find one strong enough. Naturally, he runs into an open field with zero cover, gets shot anyway, and drops a JCVD-level one-liner. And then… Oh my God. It’s a puppy. A cute, designer puppy… just hanging out in a random ware-whatever.
Only 5,000 bullets left. Better use this clip sparingly.
Death, Rebirth, and Even More RoboCop
We get a tiny bit of backstory before Alex is brutally killed and rebuilt in scenes that feel suspiciously like RoboCop. Then rebuilt again.
Fast-forward to Baja, New America, where Alex is left to rehabilitate his synthetic flesh and bio-engineered organs. He keeps the dog. Good.
Gruner now looks like a completely different human being with a fade haircut and possible addiction to… something.
Corporate Cyborgs, Dead Dogs, and One Bad Retirement
Alex hunts vengeance in a restaurant emptier than a Cracker Barrel during the Logo Wars of 2025, quickly dispatching his enemies, including what appears to be trailer-park Wolverine. Corporate cyborg agents show up, including one inexplicably named Jared, and we learn:
Alex was sprung from prison to work for them
Farnsworth was the boss
Jared and Alex used to date
Yes, she’s a cyborg
Alex quits. Walks away. And then… They kill the dog. Which, honestly, is kind of on Alex for leaving it behind. But still.
Cue artsy abyss-staring burial shot.
Shang Loo, Naked Sweat, and Peak Insanity
One year later, Alex becomes a black-market smuggler with an even worse haircut until Thom Matthews’ face literally opens up and kills him. He’s rebuilt again, now looking like a mix of Rambo, Tom Cruise, and The Crow.
Enter the corporate villains:
Brion James, eternally punchable and glorious
Nicholas Guest, stealing every scene like an ’80s French Patrick Bateman
They reveal they’ve Amanda-Wallered Alex and planted a bomb in his chest. Mission: kill his cyborg ex-lover. Destination: Shang Loo.
Eyeballs, Slides, and the Coolest Action Scene Ever Filmed
Shang Loo delivers:
Roundhouse kicks
Naked, sweating Thomas Jane
AOL surveillance cameras
Shang Tsung with a surfer accent
An eyeball is removed using a finger plunger. People are shot up walls. Alex fires guns while sliding backward down a slide. I have never wanted to do anything more in my entire life.
The Finale: Volcanoes, Stop-Motion, and a Shot to the Dick
Everything explodes. Tim Thomerson delivers an incredible physical performance as Old Man T-1000. There’s stop-motion robot action hijacking an airplane on a microscopic budget, and somehow it works. Alex frees himself, says goodbye to his hot robot, and walks into a new life looking like Halloween 4 Michael Myers.
Six months later, he’s back hunting cyborgs with new eyes. The movie ends the only way it possibly could: With a shot to the dick.
Legacy: A Forgotten Cyberpunk Gem
Nemesis was released in January 1993, earned roughly $2 million (about its budget), and went through multiple re-cuts and home-video releases. It spawned five sequels, none of which feature Alex Rain again. There was even an unreleased crossover with Cyborg called The Dark Rift.
Weird? Absolutely. But Nemesis remains a forgotten 1992 cyberpunk action gem, and we’re happy as hell we experienced it with you. Take care, everyone.
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