Welcome to Movie Shortens. Follow us today to a 1995 American science fiction action film called:
Virtuosity. Before we start, be aware: there are spoilers!
At a metro station, many gray suited figures are going about their business.
Lieutenant Parker Barnes steps off a train with his partner Donovan. They run through
the crowds into the street outside. A holographic head warns people of a murder.
Barnes notices glitches in the world around him. He sees a smiley face on the side of a
Japanese restaurant which they enter. They see the silhouette of a man called Sid 6.7
and Barnes opens fire. Sid fires back and during the chaos, he kidnaps Donovan. Barnes is ambushed
and is shot in the arm. Sid tells him that he is just playing with him. He hides behind a sushi
chef and Barnes shoots at the chef to get to him. Donovan is in an ice tray behind the bar,
his face crackling with electricity. Sid grabs Barnes by the throat and puts
his finger into his wound. Barnes appears to shut down and disappear, followed by Donovan.
Sid says that he hadn’t finished as his own wounds close up.
In a simulation room, there is a warning that the participants are getting a neural stimulation
overload. Barnes & Donovan are brought out but Donovan goes into shock and dies.
The Police Commander, Elizabeth Deane, asks about the fail safe programme but the developer, Darryl,
believes that someone has been tampering with his software. Deane discusses with a man named
Wallace that VR was supposed to be a safe place to train her enforcement officers. They are using
convicts to test but she wants it shut down. Barnes is an ex-cop who has traded participation
in this trial for some of his sentences. He tells the Police Chief Billy that Sid
cheated - he didn’t have electrocution as part of his weapons log. Billy asks why he shot the chef.
Barnes replies because he wasn’t real but Barnes was supposed to behave as though he were. Billy
warns him to pull himself together before he is taken back to the prison. He is scanned upon entry
and his mechanical limb is detected. He is directed through a wing where the
prisoners shout and jeer at him. A prisoner emerges with “White Power” tattooed on his arm.
He shouts at him for getting Donovan killed. The guy has a knife and they fight. Barnes defeats
him and the guards enter and remove him. In the simulation room, Darryl speaks with
Sid and tells him that he knows he increased the sensitivity readings which killed Donovan,
so now he will be shut down. Sid says that he can’t change what he
is and that killing for real was a rush. He beckons Darryl in to tell him a secret.
Dr Carter comes to see Barnes. She was at the simulation the day before. Billy asked her to do
a psychological evaluation on him. She asks about the fight and he tells her that he was defending
himself. He asks why she was there yesterday and she says that she was doing research for a book.
He says that he knew to go into the Japanese restaurant because of the
smiley face - programmers always leave clues. She asks about the man that killed his family
and took his arm. If they can prove that he was provoked then he could be helped.
A technician named Clyde is enjoying a VR simulation of a woman named Sheila.
Darryl tells him that while he is interacting with the simulation, it collects data about him. Darryl
ends the program and tells him that he knows that he has been trying to incubate a nanotech
android. Wallace thinks that the software is the solution to Clyde’s problem so asks him
to incubate Sheila. He agrees. Sid arrives in the simulation and starts to have some fun with Sheila
but Darryl removes him. He removes the software module from Sheila’s disk and replaces it with
Sid’s. He finds Clyde who demonstrates the nanobots' regenerative powers by cutting a snake
which then uses glass particles to regenerate its body. He then removes the software module
from the snake's body which causes nano death. Darryl gives Clyde what he thinks is Sheila’s
module and puts it into a jar of nanobots. After a time, the incubation period is complete and
a body climbs out of a cocoon that morphs into Sid. He kills Clyde and Darryl runs.
Sid cuts the finger off and then holds it near to some glass watching it regenerate.
Some time later Billy, with Deane and Wallace, recruits Barnes to catch Sid
in exchange for a full pardon. He is tagged with a micro locator implant so that they can track him.
Carter asks to go with him despite Barnes’ objections. Billy gives him his old Police
Badge and he asks for his gun as well. Barnes & Carter go to investigate a murder
scene where they suspects Sid’s involvement. They then go to Darryl’s house and find his computer.
Carter examines earlier versions of Sid which incorporates the genetic signatures
of mass murderers who battle each other for supremacy. Sid 6.7 has 200 different
personality signatures. One of them is Matthew Grimes - the man that killed Barnes’ family.
Carter goes home and calls Billy who explains that his family was killed to distract him
from solving the case. Her daughter speaks with Barnes about her mum.
In a club, Sid shoots an android bartender and the crowds scream. He demands a girl to record
the sound of the hostages screaming and crying. Barnes hears about the situation on the radio
and leaves with Carter. There is a traffic jam
and Barnes continues on foot. Sid has composed a symphony. The police enter
and he shoots them all. He encourages the hostages to scream but then Barnes arrives and shoots him
in the back. He exclaims that he is losing too much of himself as Barnes continues to shoot.
Sid recognises him and then tries to escape in a police car. Carter arrives in her car and they
give chase. Sid eats glass from the windscreen to help himself repair. He taunts Barnes over the
radio about how much they have in common before he crashes the car. Carter hands Barnes a shotgun
but tells him that the only way to stop him is to destroy his software module. Barnes shoots at him
but he escapes over the edge of a bridge. Wallace tells Deane that he would prefer that
Sid be detained. They still haven’t found Darryl. Barnes believes that Grimes is the
dominant personality within Sid. He says that Grimes also wanted attention - just like Sid
craves. Carter realizes that Sid is free of any restraints that he may have had. He is evolving.
In the mall, Sid is thrilled to see news coverage of the incident on the TVs.
Barnes realizes that he likes to be on TV and so he leaves for the nearby Olympic Auditorium
where a big fight is being screened live. Sid arrives at the Olympic Auditorium and
starts a fight. He is about to bite a woman when a security guard uses a shotgun to stop him.
Barnes arrives and Sid jumps down into the ring. Barnes pursues him down to the Metro Line
where he uses the glass from the train window to repair his hand. As the train pulls away, Barnes
can see Sid with a hostage. He taunts him to shoot but reminds him that this isn’t VR. Barnes shoots
and misses Sid but the hostage falls to the ground. Sid escapes on the train. The police
arrive and although Carter tries to tell everyone that he is a cop, people believe that Barnes shot
the hostage in cold blood.The body is removed and Barnes is led away. He tells Carter that
he missed them both - he didn’t kill the hostage. Billy arrives and Barnes begs him to believe him.
Carter tells Billy that the woman was shot through the back so Barnes couldn’t have shot her. They
are locking up the one man that could stop Sid. The prison van is ambushed by Sid who taunts
Barnes with how he is responsible for his own family’s death, as well as the woman on the train.
Sid releases him and tells him that the locator that was implanted into his brain also contains
a poison that can be used to kill him. He tells him that as two prison guards are lying here dead,
how long will it take for his death to be authorized. Barnes takes the guard’s gun
and runs back toward the city. Billy receives news of Barnes’ escape. Deane
asks Wallace if the fail safe is still online. Barnes calls Carter protesting his innocence.
He says that Sid only enjoys the game when he is playing against Barnes - his favorite opponent.
Carter knew about the poison. She says that she can’t help him unless he tells her where he is.
He says that he is with his family. Carter calls Billy who is starting to believe her
and she tells him about the poison. She leaves her house, waving goodbye to her daughter. As
she leaves, Sid pulls up in a van. Wallace tracks Barnes to the cemetery
and authorizes his termination but Billy arrives at the last moment and smashes up the computer.
Carter arrives to meet Barnes. Barnes tells her that Sid craves a larger
audience and then realizes where he is. Darryl is watching the news regarding a
debate about immigration which is reported will attract a huge television audience.
Sid is at the TV station and has killed the technicians. He interrupts the broadcast and
shoots the guest live on air. The online viewing figures increase phenomenally.
Barnes & Carter arrive as Sid is asking the viewers what kind of executions they
would like to see. He introduces the first victim - Carter’s nine year old daughter.
Barnes assures Carter that he will save her daughter but he first needs her to
get the phone lines to the building cut. Armed police arrive and shoot at Barnes as
he runs away and escapes. Darryl arrives in the building. Carter sees him and asks him
at gunpoint where her daughter is. He says that he doesn’t know and she hits him with the gun.
Sid addresses the audience when suddenly the lines are cut. He is furious and starts to rant
as Barnes appears and shoots him. Barnes chases him when a helicopter arrives and opens fire.
Billy demands it is called off as Barnes continues to shoot at Sid.
They fight, hand to hand on the roof, Barnes demanding to know where the girl is.
Barnes swings off the roof taking Sid with him and they crash through a window.
Sid has been eviscerated by the glass. Barnes stands over him and asks again - where is the
girl? Sid grabs his head and pulls him towards the glass as he starts to regenerate his body,
but Barnes punches through his head and removes the software module from his brain.
Sid lies motionless as Carter arrives with Darryl. He tells them that by destroying Sid
he has lost any chance they had of finding her daughter. Barnes looks at the core.
Suddenly Sid and Barnes are back fighting on the roof but this time Sid throws him to the ground
below where he lies in a pool of blood. Carter arrives demanding to know where her daughter
is and Sid takes her away. The blood disappears and Barnes gets up. He is in a simulation being
watched by Billy and Darryl. Darryl tells him that Sid has no idea that he is in a simulation.
They watch him taunt Carter until he reveals where her daughter is.
When Barnes approaches, Sid realizes what is happening. Carter exits as Sid screams to Darryl
for help. Darryl hits Billy, leaving Barnes inside the simulation. Sid manipulates the VR world
but Carter regains consciousness, shoots Darryl and releases Barnes. Wallace storms in demanding
to know what they are doing but Barnes knocks him out. He unplugs the machine and they return for
Carter’s daughter. She is about to open the hatch but Barnes realizes that it will be booby trapped.
He uses his mechanical arm to hold back the fan blades and climbs in through the top to
rescue her. A video message plays from Sid telling Barnes that anything he thinks of
has already been anticipated. Barnes traverses the booby traps and tries to disconnect the bomb
but Sid taunts him that he already thought of that and the timer speed increases. Ultimately,
he uses some connections from his arm to disable the bomb forcing it into a time loop.
They both climb out through the hatch and Carter thanks Barnes. He climbs to the
roof and throws Sid’s software module to the street below where it smashes into pieces.
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