Freejack

For the electronic music producer, see Jack Molenschot.

Freejack
Directed by	Geoff Murphy
Produced by	Stuart Oken Ronald Shusett
Screenplay by	Steven Pressfield Ronald Shusett Dan Gilroy
Story by	Steven Pressfield Ronald Shusett
Based on	Immortality, Inc. by Robert Sheckley
Starring	Emilio Estevez Mick Jagger Rene Russo Jonathan Banks Anthony Hopkins David Johansen
Music by	Trevor Jones
Cinematography	Amir Mokri
Editing by	Dennis Virkler
Studio	Morgan Creek
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	January 17, 1992
Running time	110 min.
Language	English
Budget	$30 million (estimated)
Box office	$17,129,000 (USA)

Freejack is a 1992 science fiction film directed by Geoff Murphy, starring Emilio Estevez, Mick Jagger, Rene Russo, Jonathan Banks, Grand L. Bush and Anthony Hopkins. Upon its release in the United States, the film received mostly negative reviews. The story was adapted from Immortality, Inc., a 1959 novel by Robert Sheckley. Aside from the most basic elements — the journey of a modern man into a future where everything is for sale, and the presence of a "spiritual switchboard" in which souls are suspended — the cyberpunk plot bears little resemblance in tone or content to Sheckley's story, where discovery of scientific proof of the afterlife altered society's views of the sanctity of life.

Plot

In the year 2009, the super-wealthy achieve immortality by hiring "bonejackers," mercenaries who utilize extensive time travel technology, to snatch people from the past just prior to their deaths, so their bodies could be used by the rich to extend their lives. Those who escape the bonejacking, are known as "freejacks," and are considered less than human under the law. The film is set in a dystopic future where most people suffer from poor physical health as a result of rampant drug use and environmental pollution, making them unattractive as replacement bodies.

Alex Furlong (Emilio Estevez) is a professional race-car driver who is just about to die in a spectacular 1991 crash, right in front of his fiancée Julie Redlund (Rene Russo) and his agent Brad (David Johansen), when a time machine snatches him from the cockpit and into the 21st century Bronx, a wasteland. When Furlong's captors - led by hardened but honorable mercenary Victor Vacendak (Mick Jagger)- are ambushed by a hit squad, Furlong is able to escape. He has no idea what is going on, so he tries to find Julie, but she is no longer at her 1991 address. He takes shelter at a church, where a sympathetic (and well-armed) nun (Amanda Plummer) explains what has happened to him. She also provides him with clothing, food, and a handgun.

Alex goes to his former agent Brad for help, but Brad sells him out, being killed in the process. He then goes to Julie, but she calls security on him, believing him to be "the bastard who stole [Alex's] body." When Vacendak shows up, she realizes that Alex actually was Alex. She goes to Ian McCandless,(Anthony Hopkins) himself in an opportunity to help Alex escape the city, McCandless promises her that he will help by securing Alex's escape. However, the escape plan is a trap- Vacendak and his men try once again to take possession of Alex, but he manages to defeat the mercenaries and holds Vacendak at gunpoint. Alex demands that he be told who wants his body; Vacendak finally relents and tells him that the person who wants Alex's body is none other than McCandless himself. Because Alex saved his life earlier, Vacendak gives him a chance to run, and Julie secures one of the armored vehicles used by the bonejackers.

Furlong and Julie manage to evade Vacendak's security guards and the McCandless Corporation police force, but they also have to deal the private guards of McCandless' corporate X.O., Mr. Michelette, who is after McCandless' job: he was the one responsible for the ambush that caused Alex to get loose in the first place.

Alex then pretends to take Julie hostage and negotiates with Michelette to arrange a meeting with him. He hopes they don't know about the couple's past relationship.However, it turns out that Michelette has already seen the footage of Julie's grief after Alex's 1991 accident. He fires Julie on the spot, securing his position as top executive. Alex and Julie escape the meeting, hoping to flee to the lobby, but they are thwarted by a gunfight between the security guards and mercenaries.

The elevator they're in takes them to the very top floor where McCandless' mind is stored. A virtual reality hologram of McCandless explains why he wants Furlong's body - so he could show his love for Julie. Apologizing, he offers to let Alex run the company while pretending to be McCandless but, as Vacendak arrives, McCandless reveals he was only stalling for time. Alex, forced into the transfer machine, protests "You don't need a new body, you need a new soul, and your machine can't give you that!" Just as the transfer process begins, Michellette stumbles in, wounded from fighting Vacendak's soldiers. In the confusion, Julie grabs a soldier's gun and shoots the processing crystal used by the transfer computers. The transfer results are deemed inconclusive since no one can tell if McCandless has control of Furlong's body. McCandless' scientists cannot determine the answer, and conclude that McCandless will have to identify himself. Michellette agrees, revealing that only McCandless will know his own personal i.d. code- a code that Alex wouldn't know. Vacendak receives a handheld computer which displays McCandless' code- he instructs "Alex" to tell him what it is.

Alex responds by saying the code slowly, and Vacendak asks him to continue. Michelette concludes that the transfer was completed and tries to kill Alex, but is gunned down by Vacendak and his men. Furlong remarks about how well he feels in his "new" body, before ordering Julie to dress more appropriately.

A little while later, Furlong and Julie take one of McCandless' cars for a drive. Vacendak and his team stop them as the car leaves the estate. It turns out that the transfer was not complete after all; Furlong got McCandless' secret number wrong, though Vacendak went along with it. He simply waited until Furlong made a mistake: McCandless did not know how to drive. Vacendak admonishes Julie that "you'll have to coach him better than that", then withdraws his forces, and Alex and Julie speed away.

Cast

Actor	Character
Emilio Estevez	Alex Furlong
Mick Jagger	Victor Vacendak
Rene Russo	Julie Redlund
Anthony Hopkins	Ian McCandless
Jonathan Banks	Mark Michelette
David Johansen	Brad
Grand L. Bush	Boone
John Shea	Morgan
Frankie Faison	Homeless man
Esai Morales	Ripper
Jerry Hall	Newswoman
Amanda Plummer	Nun
Jeff Scordino	Camera Man

Reception

The film holds a 17% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.

Home video releases

Freejack was released on VHS in 1992, with a DVD release following in 2002.

External links

• Official site of Robert Sheckley
• Freejack at the Internet Movie Database
• Freejack at Rotten Tomatoes