Freejack

For the electronic music producer, see Jack Molenschot.

Freejack
Directed by	Geoff Murphy
Written by	Screenplay: Steven Pressfield Ronald Shusett Dan Gilroy Novel: Robert Sheckley Story: Steven Pressfield Ronald Shusett
Produced by	Stuart Oken Ronald Shusett
Starring	Emilio Estevez Mick Jagger, Rene Russo Jonathan Banks and Anthony Hopkins
Cinematography	Amir Mokri
Edited by	Dennis Virkler
Music by	Trevor Jones
Production company	Morgan Creek
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	January 17, 1992
Running time	110 min.
Language	English

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, which depicts a world of zombies.

Plot

In the year 2009, the super-wealthy achieve immortality by hiring "bonejackers," mercenaries equipped with time travel devices, to snatch people from the past just prior to the moment of their deaths, for use as substitute bodies. Those who flee, rather than allowing their minds to be replaced with those of the rich, are known as "freejacks," and considered less than human under the law. The film is set in a dystopic future where most indigent people suffer from poor physical health as a result of rampant drug use and environmental pollution; in turn, this makes them unattractive as replacement bodies.

Alex Furlong (Estevez) is a professional race-car driver who is just about to die in a spectacular 1991 crash when a time machine snatches him from the cockpit and into the 21st century Bronx, a wasteland populated by scavengers and killers. When Furlong's captors are ambushed by a hit squad, the time traveler is able to escape from Victor Vacendak (Jagger), a hardened mercenary who has snatched him on behalf of the all-powerful McCandless Corporation. As it turns out, Furlong's former fiancée Julie Redlund (Russo) is now an executive at McCandless, having problems with the Vice President, Mark Michelette.

Furlong spends much of the film escaping the clutches of Vacendak, a ruthless pursuer who nevertheless lives by a code of honor, and rekindling his relationship with Julie. Ian McCandless, Julie's boss (Hopkins), is revealed to be the dying man trying to steal Furlong's body, as he himself died on a business trip out of town.

Not only do Furlong and Julie have to evade Vacendak's army of security guards and McCandless Corporation police forces, they also have to deal with running from the private guards of McCandless' corporate X.O., Michelette (Banks), who is gunning for McCandless' job as corporate boss. Furlong can't even trust his old friends from 1991, one of whom is happy to sell him out.

Tired of running, Furlong, pretending to take Julie hostage, negotiates with Michelette to arrange a meeting with the powerful McCandless executive, counting on his not knowing about the couple's past relationship. But as it turns out, Michelette has seen the footage of Julie's desperate grief after Furlong's 1991 accident. After she slaps him in return for his mockery, the couple go on the run again. Their plans to flee into the lobby are thwarted by a gunfight between McCandless' security guards and Vacendak's mercenaries, now in opposition.

Despite Julie's plan to escape the building on the hundredth floor, the elevator takes them automatically to the very top of the building where McCandless' mind is in storage. In a virtual reality encounter with McCandless' essence, McCandless explains his goal to use Furlong's body to satiate his love for Julie. Apologizing, he offers to die and let Furlong run the company under the guise of being McCandless. Julie says it could be pulled off. As Vacendak arrives, McCandless reveals he was merely stalling for time. Furlong, forced into the apparatus, protests, "You don't need a new body, you need a new soul, and there isn't a machine to give you one!" Furlong fights the process as Michellette stumbles in, wounded from fighting Vacendak's soldiers. In the confusion, Julie grabs the gun of the soldier holding her and shoots the processing crystal which conducts the transfer process. The results are inconclusive as to whether it is McCandless or Furlong in Furlong's body. McCandless' scientists cannot determine the answer, but Vacendak can, as only Vacendak knows a secret code McCandless gave him.

Furlong reads the code slowly, and Vacendak asks him to continue. Michelette concludes that the transfer was completed and tries to kill Furlong, 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 so that the two of them can take a drive.

Hours after the coup, Furlong and Julie take one of McCandless' favorite vehicles for a drive. Vacendak and his security personnel stop them as the car leaves the estate. It is now revealed that the transfer was not complete, after all: Furlong guessed wrong McCandless' secret number, and Vacendak went along with it, waiting to catch him in a mistake: McCandless couldn't drive. Vacendak lets them go and Furlong 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

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 IMDb