10 Groundbreaking Movie Special Effects (That Aged TERRIBLY)

2. The Lawnmower Man

tron legacy
New Line Cinema

The Lawnmower Man was torn apart by pretty much everyone when it came out. (It also didn't help that Stephen King sued the studio, forcing them to remove his name from the title.) The trippy sci-fi flick was criticised for its wooden performances, slow pace, and the done-to-death Frankenstein plot. But there was one element that the harshest disparager couldn't fault - the psychotropic visuals were truly awe-inspiring

Because the story centres around virtual technology that can enhance the human mind, the filmmakers injected the movie with as much psychedelic effects as they could. Even though the film was badly recieved, these kaleidoscopic images were regarded as mesmerising and dazzling. Critics for Empire magazine went so far as to call these computer-generated displays "genuinely visionary".

But the years have been unkind to The Lawnmower Man. When you look at the VR scenes now, you would think they were from a 1980s movie or a Sega Saturn game. Even though these variegated sequences were once perceived as The Lawnmower Man's only redeeming feature, they are now viewed as the film's most glaring flaw.

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James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows