Cherry 2000 (1987) Orion/Sci-Fi-Action RT: 99 minutes Rated PG-13 (violence, language, suggestive material) Director: Steve De Jarnatt Screenplay: Michael Almereyda Music: Basil Poledouris Cinematography: Jacques Haitkin Release date: November 1988 (US, DTV) Cast: Melanie Griffith, David Andrews, Ben Johnson, Tim Thomerson, Pamela Gidley, Harry Carey Jr., Brion James, Marshall Bell, Larry Fishburne, Michael C. Gwynne, Jeff Levine, Jennifer Mayo, Cameron Milzer, Howard Swain, Jack Thibeau. Box Office: $14,000 (US)
Rating: ***
Yet another movie with a complicated release history, Cherry 2000 got pushed back so many times, it seemed like moviegoers would never get a look at it. Originally slated for release in August ’86, it was moved to March ’87 then September ’87 before Orion finally said “screw it” and sent it straight to video stores in November ’88. The problem quite simply, is that studio execs had no idea how to market it. It’s an odd blend of sci-fi, action, romance and comedy. Tonally, it’s all over the map. It’s too silly to be taken as serious sci-fi and too overly serious with its attempts at social commentary to be taken as a comedy. It also features the least convincing action heroine since Connie Stevens in Scorchy. At the same time, it has this undeniable goofy appeal with its absurd plot and wild action sequences. It’s too much fun to relegate to land of forgotten 80s movies.
Set in year 2017, the title Cherry 2000 refers to the sex robot owned by the protagonist Sam Treadwell (Andrews, Graveyard Shift), a former soldier who now manages a recycling plant, big business in this 2017. Every night when he comes home, he’s greeted by Cherry (Gidley, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me) who acts as his wife. She’s always at the ready with pleasant conversation and a hot meal. He’s really into her sexually. One night, they go at it on the wet kitchen floor and she short circuits beyond repair. After being told the Cherry 2000 is no longer manufactured, Sam does what any red-blooded American male would do. He hires a “tracker” (it’s kind of like a bounty hunter) to find one for him in a lawless area known as “Zone 7”.
The America of this ’17 consists of civilized urban cities and untamed post-apocalyptic desert wastelands with towns like Glory Hole. It’s where Sam goes to find E. Johnson (Griffith, Body Double), supposedly the best tracker in the business. Initially put off by her gender, he changes his tune after nearly being killed by a creep (James, Blade Runner) he meets in a bar while looking for a legendary tracker named Six-Fingered Jake. Together they set off in her red ’65 Ford Mustang (with serious modifications) to find another Cherry.
There always has to be at least one villain in a dystopian future sci-fi flick preferably a megalomaniacal one with a following. The bad guy in Cherry 2000 is Lester (Thomerson, Trancers) who I can only surmise was a beach bum before he went into the cult leader business. Oh, what he has is definitely more of a cult than a gang. When the Hokey Pokey looks more like a religious ceremony than a fun dance you might do at a wedding, I’d definitely say you’re dealing with a cult. ANYWAY, Lester more or less rules the wasteland which makes it his job to stop our heroes from reaching their objective. Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the traveling companion Sam and Johnson pick up along the way, old Six-Fingered Jake himself (Johnson, The Last Picture Show).
Now a few brief comments about the future depicted in Cherry 2000. It’s eerie how it portrays sex as a legal matter in the 21st century. It works like this. A man meets a woman in a bar. They decide they want to have sex. They first show each other demo tapes before having their lawyers iron out the details like what their clients will and will not do. It can and does get ugly. It’s no wonder Sam opts for the sex robot alternative. In ’87, this seemed preposterous. In 2020, it feels like this is where we’re headed. It’s my understanding that some singles already carry consent forms with them should they get lucky and hook up with a random stranger. I can honestly see lawyers someday setting up shop in bars and clubs to draw up sexual contracts for a large fee.
You know what? I really don’t want to sit here and analyze Cherry 2000 like that. I’d hate to draw attention away from more fun things like Griffith trying to play a bad ass. YEAH, RIGHT! That kewpie doll voice of hers does NOT project toughness, authority or any degree of bad assery. At the same, she looks HOT in this movie. What a bod! And is she ever toned and agile. It makes you forget she can’t act. The action scenes with all the explosions and outlandish stunts are robust and well-orchestrated. It’s clear director Steve De Jarnatt (Miracle Mile) didn’t half-ass it in this area. He paints a rather rosy picture of a post-apocalyptic future with his bright and vibrant color scheme.
Cherry 2000 also benefits from a neat supporting cast. In addition to Brion and Ben (what’s he doing here?), it also has Harry Carey Jr. (Mask) as a two-faced friend of Jake’s and a very brief appearance by a young Larry Fishburne as a lawyer. I’m not going to get hung up on the other performances in Cherry 2000; the actors deliver what the material deserves.
It’s actually my first time seeing Cherry 2000. I never bothered with it before. I don’t why exactly; it just wasn’t something I was terribly eager to see. Luckily, the current state of our nation has allowed me the opportunity to catch up on movies I haven’t seen. I’m glad I selected Cherry 2000 as part of my Wednesday matinee double feature. It was a joy to watch. It’s so freaking goofy, you can’t help but watch it with a dopey grin.
