LAWNMOWER MAN 2: You Can’t Make a Cult Sci-Fi Twice

Anyone who loves science fiction probably has no doubt that Brett Leonard’s The Lawnmower Man, featuring memorable performances by Pierce Brosnan and Jeff Fahey, remains a cult classic to this day. The film perfectly captures the irrational love for the virtual world that flourished in the early ’90s—though little of that fascination remains today. Nowadays, AI is a far more compelling subject for science fiction. Low-budget sci-fi films are still being made, but just like in the ’90s, they rarely achieve cult status, and their sequels almost never do.

The same fate befell Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace by Farhad Mann, despite featuring much better special effects than its predecessor. However, it borrowed too heavily from the original without creating its own unique sci-fi atmosphere, instead leaning toward family-friendly adventure. Still, for fans of ’90s sci-fi, it can be a nostalgic trip back to that era, making it worth knowing about.

The plot directly continues from The Lawnmower Man. It turns out that Jobe Smith (Matt Frewer) survived the explosion in the laboratory—but he is no longer himself. He has lost his legs and is mentally trapped halfway between reality and virtual space, where he truly wishes to stay and build an alternate world.

This wouldn’t be so unusual if not for the complete collapse of Jobe’s moral compass. In the first film, he was an intellectually disabled young man who mowed lawns until he met Dr. Lawrence Angelo (Pierce Brosnan), who transformed him into a genius. But morality is something else entirely—it cannot be taught by simply connecting a brain to a computer. Knowledge does not shape wisdom; at best, it fuels an insatiable thirst for power, which is precisely what happened to Jobe. At the beginning of Lawnmower Man 2, he is a crippled genius whose personality remains stuck at the stage of the intellectually disabled boy who once enthusiastically mowed lawns. Given that he survived and found himself trapped in the virtual world where he was once omnipotent—while also being sought after by a corporation wanting him to design a super-processor—it’s easy to imagine how he might see himself as a god, one who despises his own flawed physical form.

Before he can execute his plan to dominate the world by infecting the global Internet with his consciousness, Jobe must first cooperate with the corporation providing him with the technology for his processor, as well as with his former neighbor Peter (Austin O’Brien)—a semi-homeless hacker living on the fringes of a society ruined by technology. Peter, in turn, leads Jobe to scientist Dr. Benjamin Trace (Patrick Bergin). The story unfolds as Peter stumbles upon Jobe while surfing through virtual reality from his hideout in an abandoned subway station. And so begins this adventure-tinged narrative, served up in classic ’90s sci-fi style—colorful, bold, and reveling in the then-nascent possibilities of CGI and computer-generated worlds.

Back then, the filmmakers likely thought they were reaching the pinnacle of visual effects. Today, such graphics might appeal only to retrogaming fans; younger audiences, on the other hand, would likely find them unimpressive or even laughable. However, one strength of the film lies in its real-world aesthetic. The set design features well-thought-out details, clever lighting, and visual motifs borrowed straight from the most famous sci-fi titles—though I won’t spoil which ones. I’d rather Lawnmower Man 2 not disappear into cinematic obscurity. Even if it’s derivative, it was made with great attention to detail and clear passion for the genre—especially for a low-budget production.

Unfortunately, that passion didn’t translate into box office success. The film grossed an estimated $2.5 million against a $15 million budget—a far cry from the original’s earnings of $150 million on a $10 million budget. The first Lawnmower Man was a surprise hit, despite being a low-budget film with many rough edges. However, rough edges can be hidden behind a strong screenplay, striking performances, and the advantage of being first. The Lawnmower Man was the first major film to fully incorporate virtual reality into its storyline, making it a groundbreaking piece of sci-fi. Everything that followed in the sequel was just a rehash of that formula, which made it difficult for audiences to connect with the story on the same deep, emotional level.

You simply can’t replicate the magic of a legendary film that captured a specific moment in the evolution of computer technology—one that became a staple in households worldwide, even among average consumers. The dreams it depicted have since become reality, and cyberpunk has become part of our everyday lives. That’s why Lawnmower Man 2 struggles to reach a broader audience. Still, don’t forget about it. The next time you’re looking for something to watch on a laid-back evening, consider giving it a chance.