There have been threads aplenty regarding Shadowrun-style movies.

I'm starting a new game soon with someone who has never played Shadowrun and she's not interested in watching fifty movies. Plus I'm a little curious for myself.

If you had to pick one movie, one single movie, that would be "Shadowrun", what would it be?

I'm leaning very Johnny Mnemonic.

Hmmmmm after some deliberation...Ronin.

Perhaps I should clarify, what is the one movie you would pick that gives you a sense of the Shadowrun world?

Johnny Mnemonic.

+1

Errr Hellboy 2, maybe.

Lots of movies have done the cyberpunk route with various success, but non have nailed the tolkein races in a modern society with any level of success that I can think of. Of the cyber side I would say Johnny Mnemonic.

Blade Runner?

When I was a kid, I held the belief that FreeJack was a really good example of a Cyberpunk movie. Then I saw it again as an adult.

Ronin +infinity. Only thing missing is magic.

I still vote for Cyber City Oedo. It is three episodes rather than a single film, but it's spot on. "Just Johnny" Mnemonic comes a close second, though.

Too much on the loony side for my tastes, but I liked Prince Nuada and the Otherworld elves. So, reluctantly +1 (would that be +0,5?).

While there are many urban magic movies and many cyberpunk movies, I have yet to come across one where that actually mixes in the right way.

Oh yes, i said that knowing full well it was an imperfect choice. I still think the best answer would be to make her watch Ronin and then explain the implications of the matrix, ware, magic, and the dystopia.

Lets face facts folks, to get a true Shadowrun movie it's going to need to be a Shadowrun movie.

In the following order, all mentioned before:
1. Ronin, no Magic and Cyberpunk, but they do what the GM wants the team to do.
2. Johnny Mnemonic
3. Blade Runner

that's one nice movie night.

I don't know why people keep saying Ronin. There's no cyberware, magic, dystopia, special races ... Not saying it's not an awesome movie, and it does describe a shadowrun, just not the shadowrun movie.

Regarding the setting, Johnny Mnemonic probably has the best mix of cyber, matrix and crazy that is Shadowrun. Unfortunately, it's also a pretty terrible movie, so I'd recommend Blade Runner to my friends. That or that movie where someone is making snuff BTLs. Freejack is also a fantastic movie (and a strangely accurate representation of 2009 NYC) which (in combination with Ronin) I require all my riggers to watch, but it's also missing the magic and cyber.

I have a hard time picking just one. So I give you my short list, in no particular order, and all previously mentioned...

Blade Runner... Classic Cyberpunk, unfortunately no Cyber or Magic (though Bio is obvious)...
Ronin... No Magic or Dystopia, But hte Professionalism of Shadowrunners is there.
Johnny Mnemonic... No Magic, but the tech and dystopia are there.

Combine all 3, add in the magic, and you would have the perfect Shadowrun Movie.

Yeah, it's hard to choose, but those are all my primary candidates too. Ronin for the Job, Johnny Mnemonic for Corporate Scheming and Blade Runner for the stunning visuals.

Why would Freejack be a rigger movie? He drives a race car for like 5 minutes before they never come back to it again? Or has my mind blocked out bits of that movie? (which honestly, is probably to my benefit).

EDIT: I mean I guess there are plenty of chase scenes, but nothing seems unique enough to consider it a 'rigger' type movie.

I would take the above list of Ronin, Johnny Mnemonic, and Blade Runner, and throw the Dresden Files on top (not a movie I guess, but there were tv shows). The Dresden Files has a nice mix of magic and modern, as well and being an example of how to blend magic with generes like noir detective.

Very True... Never considered the Dresden Files. Good Choice though.

Anyone seen Hardwired with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Val Kilmer? It's like someone overheard half of a Shadowrun session and wrote a movie about it.

* Corps run the world? Check.
* Ex-special forces guy with amnesia, mysterious cyberware, and a cortex bomb? Check.
* Paraplegic bed-ridden hacker that gets into everything wirelessly? Check.
* Augmented Reality? Check.
* Loose cannon gun guy and socially aware cute chick driving around in a van trying to save the world from the corps? Check.

It's closer to 2020 tech than 2070, but other than that (and the lack of magic) it could easily be the first run in someone's campaign. It's not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it captures the Shadowrun feel (sans magic) very well.

Repo Men is another recent one that captures a lot of the dystopian feel, and does the cyberware line the best.

As for "the one"? I couldn't tell you. Blade Runner and Johnny Mnemonic are good for their own reasons, but unless you add magic into the mix there isn't going to be only one.

Nirvana

His crazy-driving a hot dog van through downtown NYC while chased by a hot pink APC I would classify as a fairly rigger move.

I only read the summary, but I think I have the next run idea.

Just a chase scene. Rigging is about being the vehicle. I mean, a good chase scene definitely has a place in SR, but it's not 'rigging' really.

Johnny Mnemonic
Knight Rider 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knight_Rider_2010
Beowulf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_(1999_film)
Oh hey, how can we forget Robocop? O.o
mix and you are done.

Cue shameless plug.

For Shadowrun version 1. Streets of fire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJGo2rvfSuA - It has no magic. It has no cyber. However, it captures a run perfectly. You got the gangs, underpowered cops, rocker, and a team with a face, street sam, and rigger. It's the dregs of society doing their thing their way. Besides, Willem Dafoe looks like he's half troll in the movie anyway.

For Cyberpunk Dystopia : Blade Runner. No magic, but your character could be any of these characters all the way down to the guy with the origami signature and it makes a perfectly good backstory.

For Modern Fantasy: Dresden Files.

Honorable mention: The 5th element.

Super Green?

Johnny Mneumonic +1
I'd also would recommend watching any of the Oceans movies with Clooney/Pitt/Damon as well as Leverage/Burn Notice for how a shadowrun should be planned and implemented. I know thereks no tech/magic/distopian future, but they still feel very shadowrunny.

Blade Runner.
Johnny Neumonic is William Gibson, but if you can get through it without laughing you're a better man than I am, Gunga Dean.

The books, maybe.

Burn Notice definitely. They typically do some legwork and then work up a good plan, but when the plan fails they don't immediately fall apart or start shooting (unless it's the right thing to do).

Ocean's 11+ or Leverage rely way too heavily on extremely complicated plans that get pulled off thanks to deus ex machina at the end. I highly recommend watching them for how not to plan a run unless the GM is willing to implement some sort of plot control on the PCs' part so they can have the agent turn out to be their mom, have already planted the misleading evidence, or pull off whatever other random twist will be needed for the plan to actually succeed.

I haven't listened to the books yet, but I'm going through The Codex Alera now and it's pretty good. I liked the Dresden TV show. I take it the books are better (books usually are)?

The books are infinitely better.

Mr. Butcher is literally counting the days until he has control of the TV Rights again.

I tried to watch the Dresden Files on TV, but I couldn't stand it. For the main character, he didn't do much magic and was getting beaten by almost everything. It was rather pathetic.

Unlike the books, where he does a fair amount of magic, and is beaten up by almost everything.

There is not only one single Movie but there are some (Blade runner,Ronin and Johnny Mnemonic amongst them)

But what about Robocop ?
Minority Report ?
Bubble Gum Crisis ?
Ghost in the Shell ?

with 4 lost Dances
Medicineman

To be fair, he's a PI. Getting beaten up by everything is part of the job. At least according to Hollywood. Hollywood would never lie to me, would they?

All good movies, but if I had to choose the one that describes Shadowrun BEST, they would all be second tier. I mean, what does Minority Report have in the cyberpunk or magic department that Blade Runner doesn't? And how much stuff is included in Minority Report that is NOT part of Shadowrun?

Considering that most P.I. work is spying on spouses to get dirt for Divorce Lawyers... That's not that far away from the truth.

Or BGC, for that matter.

I would say Ghost in the Shell for the tech/Matrix side and Big Trouble in Little China for the Magic/Adept side.

BGC is a little too much over the top tech wise. Ghost in the Shell tech can be done with SR4 tech. You even have brains in a jar controlling a mech body.

Thanks, now I gotta put BTiLC on my queue again. Despite having it memorized.

Pah! Peasant magic!

For the corporate scheming aspect by itself, I'd look at Rising Sun. However, just like Ronin no cyber or magic.

Or maybe Disclosure. That one even has VR. With VR gloves and goggles. Very 1994.

Sucker Punch maybe?

From what I've seen in the trailers, Sucker Punch can be used for a Metaplane quest. Not so much for a regular 'Run

Sucker Punch sucked like a Punch to the sucker . .

that's actually a pretty nice idea.

Glad I didn't see it in the movie theater then. Also very glad Red Box is so easily accessible.


Glad to be of assistance. I hope it works out OK.

Now that we add TV series to the list: Did anyone mention Dark Angel?

If your player is new to the genre, don't force Johnny Mnemonic down their throat. I love the movie, and it does capture the world, but it is a terrible movie and may well turn them off of the whole experience.

Go with Bladerunner, it captures the dystopian world perfectly while also managing to be a damn good film.