Now Showing: Six Billion Dollar Man

Six Billion Dollar Man
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Writer: Matt Parker
Based on the television series
Cast: Chris Pratt, Guy Pearce, Willem Dafoe, Haley Bennett, Thomas Lennon

Plot: Steve Austin (Chris Pratt), a civilian member of NASA's space program and the first man to step foot on the moon in nearly 50 years, is asked to conduct a test flight of a new aircraft being developed by the Air Force. While in flight, he loses control of the craft and crashes. Both his legs are crushed, his right arm is sheared off, and his left eye is irreversibly injured when his experimental aircraft crash-lands on the runway. He is on the brink of death and placed into a medically induced coma.

Meanwhile, the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) holds a secret meeting overseen by an unidentified woman and a man named Oscar Goldman (Guy Pearce). Goldman indicates that the OSI has lost too many agents on recent missions, and that a new approach, a new type of agent is needed. Ideally preferring a robot, Goldman says the next best thing - a cyborg - is within the realm of current technological ability. When asked if he will seek a volunteer from the armed forces, Goldman replies that all they need to do is wait for an accident to occur, so that they can "work with scrap." A budget is set for the project: an initial $6 billion for set up costs, and about a billion a year after that for maintaining it.

Later, Goldman views the initial life-saving operations on Austin and learns from Dr. Rudy Wells (Willem Dafoe) the extent of the pilot's injuries. Goldman confronts Wells, whose research into the field of bionics has interested the OSI greatly. Goldman offers Wells money and support, and a facility in Utah, in order for him to perform the first bionic transplant surgery on Austin.

But before the operation can be undertaken, the issue of Austin's mental well-being must be addressed. Upon waking from electrosleep and learning of his injuries, Austin attempts suicide, but is saved by Nurse Carla Peterson (Haley Bennett), although he is initially resentful of her intervention. Soon after, Wells discusses the bionic surgery with Austin, showing him the bionic eye that will restore his sight, and also the work-in-progress bionic arm. Austin refuses to look at it, but Wells tells Austin there is nothing to be frightened of, adding that Austin will also be given two new legs and that, with the new arm and legs, Austin will be able to hold a woman in his arms again. Wells does not tell Austin is that the new limbs will have great strength compared to human limbs, and that the eye has the potential to transcend normal vision.

During an epic operation overseen by Goldman, Dr Wells and his team successfully fit Steve with the replacement bionic legs, right arm and left eye. Later, Austin awakens, surrounded by Wells and his team. He then proceeds to move his bionic arm and make a fist with it. However, Steve struggles to come to terms with the seriousness — and particularly the cost — of his "resurrection," and demands to know how much he's going to have to pay in medical bills. He is really wondering what will be required of him once he has fully recovered. One unwitting victim of his initial cynicism is Carol Peterson, who has fallen in love with Austin. Meanwhile, Austin begins learning to use his limbs, at first taking literal baby steps, and soon he is running at blurring speed, followed by closed circuit cameras. Goldman declares Austin ready. First, though, Austin is given a chance for some RnR and goes in a picnic with Carla. On the way back to the lab, they find a car that has gone down a ditch, and a frantic mother trying to get her child out. Austin uses his bionic arm to rescue the boy, but the mother treats him like a monster when she sees electronics poking out of a damaged portion of Austin's arm.

Depressed, Austin returns to the lab where he speaks to no one while his arm is repaired. Finally, Goldman meets Austin and finally reveals to Austin what the astronaut has known all along - that the price for his rebirth is service to the OSI. Austin reluctantly agrees to undertake his first mission: to rescue a diplomat from a prison camp in North Korea, but tells Goldman that he doesn't want to kill anyone. In return he requests that Carla be reassigned as he does not want to get too close to anybody. Carla, who overhears this, confronts Austin and tells him she loves him.

Austin parachutes down many miles from the prison camp and proceeds to run the distance, his newfound stamina sustaining him through the difficult terrain.

However, when Steve reaches his destination, he learns that the hostage he had been assigned to rescue has, in reality, been dead for several weeks. He begins to work out an escape plan with another hostage, a captured reporter (Thomas Lennon) after he himself is taken prisoner. Back home, Goldman confirms to Wells that Austin has been sent on a combined test/suicide mission to see if he is capable of work as an agent. If he fails, Goldman says, then they can always build a new bionic man.

Austin and the reporter manage to escape the prison, although Austin is forced to kill some North Korean soldiers in order to steal an aircraft. Having sustained damage, he is reunited with Carla before being put into electrosleep once again in order for Wells to repair the damage to his bionics. Goldman asks Wells if it would be feasible to keep Austin asleep indefinitely until he's needed again.