I had very low expectations, but hearing this was Charles Band's masterpiece I decided to give it a view. What a pleasant surprise! How does this only have a 6.0 rating?
Went into this expecting a "so-bad-it's-good" type, but it's truly a blend of film-noir, sci-fi, & comedy, with a solid dose of throwback to old black and white crime movies. In a nutshell, it's a bit of everything - but done very well.
The story is excellent!
It's 2247. L.A. is in the Pacific Ocean after the big quake hits. The entirety of western civilization is united, and ruled (or run) by a group of elites fortressed away from society. Three of these elites are the supreme rulers.
Jack Deth is a special police agent, hunting the remnants of citizens under the control of Whistler, a since deceased sociopath madman, who uses telekinesis to turn those subordinate to him into zombie-like creatures to do his bidding.
Jack Deth thinks Whistler is dead, as he was the one who killed him.
At odds with his police duties, Jack quits the force. Many years later Jack is summoned by the hidden government. One of the Three Ruling Leaders is dead, and Whistler is the one who did it.
But wait, Whistler retreated to the past, leaving a message to the government - that he has found a way to conduct time-travel by entering the body of his ancestors, what's called "going up or down the line" (as in the lineage of a person's family).
He plans to go back in time to 1985 to kill the ancestors of the other Two remaining Leaders, thus rendering them to have never existed.
Jack Deth is tasked with going back in time, into his own ancestor's body, to protect the leader's ancestors, and stop Whistler before he can complete his plan. AWESOME!
The set pieces are excellent. The cinematography is beautiful. The atmosphere fits the pace, and the pace is brisk. The film keeps your attention with witty dialogue. There are constant callbacks to earlier parts of the film which enhance the experience.
Helen Hunt is a young punk-rocker with blue, then pink, streaks in her hair and it is angelic (Sorry I had to say it).
The acting by everyone is top notch, with particular note to Jack Deth, Tim Thomerson, whose cool but rugged demeanor really help cement the movie as a classic, and much more than just pulp.
There's a wrist watch that slows time when activated - for 10 seconds. When pressed, Jack Deth can move at full speed but time around him is slowed. Awesome Sci-fi, and reminded me of "VATS" in the Fallout video game series.
Yes, there are plot holes. Many aspects of the sci-fi are glazed over, but this doesn't take away the merit of the rest of the film, as it relies more on the acting and pacing, than on nitpicking the intricacies of time travel.
Honestly, I had a lot of fun watching Trancers. It is a completely original, fast-moving, well-acted hidden gem with plenty of one-liners and lore to warrant multiple viewings. It looks amazing in HD, and I will hands down say it has to be one of the best movies ever made on a budget of less than 1 Million dollars.
Give Trancers a view. Seriously. Don't make me go "up the line" on you.
Went into this expecting a "so-bad-it's-good" type, but it's truly a blend of film-noir, sci-fi, & comedy, with a solid dose of throwback to old black and white crime movies. In a nutshell, it's a bit of everything - but done very well.
The story is excellent!
It's 2247. L.A. is in the Pacific Ocean after the big quake hits. The entirety of western civilization is united, and ruled (or run) by a group of elites fortressed away from society. Three of these elites are the supreme rulers.
Jack Deth is a special police agent, hunting the remnants of citizens under the control of Whistler, a since deceased sociopath madman, who uses telekinesis to turn those subordinate to him into zombie-like creatures to do his bidding.
Jack Deth thinks Whistler is dead, as he was the one who killed him.
At odds with his police duties, Jack quits the force. Many years later Jack is summoned by the hidden government. One of the Three Ruling Leaders is dead, and Whistler is the one who did it.
But wait, Whistler retreated to the past, leaving a message to the government - that he has found a way to conduct time-travel by entering the body of his ancestors, what's called "going up or down the line" (as in the lineage of a person's family).
He plans to go back in time to 1985 to kill the ancestors of the other Two remaining Leaders, thus rendering them to have never existed.
Jack Deth is tasked with going back in time, into his own ancestor's body, to protect the leader's ancestors, and stop Whistler before he can complete his plan. AWESOME!
The set pieces are excellent. The cinematography is beautiful. The atmosphere fits the pace, and the pace is brisk. The film keeps your attention with witty dialogue. There are constant callbacks to earlier parts of the film which enhance the experience.
Helen Hunt is a young punk-rocker with blue, then pink, streaks in her hair and it is angelic (Sorry I had to say it).
The acting by everyone is top notch, with particular note to Jack Deth, Tim Thomerson, whose cool but rugged demeanor really help cement the movie as a classic, and much more than just pulp.
There's a wrist watch that slows time when activated - for 10 seconds. When pressed, Jack Deth can move at full speed but time around him is slowed. Awesome Sci-fi, and reminded me of "VATS" in the Fallout video game series.
Yes, there are plot holes. Many aspects of the sci-fi are glazed over, but this doesn't take away the merit of the rest of the film, as it relies more on the acting and pacing, than on nitpicking the intricacies of time travel.
Honestly, I had a lot of fun watching Trancers. It is a completely original, fast-moving, well-acted hidden gem with plenty of one-liners and lore to warrant multiple viewings. It looks amazing in HD, and I will hands down say it has to be one of the best movies ever made on a budget of less than 1 Million dollars.
Give Trancers a view. Seriously. Don't make me go "up the line" on you.
