Director and writer Avi Nesher who also produced another classic flick Automatic 1995 has created a gem in Timebomb.Starring Michael Biehn has also been in other classic flicks, Stiletto 2008, Planet Terror 2007, The Rock 1996, Tombstone 1993, American Dragons 1998, Aliens 1986, Chain of Command 2000 and The Terminator 1984.I enjoyed the violence and dream sequences.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic dreams flicks, The Cell 2000, Jacob's Ladder 1990, New Nightmare 1994, Nightmare Concert (A Cat in the Brain) 1990, A Nightmare on Elm Street 1984, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge 1985, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors 1987, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master 1988, Lost Highway 1997, Identity 2003, Reincarnation 2005, Manchurian Candidiate 1962, The Never Dead 1979, Phantasm II 1988, The City of Lost Children 1995, Brainstorm 2002, Deadly Dream 1971, Nightmare Detective 2006, Total Recall 2012 and They 2002.
... View MoreThe always reliable Michael Biehn plays Eddy Kay, a watchmaker / repairman who, in a show of courage, rescues a woman & her baby from an apartment fire one night. Unfortunately, when news of this act reaches the airwaves, the wrong person finds out: government operative Colonel Taylor (Richard Jordan), who promptly sends his henchmen - a tough lot, but not a bright bunch - after the frightened Eddy, who finds that he actually does have the skills to combat them. He takes it on the lam, abducting psychoanalyst / customer Anna Nolmar (Patsy Kensit) to give him some much needed help in finding out why people would want him dead - and his true identity.Writer / director Avi Nesher does a decent job with his premise, utilizing what is a pretty familiar plot and injecting a sci-fi angle as well as a "Manchurian Candidate" type story thread. The good thing is that the movie is tautly directed and edited; it has a good forward momentum. Its action scenes are intense enough that they do keep you watching. Things do get a little creepy and bizarre in terms of the brainwashing process. The movie does also have strong echoes of "The Terminator" with Biehn. The main reason why it really works at all is because Biehn is so believable. You can buy him as a normal, average guy - or, at least, a guy who *thinks* he's normal and average - who is overwhelmed at first but turns into a real kick ass hero. The pretty Kensit is good in her part. Jordan excels in one of his loathsome villain roles - he definitely overplays some scenes - and the under utilized Robert Culp and Raymond St. Jacques also do well. Among those playing Taylors' goons are super sexy Tracy Scoggins and none other than Billy Blanks.B movie devotees will likely find this to be agreeable enough.Six out of 10.
... View MoreIn this fairly straight forward, but pretty well done action film, Michael Biehn plays a likable guy working in his own watch repair shop. He suffers from amnesia and soon his past is about to catch up to him. Predictably he wasn't a watch repair man is his "previous life" but a lethal assassin.The amnesia formula has been done many times, most notably with the blockbuster Bourne trilogy taken from Robert Ludlum's novels, but "Timebomb" has its merits. Michael Biehn is a good enough actor to play a convincing human action hero and the plot, while quite routine, delivers suspense and action. The mixing of science fiction into the film is also pretty interesting as it provides a few twists. However, there is enough cliché here to prevent this film from being anything special. Fans of the genre will enjoy it for what it is, others shouldn't even care to look. --- 6/10Rated R for violence and profanity. Ages 13+
... View MoreWhen I saw this film, I thought "Wow, this guy might be the next James Cameron." Perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but director Avi Nesher has a sharp, distinctive action style, and a flair for technology and attention to detail. This is a rough, tough action film, with touches of science fiction thrown in. Performances are decent, although Michael Biehn still seems stuck in Kyle Reese/Dwayne Hicks mode. Unfortunately, Nesher went on to do a bunch of straight-to-video films, the interesting "Doppleganger" and produced a batch, the only decent one being "Automatic" which he didn't direct, but certainly has his style imprinted on it. I'm hoping he hasn't given up on his dream sci-fi project, "Hammerheads" which I've heard about years ago.
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