Sure "Out of Africa" is a good enough movie, I guess, but "Trancers" was hands down the greatest film to come out of 1985! It was bloodier then "Rambo: First Blood part II", it was more violent then "Cocoon", it was more intense then "The Goonies", and had a more grounded realistic approach to time travel then "Back to the Future". Tim Thomperson as Jack Deth is classic, the man brings the character to life and gives him gravity. After watching this movie I wept, openly for I knew I would never see a movie more beautiful again in my lifetime.Simply said, watch it!!! Watch it now!!!

Wonderfully cheeseball 80s scifi flick, about Jack Deth, an ex-cop, (or bounty hunter, something like that) begins in the 23rd century, with Deth being sent back in time to 1985 LA, to sort of retroactively eliminate trancers: mindless zombies controlled by a guy called Whistler, who uses them to do his evil bidding. Whistler has gone into the past to kill the ancestors of those who try to stop him in the future, and Jack Deth is sent to inhabit the body of one of his own ancestors, to try to stop Whistler. Opening scenes have effects straight out of an old 1950s kiddie movie, but that's part of the fun. We've had killer Santas, now we have a Trancer Santa (I can't even type that without chuckling at how ridiculous it sounds) In the future, L.A. is underwater, Jack Deth is even searching for the underwater remains of Grauman's Chinese Theatre! Helen Hunt, back when she was still really cute, takes Deth to hear a punk band playing Jingle Bells. Tim Thomerson is a blast as Jack Deth, clad in a trenchcoat, cigarette dangling from one side of his mouth, often times illuminated by neon lighting, he looks like a character straight out of a 1940s B-movie. The goofball even strikes a match on his teeth! The (many) sequels, of varying quality, never could match the charm and wonder of this; nor could its maker, Charles Band.

Trancers was a pretty decent go around for Charles Band, the director of the film. It has action, chemistry between the leads and a decent enough sci fi idea that could be seen as original. Our hero Jack Deth (played to perfection by Tim Thomerson) is a detective from the future who kills mindless trancers (zombies) and he has to go back in time to stop Whistler, the man who is turning people into trancers and is also trying to kill the high councils (the leaders from the future) long lost relatives so the high councils never would of existed at all. Sounds like a ripoff from the Terminator right? Right, but it is effective and highly entertaining. This marks the first movie staring Helen Hunt who plays the romantic lead opposite of Jack Deth. She plays a punkish girl who works as an elf for a mall Santa. The Science part of this fictional story is a little fuzzy but you overlook it because the acting is good and you believe in the characters and root for them to win. This movie produced 4 successful direct to video sequels with each one getting steadily worst. You can't compare this movie to Terminator or Blade Runner because it was filmed with a very low budget, but it did succeed in being highly entertaining for what it is, a low budget sci fi movie.

Oh, the decade of 80, how many memories... it was an unforgettable time in all the aspects: fashion, music, movies, finally, in all the cultural manifestations. Trancers it's a film that belongs to that time, and for that it should be analyzed is tended that in mind. It's an action piece, labeled of B-Movie, but that gets to accomplish your role very well of entertaining. The history, as all the ones that work with the subject of the displacement in the time, it's very cool. Tim Thomerson faces with a lot of honesty your role and it gets to transmit Jack Deth's afflictions well. Helen Hunt as usual gets to give life and a same depth tone emotionally in such a simple character. It's also always very cool to see the L.A. of the 80's , only that would already be worthwhile Good movies are those that arrest you in the screen, for that parameter " Trancers'' is a Hit!!! And just for reminding, the continuations are also fine, of course not so much as that, but they are not the dirt that is announced thereabout...