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!!!

Crummy time travel thrillers proliferated like dandelions in the wake of The Terminator, but this one is at least tolerable, thanks to surprisingly good, straight action performances by comedian Tim Thomerson and a very young Helen Hunt who managed to produce good chemistry from a rather pedestrian script. They could have aimed for camp with this, but they tried to keep the science fiction and action thriller elements straight- faced and this was the right approach. Apocalyptic plot-lines and camp don't mix well. The low budget means that on an effects level the movie is pretty lean, but this is not a bad thing in that it at least manages to look urban gritty futuristic where necessary. Most of the action takes place in the present day (which was actually 1985), making the need for a futuristic look largely unnecessary - something The Terminator taught low budget filmmakers everywhere. Not a particularly good movie, but not an awful one either. There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes if you're a science fiction fan.

Five out of ten might seem a bit generous for a movie I just called bad, but Trancers is a rare gem. It's a low-grade B movie that knows it's a low-grade B movie and isn't ashamed. There are some gaping plot holes (the bad guy's entire scheme, for instance), but even with that it's a fun ride if you're into cheesy Sci-Fi films.Jack Deth, a nearly-but-not-quite cookie cutter rogue cop, has to travel 300 years into the past to the year 1985. He is after a notorious cult leader/terrorist from his time named Whistler, who is killing the ancestors of the council of Angel City (the remains of Los Angeles). Whistler has the ability to turn people into the titular Trancers, mindless killing machines.One of the charms of this movie is the fact that it at times pokes fun at itself, such as when people point out the main character's rather strange name. Also, some of Deth's wise-acre comments are genuinely amusing in a dry, hard-boiled sort of way.The movie is handicapped mostly by its thin and at times ridiculous plot, as well as its at times wholly uninspired script. In the first few minutes of the film, the screenplay seems to be trying to cram the Jack Deth's renegade persona down your throat, but Tim Thomserson manages to take the role and turn Deth into a surprisingly likable character. The acting is pretty good across the board for a film of this caliber, and I'm a little surprised Helen Hunt is the only actor who went on to bigger and better things.If you're the kind of person who likes to sit back and chuckle at a well-made turkey, this film is right up your alley. If you've got friends who just don't understand why you like B films so much, this one might change their minds. As long as you can set aside things like plot holes and low budgets, you should be in for a good time.

Trancers is a breathtaking film. Made on a minute budget, the sets clearly suffer from costings yet despite this the film is consistently humorous and riveting. Tim Thomerson blasts his way through many bad Trancers dude in his sarcastic and wry style - the scene where he tells a well toned body-builder (Michael McGrady) that his tan suits Christmas well is brilliant as are many of the daft remarks. Featuring a pre-fame Helen Hunt as Leena and a great range of supporting actors we also have to be grateful to the writers, Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo (later to concentrate on computer games understandably) who tone the film in ways that Charles Band (as director) could never have done alone.