Matylda Swan
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
Billy Ollie
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
Francene Odetta
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
Frank Markland
Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) a future cop from the 21st century returns to 1985 to stop a killer from destroying the government head official's ancestors, not knowing the area (as he only knows L.A because he scuba dives there, and L.A is underwater) Deth is aided by punk rocker Lena (Helen Hunt) meanwhile Deth has his work cut out for him when said killer has taken the form of the chief of police in modern times L.A. Trancers is one of the best B.movies of the 80s, in that it is certainly a rip off of The Terminator and Blade Runner, but it also has a zany sense of humor and more importantly an ambitious script and a few good ideas of it's own. The movie never lets up and much of the action is well staged and suspenseful. The comedy works and Thomerson and Hunt make a fun hero and sidekick and the movie is low budget but always interesting to look at. Trancers then is a sci-fi gem that thankfully found an audience. * * *1/2 out of 4-(Very Good)
Benedito Dias Rodrigues
Representative movie of the 80's era,low budge and a primitive special effects but delightful and entertainment picture,a mature man played by Tim Thomerson and the young beauty Helen Hunt in great performance together with a clever plot made this trash Sci-fi one those memorable movies from the eighties!!! Resume:First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7
FlashCallahan
Jack Deth is a cop in 2247, disposing of the disciples of Martin Whistler, who uses his psychic power to 'trance' those with weak minds and force them to obey his every desire. Whistler had been thought to be dead, but he's alive in the year 1985. Whistler's plan is to hunt down the ancestors of the City Council, and then nothing can stop Whistler from controlling the city. That's where Deth comes into the equation, and is sent back by inhabiting the body of his ancestor. The only problem is that Whistler's ancestor is a police detective, and he's trancing people back in 1985. With the help of Lena, he must find and protect Hap Ashby, a former baseball pitcher now living on Skid Row, and face Whistler.........If Trancers didn't have such a short running time, one fears it would probably outstay its welcome. It's a cult movie because it's just absolutely bonkers, and Thomerson, thanks to some bizarre role choices, is one walking, talking cult. And this is where it all began.It's spawned so many imitations, someone being sent back, or forward in time to prevent something, or make something happen, and with BTTF being released only a few months before, it's seems that 1985 set the template for time travel adventure.Almost very high concept science fiction action movie released since, has some sort of reference to Trancers. The Matrix Time cop Hidden Even X-Men: DOFP have some sort of connection to this movie, but why does such a low budget, B-Grade movie have such a legacy?Again, it's just unbelievable, and straight to the point. There's no rationale to the film, the narrative doesn't even try to explain the concept of being Tranced, you just get Tranced, and the film just concentrates on Deth, and his wonderful could care less attitude.It's fun, silly, and spawned so many sequels.A tent pole of eighties cool.
Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki
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.
