Trancers (1985)

83% of critics liked it
(6 reviews)
44% of users liked it
(4,737 ratings)

With the whimsical tagline "Jack Deth is back and he's never been here before," director Charles Band melds Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Jingle All the Way for this low-budget science fiction adventure. The story takes place in Angel City in the year 2247, when enforcer Jack Deth (Tim… More With the whimsical tagline "Jack Deth is back and he's never been here before," director Charles Band melds Blade Runner, The Terminator, and Jingle All the Way for this low-budget science fiction adventure. The story takes place in Angel City in the year 2247, when enforcer Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) has just retired from the weekly grind after vanquishing villain Martin Whistler (Michael Stefani) and his roving cohorts, called "trancers." But Whistler and his trancers have gone back to Christmas 1985, with the insidious plan of exterminating the ruling council by killing off all the council members' ancestors. So Deth agrees to go back in time to get Whistler and the trancers all over again. To do so, he must transfer his memory into the body of one of his ancestors, who in this case has just had an erotic interlude with the perky and attractive Leena (Helen Hunt), who works as a Santa's elf at a shopping mall and gets to wear a skimpy, tight-fitting elf suit. Deth discovers that Whistler has taken over the body of the police inspector and has started transforming the Los Angeles population into trancers --including Santa Claus. With Leena's help, Deth sets out to even the score. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 16 min.
Directed By: Charles Band
Genres: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Cult Movies

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1985 Wide
On DVD: Mar 28, 2000

Critic Reviews

Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Lots of fun science fiction adventure
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Enjoyable low-budget sci-fi with good performances and a sense of humor.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
A mish-mash of 50's and 80's retro that is laughable at best. But you can certainly do worse when you're in the mood for a "drive-in" kind of night

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Phil H

Tim 'king of the sci-fi B-movie' Thomerson is again in yet another time travelling sci-fi flick and again he's a cop with a really good name...meet 'Jack Deth'. Yep another cracker alright :) this film makes Pyun's films look megabudget and the acting… More
Tim 'king of the sci-fi B-movie' Thomerson is again in yet another time travelling sci-fi flick and again he's a cop with a really good name...meet 'Jack Deth'. Yep another cracker alright :) this film makes Pyun's films look megabudget and the acting top class, there really isn't much I can be positive about here, its not even enjoyable as a daft B-movie like 'dollman'. Terrible 'effects' with dreadful acting and some almost 'Ed Wood' style moments of corn and action, plus the plot is stupid and incomprehensible at times. Look out for Helen Hunt and Thomerson with dark hair! amazingly Thomerson acted in another four more of these with Helen Hunt.
AJ V

An okay sci-fi action thriller, with an average cast, and a predictable ending. It has some good scenes, but it could have been a lot better.
Steve B

I don't know: It's a weird Blade Runner/time-travel thing that's all rather silly, but it's so much fun. And Tim Thomerson is my personal hero.
Brett W

I can't decide which is the more craptastic Blade Runner knockoff; this or "Runaway" starring Tom Seleck and his mustache. And I'm also not sure what exactly it is that inspired so many sequels but I think there is something to be said about the swagger and… More
I can't decide which is the more craptastic Blade Runner knockoff; this or "Runaway" starring Tom Seleck and his mustache. And I'm also not sure what exactly it is that inspired so many sequels but I think there is something to be said about the swagger and conviction of Tim Thomerson's performance. Both he and Helen Hunt lend a certain lovable humanity to an otherwise ridiculous film, making this time capsule of all that was wrong with 80's sci-fi (and the 80's in general) seem almost bearable. Unlike similar futuristic action flicks, Trancers doesn't even bother going through the motions. It's so predictable and throwaway in nature that it almost laps itself and transforms into something unique...almost.
Anthony V

There's a reason why this movie had many sequels.
Barry L

OMG what a retro film this was.

Read all 6 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth/Philip Dethon

            Helen Hunt as Leena

            Michael Stefani as Martin Whistler/Lt. Wiesling

            Art La Fleur as McNulty

            Biff Manard as Hap Ashby

            Anne Seymour as Chairman Ashe

            Alyson Croft as Baby McNulty

            Miguel Fernandes as Officer Lopez

            Wiley Harker as Dapper Old Man

            Richard Herd as Chairman Spencer

            Telma Hopkins as Engineer Raines

            Lantz Krantz as butthead

            Michael McGrady as Chris Lavery

            Barbara Perry as Mrs. Santa Claus

            Pete Schrum as Santa Claus

            Richard Erdman as Drunken Wise Man

            Don Ross as Security Guard

            Nicky Beat as Butthead

            Michael Heldebrant as Boy with Santa

            Steve "O" Jenson as butthead

            Minnie Lindsay as "Mom"

            Brad Logan as Bull

            Tony Malone as Butthead

            Edward McClarty as Jerry the Punk

            Kim Sheppard as Newswoman

            Art LaFleur
            
See full cast