Trancers II
Tags: cult, humor, neo noir

Plot synopsis:
Los Angeles, 1991. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) has gotten used to life with his wife Lena (Helen Hunt) in the six years since they killed Whistler. Hap Ashby (Biff Manard) has made a fortune investing and has moved from the streets to a palatial estate, sharing it with Jack and Lena. But life is about to get difficult for Jack. Whistler's brother, E.D. Wardo (Richard Lynch), has gone back in time and created a "trancer farm" under the guise of an environmental organization. GreenWorld strives to 'clean up the world', but they are kidnapping the homeless and mental patients to enslave in a trancer army. Once again, Hap is under attack, useful to Wardo as the ancestor of future Angel City Council Member Ashe. Jack's ready to singe some trancers in the name of the law, but he isn't expecting his dead wife, Alice (Megan Ward) to show up—and neither is Lena.
Alice has been saved from death by the City Council and send back to 1991 to help Jack stop Wardo. The tension mounts as Lena becomes fearful of losing Jack to his future wife, Hap slips back to the bottle to deal with the stress, and Jack realizes that when Alice returns to the future, she'll die again. Somehow, Jack must find a way to save more than just the future.

Review: I really enjoyed this movie, it had action, plot and some funny one-liners, what I liked the best was the amazing cast: HELEN HUNT, JEFFREY COMBS, BARBARA CRAMPTON, MEGAN WARD, MARTINE BESWICKE, and TIM THOMERSON.
The original Trancers is not by any means a great movie.
However, it was entertaining, better done than most low-budget B-movies, and could be surprisingly witty.
Not even veteran B-grade actors like Tim Thomerson and Jeffery Combs were able to drag this film out of the muck.A brief plot overview: Jack Deth (Thomerson) is a cop from the future who was sent to 1985 to save the ancestors of members of his government.
Jack Deth is married to Lena (Helen Hunt), the woman he met in the first movie, and both live with Hap Ashby, the man Deth was sent into the past to protect.
It is discovered that the brother of Whistler (the bad guy from the first movie) has traveled back in time to create an army of Trancers, people turned into mindless killing zombies, to kill Ashby.
Complicating Jack's mission is the fact that his first wife, who had died long before Jack traveled to the past, was also sent back to stop Whistler's brother, and now Jack finds himself working with her.I have two real problems with this movie.
What makes it annoying is that, in a rather poor example of Soviet Revisionism, they act like it was always the technique.The other thing that annoys me is that the love triangle between Deth, Lena, and Alice Stilwell (Jack's first wife) is given very little screen time.
Alice's character in particular seems very unconcerned with the fact that she is reunited with her husband only to find he's re-married, making her either very shallow or very poorly written.The only reason I can think of for watching this movie is if you're interested in watching the entire Trancers series (currently totaling six movies).
Otherwise, even if you're a fan of the original Trancers, stay away from this tepid sequel..
Tim Thomerson once again did a great job playing Jack Deth.
Helen Hunt was back for this one as well as Megan Ward who was very talented as Jack's first wife.
Disappointing sequel with one thing going for it - a legendary b-grade cast..
'Trancers 2' (known as 'Future Cop 2' here in Australia) follows this trend - it's a pretty lame follow up to the silly but fun original.
The one thing that saves it from complete dismissal is the outstanding supporting cast which includes Martine Beswick ('One Million Years BC'), b-grade horror legend Jeffrey Combs ('Re-Animator'), Combs' occasional co-star Barbara Crampton ('Space Truckers'), and the hugely underrated Richard Lynch ('Open Season', 'God Told Me To', 'Scanner Cop').
The extremely likable Tim Thomerson returns as Jack Deth and he is always good no matter how weak the material he has to work with.
Thomerson is joined by several faces from the original movie, such as Helen Hunt, and his comedian buddies Biff Manard and Art LeFleur.
The plot this time concerns the brother of Whistler (the baddie from the first movie), played by Lynch, who using the cover of an environmental group tries to take over with his "trancer" army.
Jack Deth must stop his evil plans while trying to rescue his resurrected first wife (cutie Megan Ward - 'Joe's Apartment'), stop his jealous current wife (Hunt) from leaving, and make sure former ball star and future of the world Hap Ashby (Manard) doesn't a)get drunk, and b)get murdered.
Check out the original 'Trancers' though, it's much better than this..
"Trancers II" is pretty good for a sequel but lacks creativity that the low budget "Trancers" did.
Check out the sequel "Trancers III: Deth Lives", it's much better..
Trancers (1985) was one of those rare gems.A Terminator style tale of time-travel and action, Trancers saw Tim Thomerson playing Jack Deth, a future cop given the task of tracking down bad-guy Whistler, who travels into the past by inhabiting the body of an ancestor.
Whistler is capable of controlling other humans with his psychic powers, converting them into obedient zombies (the 'trancers' of the title), and attempts to alter the course of history by killing off the ancestors of the leaders of the future.
Having destroyed Whistler, he has settled down and married Leena (Helen Hunt), the young woman who helped him succeed in the first movie.
But, for Jack, things don't stay calm for long, and trouble appears in the form of Whistler's brother, E.D. Wardo, who is trying to build a trancer army.Trancers II lacks the charm and simplicity of the original and is a huge disappointment considering how good the original was.
The story is difficult to pick up if you haven't seen the first film (or at least not for a long while), and there is loads of unimpressive action and a few poor special effects.
Gone is the inventiveness and wit that made Trancers so much fun; instead we get some cheesy one-liners and a script that feels like it was written on-the-fly.About the only reason I can give for recommending this film to fans of the genre is the cast, which boasts many names that will be familiar to followers of sci-fi and horror movies: Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Richard Lynch, Martine Beswicke.
Unfortunately, most of them seemed to be having an 'off day' whilst filming Trancers II, and performances are mediocre at best.The Trancers series obviously has its fans; four further sequels have since been churned out.
Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) returns to this time take on Whistler's brother (Richard Lynch) who is running a mental hospital and is trying to recruit numbers to take over the world, meanwhile Deth is aided by his deceased wife who is back as a 20 something woman who falls for Deth all over again, much to the dismay of Lena (Helen Hunt) Deth's current wife.
The first action sequence in particular with the fork lifts are laughably bad, but again Trancers II is more entertaining than it is good.
The film is literally all over the map, we have no idea what Richard Lynch wants to do, the love triangle is a cheesy sitcom and yet the mix of such somehow makes it work.
Again, the movie is made with a weird vibe that makes the film work better than you would think.
Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) has lived happily with new wife Lena (Helen Hunt) in L.A. for six years after he sent Whistler back up the line without a body.
Jack's future body is too damaged and he must return in the TCL Chamber.
Jack, Lena, Hap, and McNulty in the body of a girl face off against Wardo and his organization Green World which is turning the insane into trancers.
Then Jack's deceased wife Alice (Megan Ward) shows up after he helps her escape from Green World.Trancers is one of my favorite sci-fi B-movies.
Once again, this movie just shows you that Full Moon Studios at one time actually put some effort into their films.
The studio was rather good in the late 80's and early 90's then at a point it just seemed to turn out really bad movies.
I think they are pretty much gone now as I have not seen a movie by them in a long time now.
Still, this one had good action and picked from the first movie and became the more superior flick in my mind..
Nah. You can tell that this sequel even has less money then the original because most of it was shot in and outside of some mansion and "The Future" looks like an empty warehouse.
But anyways, this time around Jack Deth has to stop Whistlers ?brother?
The only redeeming factor in this one is that Jack Deth's long lost dead wife returns (played by a very attractive Megan Ward) and that causes problems with Jack and his current wife (played by Helen Hunt).
The love triangle is funny and Tim Thomerson was a stand up comedian in his early days and you can tell because he has good comedic timing.
It is a low budget B movie straight to video sequel from a low budget b movie film.
For what it is, it is a solid B film with a solid B cast (even though Helen Hunt is about to get huge).
Why review good movies when you can review "Trancers II?"Ooh, this film is soooo lame.
Well, lots of things could be better, but anyway this is still good stuff.My only significant reservation is Megan Ward, who really stinks up the joint.
She's a lousy rival for Helen Hunt's character - they're both young pieces of eye candy, and it would've been more effective if they actually contrasted a bit more.
At least the wonderful plot device of the "long second watch" is back in place, and we've got more of Hap Ashby, the least-convincing athlete in the history of cinema (oh, wait a minute - he's got a rival in the form of David Ogden Steirs in "Creator").I haven't seen this lately, but I do seem to remember that Martine Beswick runs away twice during the final battle.
This sequel isn't nearly as fun as part one, and it instead spends too much time on plot development.
The action is merely routine and the plot is only mildly interesting, so I need lots of silly laughs in order to stay entertained during a "Trancers" movie.
People like this movie?.
The first "Trancers" (1985) was a minor classic when it comes to Charles Band films (still produced under the flag of his short-lived Empire Pictures production company).
With the formation of Full Moon Entertainment, "Trancers" received its first sequel and was turned into a franchise during the '90s.
All principle players from the first film return (Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, Biff Manard, Art LaFleur, etc.) and the cast is completed by some cult actors/actresses in supporting roles & cameos (Jeffrey Combs, Martine Beswick, Barbara Crampton).
Regular Full Moon cutie Megan Ward ("Crash and Burn", 1990) is along for the ride too (as Jack Deth's former love-interest) and Richard Lynch plays - surprise, surprise - the main villain.
Needless to say the celebrated B-movie cast alone makes this film a fun watch.
Other than that, "Trancers II" is yet again your typical early Full Moon blend of sci-fi/action/horror & a tad bit more comedy than usual (thanks to Tim Thomerson's character & his spot-on one-liners).
The plot is the usual bag of fun nonsense: While future cop Jack Deth (Thomerson) is now accustomed to the life of 1991 L.A., he'll have to pick up his Trancer-hunting habits again when evil Dr. Wardo (Lynch) & his organisation have come up with a scheme to turn mentally weak humans into Trancers (zombie-like slaves with great physical powers).
"Trancers II" isn't really worse than the first one (and not better either), but the original is just a bit more spirited.
This first sequel just feels a bit less gritty (less '80s and a bit more early '90s, that is) and the chemistry between Thomerson & Hunt is a bit gone now.
Charles Band takes the reins again on this energetic and enjoyable follow-up to his original 1984 cult film.
"Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth" sees our heroic trooper (Tim Thomerson) returning again to save a Los Angeles commodities broker from zombies.
Things get complicated when his wife (Megan Ward) from the future is sent back to help him.
His wife in the present, Lena (Helen Hunt), is none too happy to see her.
Jack is now stuck balancing two women and trying to destroy a sinister plot involving Trancers.It's amazing that Band could bring together most of the cast from the first "Trancers" to reprise their roles.
On top of that, he added impressive newcomers Jeffrey Combs, Barbara Crampton, Richard Lynch, and Bond girl Martine Beswick to the mix."Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth" is rated R for adult situations, violence and gore, profanity, smoking and drinking, and frightening and intense scenes.
Adult situations are made up of some kissing and talk.Sci-Fi actioner "Trancers II: The Return of Jack Deth" makes the most of a low budget through its setting in the past and minimal need for special effects.
Although this sequel doesn't hold quite the same charm as the original, it stands on its own and successfully continues the saga of Jack Deth..
The original "Trancers" had a wit and spark to it which in turn made it one of the most inspired and enjoyable low-budget sci-fi sleepers from the 80s.
Tim Thomerson still has the right cynical stuff as Jack Deth, who this time fights Whistler's brother E.D. Ward (smoothly played by Richard Lynch) who has started his own organization called Green World that's really a sinister front for a trancer farm.
Alas, Charles Band's pedestrian direction and Jackson Barr's needlessly convoluted script both result in a very uneven on and off pace: The story really plods in the first two thirds and the initial action set pieces are blandly staged, but fortunately things pick up to a good degree in the pretty exciting last third.
A worthy cast of familiar B-movie faces keeps it watchable enough: Martine Beswicke as the evil Nurse Trotter, a goateed Jeffrey Combs as Wardo's antsy assistant Dr. Pyle, Art LeFleur as Deth's hard-nosed boss McNulty, and Barbara Crampton as talk show host Sadie Brady.
Helen Hunt is her usual sweet and charming self as the spunky Lena, the adorable Megan Ward adds some much-needed vitality as Jack's feisty first wife Alice Stillwell, Bill Manard is a hoot as reformed drunk Hap Ashby, Sonny Carl Davis contributes an amusing turn as wacky hospital orderly Rabbit, and late, great veteran character actor John Davis Chandler has a nifty bit part as a baseball-playing wino.
This actually started out with a good idea - essentially bringing Jack's wife back from the dead through time travel tricks, and bringing Whistler's protégé (in this case, his brother) to seek revenge and rebuild the Trancer army.
First, while the drugs and the rebuilding the army make for a good sequel, the whole mental asylum/environmental front seem more appropriate for an episode of a TV series than a feature film.
Second, the fact that Leena seemed to ignore the fact that Alice actually was Jack's wife who had died and instead treated her as just some woman he was cheating on her with was really bad writing.
Totally blew the storytelling.Still, it was a good effort, and it's not like the huge nosedive that the series took starting with Trancers IV..
Yes, admittedly it's just not as good as the first, very cool "Trancers" film, but then that's often to be expected of sequels.
The basic ideas are still good, but this is quite plot heavy; the viewer really has to pay attention, and it's advised that they see "Trancers" # 1 before seeing this.
There's still some humour to be found in the characters and the situations, and the gadgets are amusing like they were before.Tim Thomerson is once again a total hoot as cynical Trancer hunter Jack Deth, who's adjusted to life in the 20th century with his wife Lena (Helen Hunt).
However, soon their happy lives will be disrupted when Jacks' first wife Alice is sent back in time to occupy the body of a mental patient (Megan Ward) and Dr. Wardo (Richard Lynch), brother of original villain Whistler, is using an environmental movement as a cover for creating a Trancer army.The real attraction is a wonderful collection of B movie actors; certainly the casting directors knew what they were doing.
Martine Beswicke and Jeffrey Combs play Lynchs' evil associates, Sonny Carl Davis is amiable asylum attendant Rabbit, Barbara Crampton has an all too brief role as a TV talk show host, and John Davis Chandler has a bit as a wino.
Performances are decent but most of the actors have been better utilized in other projects.The dialogue just doesn't have a whole lot of zip to it; although Thomersons' delivery is good, it's doubtful that fans will go around quoting "Trancers II".
This sequel to Trancers is indeed 'ham'my but far from a turkey and (excuse the minute spoiler) never a bomb!
The cast here is excellent with most of the original team repeating their roles and with Jack Deth's future wife played by Megan Ward an exceptional addition as is Richard Lynch as a troublesome environmentalist.
Several cameos from Charles Band's father (Albert), mother (Jackie), mother-in-law (then wife Debra Dion's mother) and Helen Hunt's brother and Richard Lynch's son (Christopher) and Tim Thomerson's father and brother.Re-Animator team Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton also have small roles.Possibly better than the enjoyable first film this is a great sequel to - what at this point - looked like a fantastic film series..
Verbose, mediocre sequel picks up six years after the original film, with Jack Deth (now living happily in present day 1991, with wife, again played by Helen Hunt) pursuing more trancers sent from the future, in a most contrived fashion, by original villain's brother.
This time, his wife in the future is also sent back, and when she meets with Deth's current wife in 1991, it results in on-going arguments between the three.
Also forgotten is the fact that Jack Deth was told she was dead.
This film tries to be cheesy like the original, sometimes it works, but sometimes feels too forced and artificial, with too many explanatory scenes of characters explaining the plot to the audience, while looking directly into the camera.
The villain's death by pitchfork might have been a good touch, had it been filmed and edited better.
Looking like a made-for-cable-TV movie, and nearly fifteen minutes longer than the original, it exemplifies the saying "Brevity is the essence of wit."