Trancers

• Also released as Future Cop
• Directed by Charles Band
• November 7, 1984 (UK) / May 22, 1985 (US)

A cop from the 23^rd century travels to the mid-80s to finally bring his old nemesis to justice. Basically a science-fiction zombie movie.

Trancers is one of those low budget ideas that came about by a truly independent studio. As a concept, it’s part Blade Runner and part The Terminator with a small dash of Night of the Living Dead. A truly unique take on the idea of zombies.

Tim Thomerson was ideally cast as Jack Deth. No one else could’ve given this part exactly what it needed. He is all hard-boiled Philip Marlowe with a slightly odd nature played 100% straight. I recall seeing Thomerson in so many lower budgeted films along with a good bit of better funded productions. He was a sign of quality and could bring something a little special to a project.

His Deth carries a weight around over the murder of his wife that gives him an obsession to catch fugitive Martin Whistler (Michael Stefani) who killed her. Whistler has been creating mindless slaves called “trancers” who look normal until triggered. What is his ultimate goal with these trancers? No idea. As much as I love this movie, the villain does not have a distinct goal. He creates them in the 23^rd century for…what? Then he travels into the past to off the ancestors of the heads of the current government so he can continue unimpeded with his plot.

Helen Hunt stars as 80s woman Leena destined to marry Jack-Deth-as-Phil-Dethton. Demonstrating how she moved beyond guest parts on television and B-movies, she gives Leena some depth rather than aiming for generic Valley Girl. Leena is the normal person caught in extraordinary circumstances. She is equal parts comic relief and helpful sidekick. Hunt made what would otherwise be a forgettable character somewhat memorable and even likable. An early indication of her future success. In this part, she demonstrated why she would continue working and why her career would not end shortly after this movie.

This is just fun. It’s an enjoyable movie that gets great mileage out of the idea. Band is a man known for his low budget yet entertaining movies. They establish some rules and plot elements and followed them. The only one that will make you question anything is how the future remains unchanged when somebody’s ancestor is killed and that they are eliminated. Nobody forgets them at all and THAT never gets explained.

What’s different about this is that rather than a machine to travel through time the characters inject themselves with a drug that allows them to take over the body of an ancestor. But only one they can identify. It is closest to Quantum Leap and a cost cutting measure that fits with what Band did. You never get an explanation on where the consciousness of the other person goes. Unlike the body switching in Quantum Leap the mind does not move to the future.

While good, Trancers could have benefitted from Whistler’s reasons for making trancers better explained. Besides making zombies and randomly causing chaos what was the point? Not that you will care when watching. You’ll be too busy enjoying yourself. Especially with the Miami Vice-esque look of much of the future clothing.

With a sense of fun and excitement and a relatively unique premise on several things Trancers is deservedly a Cult Classic. Maybe not the most polished film but a film worthy of viewing by every science fiction connoisseur.