Movie Reviews: Trancers II
In the six years since he singed Whistler, Jack Deth has grown accustomed to life in modern day Los Angeles with Lena and the pair are now married. Life soon becomes more complicated as it is revealed that Whistler had a brother and has his own evil plans. E.D. Wardo is turning homeless people and the mentally ill into Trancers under the guise of an environmental group known as Green World. If that wasn't complicated enough, through the power of time travel shenanigans, Deth's dead wife has been brought back to life and has been sent back in time to stop Wardo's scheme.
I enjoyed the original Trancers, so I didn't hesitate when it came to watching the sequel. It helped that it also starred some genre favourites. Richard Lynch of Invasion U.S.A. was on villain duties as E.D. Wardo. Then there was Jeffrey Combs from Re-Animator as one of his henchman. Alas, Combs didn't get much to do. All he did was stand around in the background a bit. At least his goatee looked suitably evil. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde's Martine Beswicke also pops up as another one of Wardo's lackeys.
In the last movie, Deth's asshole supervisor MacNulty travelled back in time and ended up in the body of a little girl. This time he gets slightly better luck and ends up as a teenager. I liked MacNulty as a teenager. He, um... she was wonderfully sassy.
The make-up effects on the Trancers weren't quite as impressive this time around, which I guess was down to the lower budget. At least the originals looked sort of like zombies, this time they just look green and veiny. The action scenes make up for the rather iffy make-up though. Especially the fiery climax that is topped off with a rather neat impalement.
The third movie has a villain played by another familiar genre face, especially if you're a fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but I will probably wait a while until I give that one a watch. I am quite intrigued on the other movies that Full Moon brought out direct to video. I have also seen the first three Puppet Master movies and have quite liked them. The studio also made a Doctor Strange knock-off that was surprisingly good called Doctor Mordrid. I will definitely be checking out more of their movies. Subspecies, Dollman and Demonic Toys look particularly interested, so hopefully I will be able to find them at a reasonable price.
Three pointy hats.
Next time: Hellraiser III- Hell on Earth
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