Trancers III: Deth Lives! Blu-ray Review

For anyone unfamiliar with the Trancers franchise, the premise is pretty cool but requires a bit of explaining. Jack Deth is a 23rd century cop on a mission to stop an army of bizarre zombie-like creatures called Trancers. Time travel becomes a necessity and Jack finds himself in the 20th century fighting monsters alongside his future wife, Lena. His mission is a success and Jack opts to stay in the past and build a life with the girl of his dreams. The next few years find Jack as a down-on-his-luck private investigator with a strained marriage and a lot of other problems too. He’s got it rough at the moment, but fate isn’t done with him yet and is about to intervene once again.

Time-jacked to the year 2352, Jack is surprised to find the war on Trancers has resumed despite his earlier efforts. Faces are familiar but their relationships with him have changed over the ensuing years and the council has decided it’s best to send Jack back to 2005 for a strike on the original Trancer program. His first goal upon arrival is to track down his ex-wife Lena, who is now a successful journalist. She has taken in a girl named R.J., an escapee from the new Trancer training camp, as a source for her story on governmental malfeasance. Jack must protect the cadet as he tracks down Colonel Muthuh, the military leader responsible for starting the testing.

The Trancers franchise is a fun ride that raises the stakes with each new installment. Jack Deth is a nice hybrid character crossing the genres of science fiction with film noir. Tim Thomerson (Near Dark) plays our hero throughout the series and wears the character like an old suit. His weathered face and white hair convey a sense of weariness that is surprisingly absent from his portrayal. Thomerson is full of life and good in a fight as Deth takes on an army of soldiers half his age. He has no time for bullshit and wants nothing more than to rid the world of the creatures that have taken so much of his time and to get his life back in order. Facing off against Jack this time is Andrew Robinson (Hellraiser) as Col. Muthuh, the scene-chewing villain of the film. He is wonderful in the role and brings a maniacal glee to his evil deeds.

Trancers III serves as a closing chapter of a trilogy that sees a lot of friendly faces returning to wrap things up. Chief among them is Helen Hunt (Rollercoaster), who plays Jack’s love interest Lena in all three films. Hunt’s star was on the rise by the time this sequel came to be and yet she maintained a loyalty to the character. Jack and Lena’s relationship has been bumpy but ends on a positive note. Returning from Trancers II is the always welcome Megan Ward (Freaked) as Jack’s first wife, Alice. Her character has undergone the most profound change in which she has become a rebel soldier. She’s tough as nails and has a nice history with Jack as her trainer, making her quite the fighter. Surrounding Jack with two strong women has been a highlight of the series and it’s nice to see them hold their own when challenged.

Writer/ director C. Courtney Joyner (Lurking Fear) keeps things lively with this second sequel. He closes out the original series while introducing new characters for future installments. This comes with ease and he maintains the general tone of the previous installments. Trancers III is darker than its predecessors but never mean-spirited. Some of the supporting characters are a bit more aggressive, but Jack Deth remains true to his roots. He stands for what is right: protecting the weak and fighting evil. He is a flawed character, but a decent one. Fans of the franchise will leave this third chapter satisfied and ready for more.