Colpo doppio

In this fairly straight forward, but pretty well done action film, Michael Biehn plays a likable guy working in his own watch repair shop. He suffers from amnesia and soon his past is about to catch up to him. Predictably he wasn't a watch repair man is his "previous life" but a lethal assassin.

The amnesia formula has been done many times, most notably with the blockbuster Bourne trilogy taken from Robert Ludlum's novels, but "Timebomb" has its merits. Michael Biehn is a good enough actor to play a convincing human action hero and the plot, while quite routine, delivers suspense and action. The mixing of science fiction into the film is also pretty interesting as it provides a few twists. However, there is enough cliché here to prevent this film from being anything special. Fans of the genre will enjoy it for what it is, others shouldn't even care to look. --- 6/10

Rated R for violence and profanity. Ages 13+

The funny thing about "Timebomb" is that it has a similar plot to those Matt Damon "Jason Bourne" flicks: the protagonist, played by Michael Biehn, seems like an average Joe until an experience sees him remembering repressed memories of his time as a government assassin.

Biehn was a strange casting choice. He was beautiful in all those movies he did with James Cameron, and utterly believable as a military man, even one from the future. But here? He's not even looking good. I don't know if it's the hair, or perhaps his looks were fading already, but for much of the movie he looks like Rik Mayall.

He's also just not that good in the role. I don't know why. Maybe it's just that the role sucks, but I found it hard to believe him as the bookish watchmaker he starts the movie as, or even the government assassin we find out he was. And this is the guy who was so believable, and unforgettable, as Corporal Hicks in "Aliens".

Far better in the movie is the beautiful Patsy Kensit. She seems to be quite roundly hated in her home country of the UK, and I'm not sure why. She's a believable actress, and it is easy to root for her.

Since this is a b-movie, aside from not having the best production values, the movie also has a lot more sex and violence than you would expect - and certainly far more than any of the "Bourne" movies. Particularly there is nudity. Biehn keeps having flashbacks to what looks like a Playboy video, featuring a buxom lady rolling around in the nude. Since Kensit plays the woman Biehn takes unwillingly on the run with him, you know eventually they are going to end up in the sack. Here, it happens much later than you'd expect, and the sex scene is kind of awkward. Kensit makes noises like she is in pain, and facial expressions that seem to indicate anger rather than lust. It's over pretty quickly, and isn't that great.

There isn't too much to recommend "Timebomb" for, really. There's one memorable scene with a chase through a porno theatre, shots of the screen showing a woman nude from the waste up, but sound effects indicating hardcore porn. When they finally reach the top-secret assassin training camp, there are some nifty effects of projections on the ceiling, and Biehn lies down in a machine that looks like a huge vagina. But these moments are few and far between - how many times have we seen the guy marked for death by shadowy characters, taking a sexy young woman on the run with him, fighting off the attackers and eventually falling in love? "Timebomb" is painted by numbers.

The always reliable Michael Biehn plays Eddy Kay, a watchmaker / repairman who, in a show of courage, rescues a woman & her baby from an apartment fire one night. Unfortunately, when news of this act reaches the airwaves, the wrong person finds out: government operative Colonel Taylor (Richard Jordan), who promptly sends his henchmen - a tough lot, but not a bright bunch - after the frightened Eddy, who finds that he actually does have the skills to combat them. He takes it on the lam, abducting psychoanalyst / customer Anna Nolmar (Patsy Kensit) to give him some much needed help in finding out why people would want him dead - and his true identity.

Writer / director Avi Nesher does a decent job with his premise, utilizing what is a pretty familiar plot and injecting a sci-fi angle as well as a "Manchurian Candidate" type story thread. The good thing is that the movie is tautly directed and edited; it has a good forward momentum. Its action scenes are intense enough that they do keep you watching. Things do get a little creepy and bizarre in terms of the brainwashing process. The movie does also have strong echoes of "The Terminator" with Biehn. The main reason why it really works at all is because Biehn is so believable. You can buy him as a normal, average guy - or, at least, a guy who *thinks* he's normal and average - who is overwhelmed at first but turns into a real kick ass hero. The pretty Kensit is good in her part. Jordan excels in one of his loathsome villain roles - he definitely overplays some scenes - and the under utilized Robert Culp and Raymond St. Jacques also do well. Among those playing Taylors' goons are super sexy Tracy Scoggins and none other than Billy Blanks.

B movie devotees will likely find this to be agreeable enough.

Six out of 10.

When I saw this film, I thought "Wow, this guy might be the next James Cameron." Perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but director Avi Nesher has a sharp, distinctive action style, and a flair for technology and attention to detail. This is a rough, tough action film, with touches of science fiction thrown in. Performances are decent, although Michael Biehn still seems stuck in Kyle Reese/Dwayne Hicks mode. Unfortunately, Nesher went on to do a bunch of straight-to-video films, the interesting "Doppleganger" and produced a batch, the only decent one being "Automatic" which he didn't direct, but certainly has his style imprinted on it. I'm hoping he hasn't given up on his dream sci-fi project, "Hammerheads" which I've heard about years ago.

The minute I saw Patsy Kensit's lips, I knew I had seen her before. It was driving me crazy. I was thrown off by the Hungarian character she played. I have to admit that she was the only reason I watched this movie, and I wasn't disappointed.

She didn't give the full exposure reported in Angels and Insects or Shelter Island, but we did get the view we saw in Lethal Weapon 2 - I finally remembered that awesome performance as the South African secretary! Michael Biehn (Aliens, The Rock, Terminator 2: Judgment Day) was the simple watch repairer that didn't know who he was and why everyone was trying to kill him. He did OK, but Kensit stole the show. You've seen the basic script before in In the Line of Fire, done much better by Eastwood.

Blue, Brown Redd, Green, and Grey were a little over-the top and no match at all, but they provided some exciting moments.

I probably would have given it a higher rating had I just not felt that I had seen it all before.