Future cop 4

I have to admit that I don't understand why writers Danny Bilson, Peter David and Paul De Meo opted to take the franchise in this direction. Thrusting Jack Deth back into a medieval world just made very little sense. As much as I do enjoy medieval fantasy, then it just felt like an odd direction to take the franchise, especially since the previous movies were more of sci-fi intoned.

Tim Thomerson returns to reprise the role of Jack Deth, and he is joined by Stephen Macht once again, although briefly. Aside from these two returning actors, then "Trancers 4: Jack of Swords" didn't have any familiar faces on the cast list for me, aside from Lochlyn Munro. The acting performances in the movie were fair, though.

The franchise is starting to have a bigger budget, and it is showing on the screen. And that definitely is a good thing. But bigger budget and better production doesn't necessarily mean better movie, especially if the storyline and script is weak.

Watchable for what it was, but I have to admit that I found "Trancers 4: Jack of Swords" to be a weak addition to the franchise, especially in comparison to the three previous movies, despite of the budget increase and better production.

My rating of director David Nutter's 1994 movie "Trancers 4: Jack of Swords" lands on a four out of ten stars.

After a late night TV viewing, i was sold. This film has everything - the cheesy goodness required of such films, characters with names like 'Prospero' and 'Jack Deth' (often referred to as Jack Sh*t), and brilliant visual effects (ie: crap). Seriously though, with a name like Prosperu, how can such a film go wrong? Regardless of any narrative shortcomings, pitiful set design, and completely irrational plot development, who comes to save the day? That's right. Prospero. Just one look at his face makes you happy to be alive.

Don't get me wrong now. Trancers 4 IS a very bad film. I can't possibly recommend it to any human. However. It is the Citizen Kane of our time, if only for one man. A great man. A man whose face shall forever be etched into the minds of all mankind. He is power. He is lord. He is ... PROSPERO.

I've watched too many movies in my time. I mean, here I am, commenting on Trancers 4 - TRANCERS 4! - and I bet this review will be read by a grand total of about six people, the same six people who rented this silly little movie when it came out.

For the uninitiated, Trancers started life as a futuristic film noir series. Well, to be brutally honest, it started life as tacky B-movie trash with noir ambitions. The lead character, Jack Deth (like Death, geddit?) was played by lovable genre grump Tim Thomerson, who has achieved a semi-legendary status on the order of Bruce Campbell's. Are either of these men really titans of the entertainment industry? Nah. They're weirdos and underdogs. And that's why we love them.

Trancers 4 departs from the series' usual detective theme and plants Jack Deth in a medieval fantasy world populated by energy-draining vampires. Purists have cried foul over this, but what the hell - Full Moon had a sweet deal, filming on the cheap in Romania, and they wanted to re-use their forest and castle locations from "Subspecies." So, comic book writer Peter David was called upon to plunk Deth right into the middle of an old "Doctor Who" plot involving tyrants, rebels, swordplay, and lots of running around in the woods. The connection to "Who" is strengthened by the endearingly absurd special effects (or, better put, special defects).

The rebel characters are woodenly acted, the bad guys ham it up like loons, the fight scenes are listless, the plot makes no sense - oh, I could go on and on - and yet this movie is still boss, precisely because it's cheap and crass and ballsy and not in the least bit mainstream. This is the kind of movie you could make in a weekend with your friends, and it's all the better for its crudity. It's just so much fun - I mean, c'mon, Deth dunks some guy's head into a bowl of popcorn! He turns an android's head into a bedside lamp! He talks and acts tough, but he's clearly WAY TOO OLD to threaten anybody!

It rules. It just rules.

"Trancers 4: Jack of Swords" is an awkward fourth entry in the cult series "Trancers" continuing the adventures of Jack Deth. The thing that makes this so weird is that it takes place during the mideaeval ages in another dimension where trancers have taken over. Some funny moments but disapopinting sequel in the low budget series. But make sure to watch this one before number 5 or you will be really lost.

Weird diversion for super Trancer hunter Jack Deth in this fourth movie. Director David Nutter is better known for his catalogue of TV drama episodes (such as 'Roswell') and thus effectively produces an attractive, slow and very television suited instalment for this series of films. Of course there is the usual Deth comical and ironic lines but these are not as strong as they previously were. The film has swearing and a little soft action (perhaps to justify its' direct to video origin). Cast do their best and a couple of now regular TV stars (like Lochlyn Munro) appear. Deth has no wives to deal with this time which should have led to a more action focused addition but somehow he spends most of the film having rather dull conversations with his co-stars. Filmed back to back with Trancers 5.