Review of Trancers 5: Sudden Deth (1994) by Shawn W — 29 Sep 2009

Trancers 5: Sudden Deth was made during a period where Full Moon was in the habit of making films back to back, so this one was filmed the same time that Trancers 4: Jack of Swords was made. Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) is still stuck in this medieval setting, still trying to put an end to the vampire-like trancers plaguing this world and he is still trying to make it back home to his own dimension. The only thing this film isn't still being is fun. Sudden Deth is the most rushed feeling entry of the series, and the most empty.

There was far too much going on in this movie, and there wasn't equal time spent focusing on all of these different character's storylines. So at times it was easy to lose track of what was going on, and who was who and what exactly they were doing. Plus, the film flows extremely awkward. There is a scene of action, followed up with a dreadfully long scene of dull dialogue. It all got repetitive after a while.

The action in this film once again returns to that very anti-climatic style that made the first couple of entries in the series difficult to watch. Even central villain Caliban (Clade Hartley) wasn't given any time to truly become the menace he should have been. And the final showdown between Jack and Caliban was a tremendous letdown. Such a shame that no time was spent on developing Caliban, especially since he is the only villain of the series to appear in more than one film.

The only saving grace for this film was once again Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth. It's weird that two of the weaker entries in the series, both part 4 and 5, were the ones where Jack Deth finally came to life as a character. Thomerson really seemed to be enjoying himself in this film, and he was a blast to watch on screen.

So this finished up the Trancers box set I purchased last week. This certainly isn't one of the better series from Full Moon, but for the most part these are entertaining movies. I wouldn't recommend the average filmgoer to seek out these films, but for those who enjoy Full Moon movies I think these should make for a decent time.