My review was written in February 1992 after watching the movie on MGM/UA video cassette.
Released regionally in theaters last November, "Timebomb" is a breathless sci-fi thriller that isn't original or large-scale enough to compete with the big pictures, but good action scenes and above-average cast should generate a favorable home video response.
Israeli director Avi Nesher, remaker of the classic "She" in 1982 with Sandahl Bergman, concocts a paranoia plot line here. Similar to "Jacob's Ladder", a guy (Michael Biehn) who supposedly died in the Vietnam war is actually running around hallucinating.
It turns out he was part of a CIA experiment run by heavy Richard Jordan that used futuristic aversion therapy to create soulless operatives. Dated Cold War tory material has Jordan trying to assassinate a pol who has vowed to sit on the CIA.
Biehn is working as a watchmaker and goes to customer Patsy Kensit for help after finding out she's a shrink. They're thrown together on the lam when Jordan's operatives are ordered to kill Biehn. Trail leads to the original research facility where Biehn relives the mind-altering experiment.
Nesher throws in snippets of story between vigorous action scenes, notable for quality stunt work. Characters are pretty much one-dimensional, though Biehn engenders some sympathy, and Kensit is sexy as usual.
Casting Tracy Scoggins as a glamorous hit woman pays off, but ex-boxer Ray Mancini and Carlos Palomino are wasted (given zero lines to read) as two of her interchangeable teammates.
Pic is the last of Raymond St. Jacques (as a dogged cop), who died in 1990.
Released regionally in theaters last November, "Timebomb" is a breathless sci-fi thriller that isn't original or large-scale enough to compete with the big pictures, but good action scenes and above-average cast should generate a favorable home video response.
Israeli director Avi Nesher, remaker of the classic "She" in 1982 with Sandahl Bergman, concocts a paranoia plot line here. Similar to "Jacob's Ladder", a guy (Michael Biehn) who supposedly died in the Vietnam war is actually running around hallucinating.
It turns out he was part of a CIA experiment run by heavy Richard Jordan that used futuristic aversion therapy to create soulless operatives. Dated Cold War tory material has Jordan trying to assassinate a pol who has vowed to sit on the CIA.
Biehn is working as a watchmaker and goes to customer Patsy Kensit for help after finding out she's a shrink. They're thrown together on the lam when Jordan's operatives are ordered to kill Biehn. Trail leads to the original research facility where Biehn relives the mind-altering experiment.
Nesher throws in snippets of story between vigorous action scenes, notable for quality stunt work. Characters are pretty much one-dimensional, though Biehn engenders some sympathy, and Kensit is sexy as usual.
Casting Tracy Scoggins as a glamorous hit woman pays off, but ex-boxer Ray Mancini and Carlos Palomino are wasted (given zero lines to read) as two of her interchangeable teammates.
Pic is the last of Raymond St. Jacques (as a dogged cop), who died in 1990.