Trancers 4: Jack of Swords

Trancers 4: Jack of Swords is a 1994 American sci-fi fantasy adventure film starring Tim Thomerson as Jack Deth. The film also features Stephen Macht and Stacie Randall. It was filmed back-to-back with Trancers 5: Sudden Deth in and around a castle in Romania that was also used in another Full Moon Entertainment produced film series called Subspecies.

Trancers 4: Jack of Swords
Directed byDavid Nutter
Produced byOana Paunescu
Vlad Paunescu
Written byPeter David
StarringTim Thomerson
Stacie Randall
Ty Miller
Teri Ivens
Mark Arnold
Clabe Hartley
Alan Oppenheimer
Lochlyn Munro
Jeff Moldovan
Stephen Macht
Music byGary Fry
CinematographyAdolfo Bartoli
Edited byLisa Bromwell
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Full Moon Entertainment
Release date
  • February 2, 1994 (1994-02-02)
Running time
83 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The film has been released on DVD through the Trancers boxset.

Synopsis

Following his adventures in the Los Angeles of the 1980s, Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson) has returned to his own time, the 23rd century. Having lost his first wife Lena, and finding out that he's lost his other wife Alice to none other than Harris, Deth agrees to another assignment in the past.

While heading out for another assignment, something a Solonoid from the first three films hiding in the time portal causes the TCL chamber to go awry. Jack finds himself in a whole new dimension, a kingdom of the technological level of medieval Europe. He also runs across a different version of Trancers called Nobles, who seem to be in control of this planet. The Nobles literally suck the life force out of that dimensions normal humans

Jack manages to assist a rebel group known as the "Tunnel Rats" crush the rule of the evil Lord Caliban (Clabe Hartley). The leaders of the Nobles son, Prospero (Ty Miller) rebels against the other Nobles. The physics of this universe render most of Deth's technological devices either inoperable or functioning in a manner that is useless. To stop the Trancers of this world, and return himself to his own dimension. Jack must quest to find the mystical Diamond in the Castle of Unrelenting Terror, an item which Lord Caliban is also hunting. The movie ends on a cliffhanger. [1]

Reception

Entertainment Weekly found the movie a bore and stated that fans of the first three Trancers movies would be disappointed. [2] However, Creature Feature gave the movie 3 out of 5 stars, rating it higher than the first three movies. [3] TV Guide gave the movie two stars, saying the sequel does as well as can be imagined and praised Thomerson's acting calling him an "underappreciated physical comedian" [4] Peter David's Silver gave the movie 2.5 out of 5 stars when judged on the B-Movie scale and 2 out of 5 stars when judged on a general scale. They noted that the movie was funnier than its predecessors, but that the acting out side of Thomerson's left much to be desired. It was recommended for fans of the series [5]

Production

Full Moon Entertainment moved its studios to Romania as post- Soviet film tax incentives were too great to resist. This benefit accounted for the change of setting. Filmed at the same time as Trancers V. The stunt work was noted as impressive, and obtained much cheaper by local talent than would cost in America. Also offered cheaper were sound stages, waivers of location fees and extras working very cheaply. [6]

References
  1. https://www.tvguide.com/movies/trancers-iv-jack-of-swords/review/132120/
  2. https://ew.com/article/1994/01/28/trancers-4-jack-swords/
  3. Stanley, J (2000) Creature Feature: 3rd Edition
  4. Trancers IV Review https://www.tvguide.com/movies/trancers-iv-jack-of-swords/review/132120/
  5. Kouf, W. Trancers IV Review. Silveremulsion.com
  6. https://www.tvguide.com/movies/trancers-iv-jack-of-swords/review/132120/
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