Timebomb (1991) Review

 

After watchmaker Eddy Kay recuses a woman and her baby and is recognised on the News by a shady agent ad then an attempt is made on his life triggers haunted violent visions and latent combat skills and he is caught in a deadly conspiracy.

Timebomb feels oddly dated for a 1991 release. Directed by Avi Nesher, known for inventive genre projects, it echoes the tone of an '80s action-thriller. The plodding plot brings to mind elements from The Bourne Identity, The Manchurian Candidate, Total Recall.

Michael Biehn leads with his usual magnetic intensity as Eddy Kay. Best known for genre-defining roles in The Terminator, Aliens, and The Abyss, Biehn help lifts the film well beyond its modest production values. Supporting cast include Patsy Kensit (Lethal Weapon 2), Richard Jordan (Logan's Run, The Hunt for Red October), and martial artist Billy Blanks (The Last Boy Scout). Behind the camera, cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond (Don't Look Now, Candyman) and composer Patrick Leonard (At Close Range, The Secret of My Success) provide notable craftsmanship. The synth-heavy score fits the film's retro-futuristic mood, with the closing theme The Changing Man sounding like a lost demo Marillion track.

Despite the assembled talent, Timebomb never quite escapes its low-budget '80s B-movie vibe. Still, for fans of paranoid, retro action thrillers, it's a curious odd footnote - made watchable largely thanks to Biehn's committed performance.