Plot: Mild-mannered watchmaker Eddie Kay becomes an overnight hero when he saves a family from a burning apartment, but he’s soon being hunted by a tidal wave of assassins who want him dead. Much to Eddie’s surprise, he seems adept at survival. But why?
Barely released in 1991 was MGM’s Timebomb, a super- fun, super-violent riff on The Manchurian Candidate. Michael Biehn stars as Eddie, our tragic and twisted anti-hero who has a dark past.
Biehn is an icon, appearing in a decade long lineup that includes Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Navy Seals and Tombstone, and he’s fantastic as the tormented Eddie. He infuses the everyman character with a natural charm but he also makes him ruthless and deadly when he calls on his training. MGM wanted Van Damme or Chuck Norris for this film, but the film’s writer/director Avi Nesher fought to keep Biehn, and the star even took a pay cut to get the role, and I’m glad he did. Biehn is the centrepiece of Timebomb and he’s the pic’s biggest asset.
Patsy Kensit does fine as the shrink who falls for Eddie and gets mixed up in his dangerous world. The pair have a superhot love scene that got trimmed after the MPAA claimed it was too erotic.
Richard Jordan is suitably slimy and slick as the villain, a government spook with secrets to hide.
Director Nesher handles the action scenes efficiently and with brutal style. There’s some energetic shoot-outs and some fights that look very practical and painful. This is an old school shoot-em-up where blood flies and bodies are mangled. One particular confrontation in a hotel room had me wincing as Eddie dishes out blows to a massive assassin. Shame Nesher never went on to bigger and better things because his direction, and his screenplay, are tight and well done.
In my book, Biehn is underrated, and his performance in this fun flick and his commitment to the role, totally make Timebomb worth a watch. This nifty film slipped through the cracks when it first came out, but it has since gained a healthy following on home video. I often revisit Timebomb and its always a fun ride.
