Death Train (1993) (TV)

Director:

David Jackson

Writer (WGA):

David Jackson (written by)

Release Date:

14 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

The mission is impossible. The consequences deadly.

Plot:

A German Scientist has aided an ex Soviet general in constructing a nuclear weapon which is now in the...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Nuclear | Europe | Mission | Russia

Cast

Pierce Brosnan	...	Michael 'Mike' Graham
Patrick Stewart	...	Malcolm Philpott
Alexandra Paul	...	Sabrina Carver
Ted Levine	...	Alex Tierney
Christopher Lee	...	General Konstantin Benin
John Abineri	...	Dr. Karl Leitzig
Nic D'Avirro	...	Major Gennadi Rodenko
Clarke Peters	...	C.W. Whitlock, Ph.D.
Andreas Jung	...	Lieutenant Sergei Kolchinsky (as Andreas Sportelli)
Ron Berglas	...	Roger Flint
Vili Matula	...	Sigi
Lorrie Marlow	...	Yolanda Sanchez
Terrence Hardiman	...	German Commander - Captain Wolf
Bill Leadbitter	...	Rosie
Daniel Stewart	...	Tretyak

Also Known As:

Alistair MacLean's Death Train (USA) (complete title)
Detonator

Runtime:

Netherlands:100 min | South Korea:91 min

Country:

Croatia | UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | UK:15 | USA:R | Sweden:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Slovenia

Company:

Yorkshire International Films Ltd.

Trivia:

The locomotive that was hijacked in Bremen is actually a Slovenian type 642.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Malcolm asks Sabrina if she is familiar with the M203 grenade launcher. Later you see her with a shoulder fired grenade launcher. In reality, the M203 is much smaller, and it mounts under the barrel of an M-16A2 5.56mm assault rife.

Quotes:

Mike Graham: Hey remember - only the young die good.

Movie Connections:

References The Deer Hunter (1978)

Disappointing

When I found `Detonator' at the video store and saw that it had Patrick Stewart and Pierce Brosnan in the staring roles, I got my hopes up. I thought, with Captain Pacard and James Bond in the movie, it should be pretty good. Then I saw that Alexandra Paul and Christopher Lee were also in the movie and thought with a cast like that, how could the film help but be good. Well, I found out.

The premise of the movie is not bad; a fanatical Russian military man (Christopher Lee) builds a nuclear bomb and tries to detonate it, on a train bound for Iran, to trigger a military resurrection of the former Soviet Union. Of course, an elite team of United Nations commandos (Patrick Stewart, Pierce Brosnan and Alexandra Paul) tries to stop the train before ultimate fireworks show takes place. Maybe not the most original storyline for an action/adventure movie, but it had some potential.

Unfortunately, not even this cast could make up for the horrible script `Detonator' offers. This is not the first script David Jackson has written, but it sure seems like it. In fact, the dialog is so dry and uninspired, that the chemistry one would expect between actors of this caliber is absolutely non-existent; which makes this movie boring, and a real disappointment.