Detonator (TV 1993)
"Death Train" (original title)

A German Scientist has aided an ex Soviet general in constructing a nuclear weapon which is now in the possession of an American mercenary heading across Europe in a hijacked goods train. ... See full summary »

Director:

David Jackson

Writer:

David Jackson

Stars:

Pierce Brosnan, Patrick Stewart, Alexandra Paul

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

A German Scientist has aided an ex Soviet general in constructing a nuclear weapon which is now in the possession of an American mercenary heading across Europe in a hijacked goods train. Malcolm Philpott, a member of UNACO, (United Nation Anti Crime Organisation) must use a team of hand picked agents from various parts of the globe to stop this death train at all costs.

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Plot Keywords:

train | mercenary | general | soviet | europe | 

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Taglines:

It's Die Hard at 90 miles an hour!

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some language

Details

Country:

Croatia UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alistair MacLean's Death Train

Filming Locations:

Slovenia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yorkshire International Films Ltd., J&M Entertainment, British Lion Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Abineri is dubbed by David de Keyser.

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Goofs

At 1:06:00 into the film, Tierney is talking to Philpot on a Motorola 8000 series cellular phone. The battery pack has not been fully inserted into the back of the phone, which would therefore not be capable of making or receiving any calls.

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Quotes

Malcolm Philpott: Let's not let failure go to our heads.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Live Wire (2010)

User Reviews

Surprisingly good

I wasn't expecting much from this film but it surprised me. Yes the budget was small, but the acting surprised me, as did the story. The characters had enough development to keep me engaged, Patrick Stewart added his refined seniority, Pierce Brosnan acted the foolhardy gung-ho very well (a preview of his bond days to come). Not brilliant, but deserves more stars than it has. I suspect the low rating has more to do with the cover art and age than the actual content.

In short: if you like a predictable action film pitting good against evil (USA vs Russians hehe) this one is worth checking out. The characters are more than two-dimensional, breaking out of the stereotypes one would expect of a direct-to-VHS feature. Give it a look!