Shadowchaser (1992)

Terrorists with an indestructible robot take over a high-rise hospital in order to kidnap the president's daughter.

Director:

John Eyres

Writer:

Stephen Lister (screenplay)

Stars:

Martin Kove, Meg Foster, Frank Zagarino

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Kove	...	Desilva
Meg Foster	...	Sarah
Frank Zagarino	...	Romulus
Paul Koslo	...	Trevanian
Joss Ackland	...	Kinderman
Ricco Ross	...	Jackson
Raymond Evans	...	Whiteside
Robert Freeman	...	Blackwood
Kim Huffman	...	Naomi
Andrew Lamond	...	Franco
John Chancer	...	Zanuchi
Robert Jezek	...	Leone
Angie Hill	...	Jonah (as Angie Hill-Richmond)
John Pasternak	...	King (as John Pasternack)
John Guerrasio	...	Blake

Storyline

Set in the future, a group of terrorists with an android leader storm a hospital when the President's daughter is inside, taking her hostage. To find a way of freeing her, the police decide to consult the architect who designed the building, but he's currently in jail for some crime, and the punishment of the future is to be frozen solid for one's sentence. The cops accidentally thaw out the wrong guy, a football player who decides to keep the mistake a secret and help the police in exchange for his freedom. Will he be able to defeat the terrorists and rescue the hostages, despite not knowing the first thing about architecture?

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Plot Keywords:

terrorist | hospital | android | robot | outer space | 

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Taglines:

Somebody made him! Somebody programed him to kill! Now it's up to somebody to pull the plug

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for action violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shot at Pinewood Studios, most of the set was used from Alien³ (1992).

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Quotes

Desilva: You're crazy.
Sarah: Certifiable.

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Connections

Referenced in End of the World (2013)

User Reviews

Die Hard with a robot (and no explosions)

In the near future, a top secret project named Shadowchaser is started to develop a robotic killing machine, named Romulus after the mythical founder of Rome. What the scientists forgot when they activate the robot was that it had no sense of loyalty and it killed them and escaped. A little later a terrorist group storms a city hospital and holds the upper floors hostage. One of these hostages includes the President's daughter. The FBI come in but realise that they need some help so they bring the architect, Dickson, out of deep freeze to help them storm the building. The only problem is that they defrost the wrong person, namely a football player name DeSilva.

This movie is a good action packed movie in the same style as Die Hard. The difference is that Die Hard was full of huge explosions while this movie is just one huge machine gun fight through a hospital. Don't expect much character development in this movie, but I don't think there is anything wrong with running machine gun fights. This movie never made the cinemas in Australia (and it looks like it is a straight to video release in the states), but that doesn't mean that the movie is bad. I quite enjoyed this movie, though the acting is bad in parts and the actors are unknown (not that there is anything wrong with that). This movie is not even mentioned in the Microsoft Cinemania 97, but I think it is a little gem.

The ideas in the movie are seen elsewhere but they seem to emphasise the point rather than to be a blatant cliché. The prison of the future being a deep freeze is seen in Demolition Man but the movie looks more at its merits rather than attacking it as Demolition Man does. The only comment that DeSilva makes is "when you are facing years in deep freeze and somebody releases you and asks you if you are such and such, what are you going to do, say 'sorry, you have the wrong guy, I'll just go back into deep freeze." He really does have a point there. He is looking out for number one, and honestly, I don't know anybody who would not do the same. He has been given a chance of redemption and he takes it.

The human desire for power coming back at them is another idea that comes out. Like Aliens and Terminator II, and other movies, Project Shadowchaser has humanity creating a devastating weapon only to have it turn on them. When it does they are absolutely helpless. Romulus shows us what we are really like inside and can be seen as a caricature of humanity. He was created and turned on his creators. Same with us. God created us and we turned on him, and like Romulus, our Creator is not too happy about this. Romulus says that he wants freedom, and we claim the same thing, but what is freedom and does it really exist? Romulus is a logical robot who probably does not understand what freedom really is, and even if he escapes his creators, who would have provided for him, he is still a slave to his logic, just as well are slaves to our sin.

Redemption also comes through this movie. DeSilva has committed a crime and is sentenced for this crime, but he sees a chance of redemption and seizes it. Not only does he seize his redemption, but he makes friends with the president's daughter and by saving her he is pardoned by the president. This is so much like God. He has given us an opportunity for redemption and he sacrificed his son for us, and we have the opportunity of befriending him as DeSilva befriends the President's daughter. Like her, Jesus will intercede on our behalf.

I like this movie. It is full of action and all you action freaks will probably like it as well. The villain is tough and comes out as a mixture of Die Hard and Terminator and I think it comes out quite well.

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 July 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Project: Shadowchaser

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

EGM Film International, North American Releasing

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)