Eliminators

Released by: 88 Films
Released on: September 22nd, 2017.
Director: Peter Manoogian
Cast: Andrew Prine, Denise Crosby, Patrick Reynolds
Year: 1986

The Movie:

Directed by Peter Manoogian in 1986, Eliminators begins when a pilot is (Patrick Reynolds) is mortally wounded in a plane crash over a jungle. After that crash, he's brought back to life by Abbott Reeves (Roy Dotrice), a scientist who turns him into a Mandroid! Abbott sends his Mandroid back in time to get him a shield from ancient Rome. With that out of the way, it looks like Abbott is going to have his latest creation taken apart with some help from his assistant, Dr. Takawa (Tad Horino), but Takawa isn't such a bad guy and so he helps Mandroid escape!

Soon enough he meets up with foxy scientist Nora Hunter (Denise Crosby), the same scientist who came up with the technology Reeves stole to create Mandroid. They decide, with some help from her tiny flying robot companion named SPOT, to go get Reeves and stop him from doing whatever it is exactly that he does, and to help them with this they hire a boatsman named Harry Fontana (Andrew Prine) and team up with a ninja named Kuji (Conan Lee)! Kuji also happens to be on a quest to find his father but is unaware that his pappy has got ties to Reeves. Meanwhile, a woman named Bayou Betty (Peggy Mannix) is out to get them because Fontana scooped the sweet Nora Hunter boat job out from under her all while Reeves prepares himself for the inevitable showdown that we all know is coming.

A pretty zany movie, Eliminators has a few sluggish spots and some minor pacing issues but it does offer up a Mandroid, a ninja and some neat scientists. The story sort of plods along, the characters are often more interesting than the situations that they find themselves in, but it's entertaining enough. Anytime things get too slow someone will shoot a missile or something will blow up or someone will say something dumb enough to grab your attention. The performances are fun though. Roy Dotrice is maybe slumming it a bit here given his filmography but he's good in the part as the mad scientist/villain. Patrick Reynolds isn't the most enthusiastic guy to ever light up the screen but he does the distant android thing well enough. Denise Crosby's character isn't very well written but she's cute and fun to look at while Andrew Prine plays his rascally boatman with a fair bit of enthusiasm. Conan Lee is also fun as the ninja, just sort of thrown into the movie probably just so there could be a ninja in it.

Really though, this is a movie to watch because it features a guy built into a tank tread thing, and that in and of itself is pretty rad. It was also clearly a huge influence on Astron 6's Manborg.

Video/Audio/Extras:

Eleminators hits Blu-ray from 88 Films in an AVC encoded 1080p framed at 1.78.1 widescreen and it looks pretty good. The packaging notes that it has been taken from a 'brand new HD master, restored from the original camera negative.' As to how it compares to the domestic release that came out through Shout! Factory in 2015, it takes up roughly 1GB less space on the disc but has the exact same running time. There isn't much in the way of noticeable difference here, transfers are quite nice boasting a clean picture with good color reproduction and an absence of noise reduction, edge enhancement or obvious compression issues.

The only audio option provided is an LPCM 2.0 Stereo track (the Shout! release used a DTS-HD track) and it sounds fine. Dialogue is clean and clear, the track is well balanced and the sound effects are punch enough. There are no noticeable issues with any hiss or distortion.

There isn't much in the way of extras on the disc itself, just trailers for a few other 88 Films Full Moon releases and chapter selection, but the packaging is nice as it includes a reversible cover sleeve and, if ordered from the 88 Films website, a rather slick looking slipcover.

The Final Word:

Eliminators is a ridiculous amount of fun, a deliriously entertaining piece of eighties cult film lunacy featuring a great cast, some really creative characters and loads of wonky action. 88 Films' Blu-ray release is bare bones but it looks and sounds quite nice - recommended to those with a taste for decidedly eighties flavored sci-fi/action hybrids!

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!