My review was written in August 1989 after watching the film on AIP video cassette.

A modest made-for-video sci-fi feature, "Time Burst" lacks the special effects and straightforward storytelling needed to attract a following.

Filmmaker Peter Yuval's previous genre effort, "Dead End City" was a crisp B picture, while "Time Burst" is awkwardly constructed. Nutty opening has hero Scott David King walking away from a Cesna plane crash after he's kidnapped an antiquity dealer (Richard Rogers killed in the plane mishap. Vintage Japanese samurai are battling in the California forest nearby for no reason.

King has amnesia but is soon chasing hither and yon with pretty (and violent) teammate Michiko, a CIA operative. Snippets of exposition finally reveal that everyone after a set of ancient Japanese tablets held by Gerald Okamua, that offer the key to immortality, King turns out to be 350 years old and impervious to bullets and such, making for some cute though silly plot twists during shootouts.

King, a handsome young thesp vaguely resembling Stephen Collins, delivers a straightforward performance in a confusing role, while Michiko adds a distinctive, offbeat beauty to the pic.

The action genre features fast-paced, thrilling, and intense sequences of physical feats, combat, and excitement. The characters of these stories are involved in daring and often dangerous situations, requiring them to rely on their physical prowess, skills, and quick thinking to overcome challenges and adversaries.

The fantasy genre features imaginative and often magical worlds, characters, and events. It explores realms beyond the boundaries of reality, featuring elements such as magic, mythical creatures, supernatural powers, and fantastical settings. These stories can take place in entirely fictional worlds or blend fantastical elements with real-world settings.

Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The horror genre features stories that aim to elicit fear, suspense, and a sense of dread in its audience. Horror stories often explore themes related to the unknown, the supernatural, and the macabre, and they frequently evoke strong emotional reactions such as anxiety, terror, and unease.

The sci-fi genre, short for science fiction, features imaginative and futuristic concepts that are often rooted in scientific principles, technology, and possibilities. These stories delve into "what if" questions and can serve as a platform to address contemporary social, political, and ethical issues by projecting them onto future or alternate settings.

James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Several different factions compete in the search for ancient Japanese tablets that have the secret of immortality.

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Gerald Okamura and David Scott King in Time Burst: The Final Alliance (1989)

David Scott King in Time Burst: The Final Alliance (1989)

Michi McGee in Time Burst: The Final Alliance (1989)

Gerald Okamura in Time Burst: The Final Alliance (1989)

Time Burst: The Final Alliance

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