Unabomber: The True Story

If I'm being completely honest, I was drawn to this movie because it stars one of the most gifted, and frankly under-appreciated, actors of this, or any other generation: The Legendary Dean Stockwell. Once I finally watched Unabomber: The True Story, I was riveted by the performances of Tobin Bell (best known for playing Jigsaw in the Saw series) and, of course, Dean himself as the ever-determined Postal Inspector Ben Jefferies. I was also pleasantly surprised at the dramatic acting chops of usually comedic actor Robert Hays as Ted's brother, David Kaczynski. Ultimately, for me though, it was an utter joy to watch Stockwell's intensity. The intelligence he showcased as he pieced together vital clues to the identity of this infamous serial bomber. His determination, which could have easily been misrepresented by a lesser actor, as power-hungry ambition. There were even moments of child-like jubilation which were reminiscent of the cherubic Child Actor who first captured our hearts in Anchors Aweigh. The scene where Ben is sitting underneath a tree comes to mind. As an avid Dean Stockwell fan, I have to wonder if Ted's penchant for Eugene O'Neill stamps is what prompted the film's director to hire him in the first place. O'Neill, after all, was the playwright who penned Long Day's Journey Into Night! If you're as big a fan of Dean's as I am, I highly recommend this movie.

The Unabomber was Theodore Kaczynski, a domestic terrorist who sent several home made bombs through the mail from the late 1970s onwards.

Kaczynski was a mathematician and academic who developed a critique which opposed industrialisation and modern technology and advocated a form of anarchy which he developed as part of his manifesto.

His bombing campaign lasted from 1978 to 1995 and killed three people and many were injured. His devices were usually aimed at Universities and there were lengthy gaps between the bombing campaigns. He was only brought to justice because his brother recognised his style of writings.

The movie follows a fictionalised postal inspector played by Dean Stockwell who spent years trying to track down the Unabomber. Robert Hays plays the brother, David who at first gets on well with his brother and shares a passion of outdoor living and self sufficiency but over time falls in love with a woman and moves back to the city.

Tobin Bell plays Theodore Kaczynski but we only see him living in the woods in a hut and the film never tells us much about his character. Not for one moment you believe he was a former academic or what was about him that made what was regarded as elegant home made devices. You see scenes of him conversing with his brother but then they fall apart and become distant which happens off screen but its implied because of his decision to get married.

The film was made soon after the Unabomber was convicted. Its a straightforward if slightly fictionalised telling of the story in a movie of the week style. Stockwell is dogged, Hays suddenly suspects his brother but you never get much of an idea as to shy he suspected him in the first place.

The film does shy away from the graphic details of the bombings and places an emphasis on the victims of the Unabomber that were injured. How they were affected by his actions and subsequently rebuilt their lives which is good to see.

One time well known actors such as Dean Stockwell and Robert Hays seem to end up in cheesy "real life" TV movies such as this one. Despite the serious nature of the subject and what happened, this is just plain bad and mediocre from start to finish. Dull and missable.

Why is it whenever a serial killer is sentenced TV companies decide to make a TVM about the case ? This is a bad idea on both grounds of taste and artistic licence .

UNABOMBER: THE TRUE STORY is no better than most of these true crime TVMs . In fact it`s probably worse because much of the storyline descends into soap opera territory - the killer`s brother falls in love love ? Oh big deal . But my biggest beef is to do with the portrayal of investigator Ben Jeffries. So much of his early detective work to profiling the unabomber is down to intuition is it ? Great , maybe if the police used simple intuition to catch criminals instead of eyewitness statements and forensic evidence they`d be more criminals in prison - they`d certainly be more people in prison . And seeing as his real life name isn`t Ben Jeffries I`m led to ask how much of the other facts in the story have been changed . At no time did I feel there was any explanation as to why Theodore Kaczynski decided to become a terrorist against the technological society . He published an anti- tech manifesto I know and the TVM quotes this but the audience are never told what caused his resentment against the modern era in the first place

Give this a miss because you won`t learn anything . And I also wish to point out that if someone is called Theodore it doesn`t always make them a mass murderer

Sure, this is a straight-forward movie with little emotional debt or gripping scenes, but what do you expect from a based-on-a-true-story TV production ?

The originality of the basic story makes it worth a watch : the method of the UFA bomber, the references to his predecessors and the accuracy with which the mutilations of his victims are described on top of a still explosion as a replacement for graphic scenes.

When you start to think about it, the story is ever so frightening because the setting and the criminal are so common. Without much of a climax, another proof is given that a diabolic mind always comes with a human face.