Unabomber: The True Story (1996 TV Movie) User Reviews

everything you could expect

[PeterKurten911 · 6/10 · 27 May 2004]

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.

TV movie retelling of a true story

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 2 September 2017]

UNABOMBER: THE TRUE STORY is a TV movie retelling of the famous 'Unabomber' case that took place in America in the late 20th century. When a number of people were injured by exploding parcels either left at certain locations or sent through the post, the FBI opened an investigation into the case, and only managed to catch the culprit after many years. This one features a solid turn from Dean Stockwell as the dogged inspector on the case, playing opposite Tobin Bell as the killer. Bell, of course, went on to play the killer in the hugely successful SAW franchise, and you can't help but suspect that he got the job on the back of his turn here. This film is okay, sticking to the facts but sanitising them slightly, but as somebody with no knowledge of the true story, I enjoyed it.

Above average TV movie

[kenandraf · 10 November 2001]

Above average TV movie that effectively tells the true story of the UNABOMBER terrorist.Nothing fancy here,only direct to the point story telling and adequate acting.It's the story that carries the movie and most people who are familiar with TV movies will be satisfied as long as there is interest to learn about this interesting terrorist case......

How True Is It ?

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 21 April 2003]

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

The Manifesto

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 17 June 2015]

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.

Great Performances (Especially by Stockwell)!

[mresw · 9/10 · 27 February 2016]

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 graveyard?

[redkiwi · 4/10 · 10 February 2003]

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.

gripping

[dtucker86 · 13 October 2003]

Robert Hays gives a wonderful dramatic performance in this film as a man who is forced to make the most heartbreaking decision imaginable, to turn in his own brother. I cannot even begin to imagine David Kaczynski's horror when he read the "Unabomber's" manifesto and realized it was his own brother that had written it. It amazes me that Ted Kaczynski, a filthy hermit living in a dilapidated shack in Montana, could elude the FBI for almost two decades while carrying out crimes that left three people dead and many more maimed. When this filthy hermit was arrested, one of the FBI agents said "My God, is that who's been eluding us all these years?" Its ironic that Robert Hays is best remembered for his role as the bumbling "Captain Ted Stryker" in the Airplane movies. He is a fine comic actor, in fact Airplane was voted as one of the funniest films ever made, but he can also do drama as well. It is perhaps because of his quiet,low key personality that this fine thespian has never been given the credit he truly deserves for his fine work in tv and films. He perfectly conveys David's anguish and the film is very gripping as it shows the frustration of the FBI as the bombings continue with no leads. One sad case is Captain John Hauser who lost an eye and all the fingers of his hand. Just a few days later, he recieved a note that he had been accepted into the NASA astronaut program. Ted Kaczynski was a brilliant but an evil man who had no conscience and no remorse. This is a man who told his mother that "I hope you die so I can spit on your corpse" what a nice fellow! What I don't understand is that he wasn't abused and his parents were warm and loving, what happened to turn this man into one of the most notorious criminals of all time? What makes me angry is that he could have been caught much sooner. The FBI called him the Unabomber because he sent bombs to universities and airlines (one of his bombs was in the cargo hold of a plane). The FBI made the mistaken assumption that he was an airline mechanic. John Douglas is a legendary FBI agent who pioneered "profiling". He said that the bomber was an academic not an airline mechanic. You would think that they should have looked into this possibility, they should have looked at the bombings at the Berkley campus and found out if any academics had left abruptly. If they had done this, they would have discovered the name Ted Kaczynski! He could have been stopped so much sooner. I felt so bad for his brother when he had to make this heartbreaking decision. Even when he did, he said "I hope my brother Ted will someday forgive me".

Terrable TV movie about the perils of the Unabomber manhunt

[meshugnah · 1/10 · 21 January 2002]

Unabomber, staring Robert Hays whom gained fame from the comedic Airplane movies and TV actor Dean Stockwell, was one of the worst, poorly edited movies i have ever seen. The acting was terrible on the part of all players, including Hays and Stockwell, whos carrers have burned out and it was clearly evident in their performances that they no longer hold passion for their work.

Each of bombing scenes seems as though they were produced by a band of amateur vidiographers, with the actor curiously opening up the over-stamped, small white packages from unknown senders. This is followed by the screen typically turning blank accompanied by the noises of a terrable explosion. It seems there were no genuine pyrotechnics involved, just the screen turning white and bad acting.

While it did shed a historical light on the horrendous events which took place during the 80s and 90s, the film was rather silly and was slightly comedic because of its poor acting. The actor who played Theodore Kazynski had an uncanny resemblance to Emilio Estevez, which was amusing.

Great!!

[leighanngardiner · 10/10 · 26 October 2019]

Great tv!! Im not a TV series person due to work, lack of time and exhaustion! but I watched this in two days! Fantastic, lOved it.

Most pointless film ever?

[harekrishna · 6 November 2003]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** From the opening scenes I had gritted my teeth against the cheesy Hollywood intro music and atrocious acting from another identikit set of all-American police officers who always get their man. Unfortunately the film did not get any better.

What might have been made into a powerful psychological (and true) drama about one Theodore's growing suspicion of his brother's involvement with a mysterious and terrifying 'Unabomber', was somehow made into the most tedious and predictable 90 minutes of my life. You are told who the Unabomber is from the beginning, so perhaps you might think that the tension would stem from discovering how his brother finds out. But no. They are friends at the beginning of the film, drift apart for a while and then about 10 minutes before the end Theodore and his wife are talking in the kitchen and both suddenly announce that they suspect David. (The movie's interunning sequences of the police tracking down 'Unabomber' as he claims victim after victim are so hackneyed and dull I can't bear to describe them). Theodore and his wife tell the police, who go and arrest David. Hurrah, end of film.

Overall, it feels as if it was written, produced and directed all in the same week. In fact, it probably was.