Entertainment
R-Rated 90s Sci-Fi Actioner Is The Wildest RoboCop Ripoff You Never Heard Of
By Robert Scucci
| Published
If you’ve ever found yourself watching RoboCop and wondering if there was a crappier version starring Billy Blanks, I’d point you to 1993’s TC 2000. That’s right, the Tae Bo guy leads a dystopian sci-fi action flick in which his partner becomes a ruthless killing machine with only fragmented memories of her past life. Cybersecurity is compromised, government buildings are leveled, and the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Thankfully, we get enough montages involving flexed muscles and shadowboxing to reassure us that, after all is said and done, everything will be right in the world.
TC 2000, despite its sloppy mixed martial arts messaging, remains an entertaining entry in writer-director T.J. Scott’s filmography, and for his first feature-length project, it certainly has legs. Those legs belong to Billy Blanks, who unflinchingly steps up as the action hero nobody asked for and commits fully to the premise.
Humans Vs. Cyborgs Vs … Picasso?
Set in an underground city in the year 2020, TC 2000 centers on an elite police force designed to protect the wealthy from the remaining surface dwellers, who are always looking for a way into their heavily fortified community. Jason Storm (Billy Blanks) and his partner Zoey Kinsella (Bobbie Phillips) work as Tracker-Communicators, or TCs, whose sole purpose is to keep the riff raff out of the compound. When the community’s force field is breached by common citizens who just want a safe place to rest their heads, Zoey suspects they were given intel from the inside, meaning the city is no longer secure.
Through exchanges between Jason and his superior, The Controller (Ramsay Smith), we learn that, with the help of his muscle man Bigalow (Matthias Hues), he plans to replace TCs with the next iteration of cybernetically infused enforcers known as TC-Xs.
When gang leader Niki Picasso (Jalal Merhi) infiltrates the city with the intention of seizing whatever pre-collapse firepower is hidden within its walls, Zoey is killed and secretly converted into a TC-X by The Controller. He programs her to gain Picasso’s trust through seduction, intending to infiltrate another gang known as the Lifers, who guard a research facility he wants to claim.
Exiled from the force and framed for his partner’s murder, Jason needs a training montage to restore balance and properly confront The Controller. With the help of his mentor, Master Sumai (Bolo Yeung), Jason learns the facility was once owned by Zoey’s father to repair the environment, but has since been converted into a chemical weapons manufacturing plant. Now guarded by Zoey, who has been programmed to assassinate her former partner, breaching the factory seems impossible for anyone but Jason Storm.
A Martial Arts Showcase
While TC 2000 leaves plenty to be desired in terms of on-screen chemistry, special effects, truly menacing villains, and meaningful internal conflict between Jason Storm and his superiors, it more than makes up for its lack of depth with its fight sequences. Billy Blanks tries his hardest to be a leading man and action hero, and the effort is commendable, but he is just not that guy. He can throw hands and roundhouse kick as well as Jean-Claude Van Damme, but he lacks the charisma needed to carry the show alone.
As for the evil forces at play, Picasso may go down as one of the least threatening villains in cinema history. He listens to records and struts around like he is a badass, but if I am being honest, I kept waiting for him to clutch his pearls and yell “curses!” upon defeat. What I anticipated is not too far off from what actually happens in TC 2000.
If you head over to Tubi and fire up TC 2000, you might find yourself drifting during the expository scenes. When the fights ramp up, though, it is worth your time if you love a good old-fashioned cybernetic beatdown. It’s cheesy but it’s charming. It’s sloppy, but it’s fun. It’s best not to take this one too seriously, because it will ruin the experience.
Entertainment
The new Dyson Supersonic Travel is the cheapest Supersonic yet
Table of Contents
Nearly three years ago, I asked if the (then) $429 Dyson Supersonic was still worth the price of entry.
These days, with the Supersonic line having expanded, the standard model having increased in price to $449.99, and the most expensive version of the hair dryer topping out at $549.99, it’s a question that feels even more apt.
The good news? If you’re not super into the idea of spending about $500 for a hair dryer, Dyson just announced the Dyson Supersonic Travel, a $299.99 model of its famous hair tool. In addition to its lower price point, it comes with more travel-friendly proportions and features.
As someone who’s personally tested Supersonics (and their many dupes), I took a closer look at the latest Dyson beauty launch to gather everything you need to know.
The design differences of the Dyson Supersonic Travel
In short, the Supersonic Travel is the standard Supersonic but smaller. According to Dyson, that comes out to exactly 32 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the OG Supersonic. In other words, it’s 0.7 pounds to the standard Supersonic’s 1.8 pounds, and 8.7 inches tall to the larger model’s 10 inches.
Mashable Trend Report
This model also comes with one attachment, the styling concentrator, a la the now-discontinued Dyson Supersonic Origin (which ran for $399.99). For comparison, the $449.99 Supersonic comes with three attachments: a styling concentrator, diffuser, and wide-tooth comb. For all five attachments, you’ll have to shell out $549.99.
The Supersonic Travel is compatible with all original and Supersonic Nural attachments.
Credit: Dyson
The same attachments can be used between the Travel, original, and Supersonic Nural dryers. This means opting for the Travel could technically save you some money — individual attachments range from $19.99 to $44.99. If you only use a styling concentrator and diffuser, for instance, the total cost of a Travel dryer with the extra attachment purchase would come out to $344.98, making it still over $100 cheaper than the three-attachment original Supersonic.
The Supersonic Travel is more versatile in some ways, and less so in others
Functionality-wise, the Supersonic Travel is a slightly different product from the other Supersonics in the line. It has anywhere from 1,000 to 1,220 watts of power and an airflow speed of 11.6 liters per second, compared to the 1,600 watts and 13.3 liters per second of the standard Supersonic. In other words, the bigger dryer is slightly more powerful, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect longer dry times.
The standard Supersonic and Supersonic Nural also feature four heats and three air speeds, where the Supersonic Travel features three heats and two air speeds.
The best noise-cancelling headphones for flying: 8 picks to improve your travel experience
That said, the Supersonic Travel has universal voltage compatibility, so it can be used from 100 to 240 volts, whereas the other Supersonics are locked into 120 volt compatibility.
In terms of its portability, it’s also worth noting the Supersonic Travel weighs the same as the Supersonic r, a professional grade hair dryer (priced as such at $549.99) that’s become more popular due in part to being lightweight and easy to maneuver.
Where to buy the Dyson Supersonic Travel
The Dyson Supersonic Travel is available for $299.99 at Dyson’s website, Amazon, and Best Buy. If you buy at the former, you will receive a complimentary $59.99 travel bag along with the hair dryer.
Entertainment
The gorgeous yet budget-friendly Samsung QN70F Neo QLED TV is the cheapest its ever been
SAVE $300: As of April 21, you can get the Samsung 55-inch QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV for only $597.99 instead of $897.99 at Amazon. That’s 33% in savings and the lowest price on record.
$597.99
at Amazon
$897.99
Save $300
We’re in peak sports season, y’all. Besides the action of the Stanley Cup playoffs and NBA playoffs, there’s a fresh MLB season taking shape. If your TV is looking dull or lagging, it’s a prime time to upgrade — especially since you can find some epic deals on 2025 models.
As of April 21, the Samsung 55-inch QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for only $597.99. That’s 33% or $300 off its current list price, as well as its lowest price to date.
As Mashable’s TV expert Leah Stodart explains, “Neo QLED is really just Samsung’s proprietary term for QLED paired with Mini LED.” So, the QN70F features a panel of quantum dots over a bunch of tiny LED bulbs instead of a basic LED panel. The result? A stunning display with impressive color accuracy, deep blacks, and spectacular contrast. All the little details will look good no matter the lighting conditions in your room.
This TV uses an NQ4 AI Gen2 processor to upscale content and enhance the quality of anything you’re watching. So even those old episodes of Friends will look more impressive on the QN70F. And thanks to a 144Hz variable refresh rate, gaming and sports will look noticeably smoother and less laggy than your old set.
Mashable Deals
If an upgrade is in order, but you don’t want to spend a ton of money, the Samsung QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV is an excellent value at full price. At $300 off, it’s a steal.
Entertainment
The secret to faster AI output is better prompts
TL;DR: If writing prompts slows you down, VibeFarm helps you build, save, and reuse them for a one-time $39.99 for lifetime access.
Anyone using AI regularly already knows the real bottleneck isn’t the tools — it’s the prompts. Getting them just right can take longer than the actual work, and once you do land on a great one, it’s usually buried in chat history or lost in a notes app somewhere.
This is the issue VibeFarm aims to eliminate. It’s not another AI generator — it’s a prompt composition workspace designed to help you stay in the flow.
Mashable Deals
Instead of starting from scratch every time, you can build structured prompts using layered fields, refine them with built-in tools, and save them as reusable “VibeCards” for future use.
With access to 10,000+ premium prompts and a system built for remixing and iteration, you can turn one successful prompt into a repeatable asset. Whether you’re working on visuals, writing, video, or something in between, everything stays organized and easy to reuse.
It also plays nicely with the tools you already use. You can export clean prompts directly into platforms like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or other AI tools — no formatting headaches. And with version control and rollback options, you can experiment without losing what worked.
This platform helps you cut wasted time from your AI workflow while keeping your best ideas working for you long after you’ve created them.
Mashable Deals
Get lifetime VibeFarm Lite access on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $179) for a limited time.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Topics
Artificial Intelligence
The new Dyson Supersonic Travel is the cheapest Supersonic yet
The gorgeous yet budget-friendly Samsung QN70F Neo QLED TV is the cheapest its ever been
