When the movie is titled Timecop and is starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, that’s all you need to know about it. There will be some time travel, there will be some policing and JC is going to kick some butts. Basically the opposite of There Will Be Blood. Mostly because this time there will actually be a lot of blood. After all, we’re in the nineties. And this means a lot of things.
First of all, the action will be violent and nasty, I mean when your lead actor is also an accomplished kickboxer you have to use that. The number of splits they managed to shove into the fights here is hilarious. It would seem that if you don’t know how to do it, you’re fucked. Secondly, the script is smart and witty, with catchy one-liners. And finally, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s just trying to entertain you.
It’s surprising that Timecop remains Van Damme’s highest-grossing film considering the fact that Universal Soldier was, in my opinion, a much better movie. Here, ten minutes in, and we’re already making love with that sweet, sweet saxophone soundtrack playing in the background. JC is, along with a number of characters sporting a stylish mullet, and getting away with it pretty brazenly. He looks mighty fine here and is oozing that European, stylish masculinity. You can just imagine the number of wet panties and briefs caused by this. We also have full-frontal female nudity in a mainstream action movie. Something that would be an outrage these days.
Meet Max Walker, a man in charge of keeping the evil man from using time travel for their benefit. And to prevent them from altering the current timeline. He’s part of a secret organization formed by the US government back in 1994 called Time Enforcement Commission. During his latest mission, he finds out that his former partner illegally traveled back in time to make himself rich. However, just as he’s about to arrest him, he tells him of a much larger conspiracy. A conspiracy that would alter our universe completely.
Timecop slots in really nicely with the rest of the science fiction action movies of the nineties. Its world-building is competent and this is clearly not some money-grabbing effort. Based on a comic that came out two years prior, the story is familiar and engaging, focusing on corruption and just plain old greed. However, don’t think this is some complex time travel paradox movie. Because it’s not. I mean the way they used references to time in the opening thirty minutes was just cute and charming. Like a kid fascinated by the concept of time and writing an essay about it. So, don’t try to make sense of how time travel works, just relax and enjoy the ride. If you try to comprehend the inner logic of the story, your brain will just melt. At least you’ll find out from where Elon Musk lifted the design for his Tesla cars.
Finally, if you’re looking for movies similar to Timecop, I recommend you first check out our Rabbit Reviews Time Travel Movies section. Then you can move on to classics such as Demolition Man, Judge Dredd, Stargate, The Relic, Total Recall and The Fifth Element. Enjoy.
Director: Peter Hyams
Writers: Mike Richardson, Mark Verheiden
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, Ron Silver, Bruce McGill, Gloria Reuben, Scott Bellis, Jason Schombing
Fun Facts: When JCVD visits the hospital to locate Fields is opens a refrigerator full of vials of blood. The vial on the right hand side is labeled “MacReady” a nod to The Thing.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111438/
