Time Cop

...the fact that at one time he was a box-office action hero with a decent reputation. Whilst never in the same league as Schwarzanegger, Stallone and Willis, the Muscles from Brussels did endure some success in the early nineties where he worked with some wily action director's (Roland Emmerich, John Woo and Peter Hyams) and where some of his films (Timecop, Nowhere to Run, Sudden Death, Universal Solidier, Kickboxer) were actually well-crafted, fast ...
...is recruited into a secret time enforcement agency - the perfection of time travel brings with it new opportunities for criminals and the government sets up a special police force to ensure the new technology isn't abused. Walker is the best 'temporal agent' around, but the timecops are being phased out by cuts in funding, directed by a committee headed by Senator/Presidential candidate McComb (the wonderfully hammy Ron Silver). Walker suspects McComb ... more

Whilst it has become increasingly easy to laugh at Jean Claude Van Damme's recent spate of terrible, self-absorbed movies, lumping his films in the same category with Steven Segal as mindless action-fests starring non-actors, this assessment is not always fair. This negates the fact that at one time he was a box-office action hero with a decent reputation. Whilst never in the same league as Schwarzanegger, Stallone and Willis, the Muscles from Brussels did endure some success in the early nineties where he worked with some wily action director's (Roland Emmerich, John Woo and Peter Hyams) and where some of his films (Timecop, Nowhere to Run, Sudden Death, Universal Solidier, Kickboxer) were actually well-crafted, fast paced adventures. Indeed Van Damme's more recent straight to video atrocities illustrates the man as a parody of his former self.

Hyams, an old pro at science fiction, directs Van Damme in Timecop producing one of his more solid and capable performances. He plays Max Walker, a Washington D.C. cop whose life is shattered when his wife (Mia Sara - Legend, Ferris Bueller's Day Off), is brutally murdered and his home destroyed by a mysterious group of thugs carrying exotic weapons. Ten years later
Walker is recruited into a secret time enforcement agency - the perfection of time travel brings with it new opportunities for criminals and the government sets up a special police force to ensure the new technology isn't abused. Walker is the best 'temporal agent' around, but the timecops are being phased out by cuts in funding, directed by a committee headed by Senator/Presidential candidate McComb (the wonderfully hammy Ron Silver). Walker suspects McComb may be 'using' time to his own advantage and, jumping to the past, Walker finds evidence that confirms these fears. However upon his return, the world has changed -'President' McComb is now running things, and Walker's own past is about to be erased!

While the time-travel logic is mostly flawed (both The Terminator and Back to the Future dealt with the concept more intelligently) leading to a few obvious plot holes, Timecop maintains such a frenzied fast pace that the viewer can easily ignore them, and simply enjoy the film as a ridiculous action adventure. Hyams is no Kubrick. Even an infusion of the great man's DNA wouldn't guarantee his next flick would rise above mediocrity. But so what? Hyams doesn't aspire to creative or intellectual brilliance, instead making films at his own pace and at his own level of artistic integrity. Many may frown upon such ungilded simplicity yet, for my money, Timcop achieves exactly what it sets out to do. Certainly no cerebral rush, but honest, solid entertainment. Hyams delivers his requisite quota of high kicks per dollar and exploding blood capsules per reel. And with Van Damme as the figurehead, he has a recognisable 2-D hero for the audience to cheer all the way.

Van Damme is actually rather good in the lead, combining his signature martial arts moves with a characterization that captures some depth and feeling. It's a believeable performance (considering what happens at the beginning of the film), illustrating a rarley seen dark and cynical side, almost brooding with intensity (I said almost, though)! Of course where Van Damme excells is with the fight sequences. Whilst not as amazing as the high kicks of Jackie Chan or Jet Li, the action sequences serve their purpose admirably. The kitchen fight is an obvious stand-out. A small confined fighting area, fairly brutal and well choreographed, it provides the Van Damme fans with exactly what they want - multiple angled camera shots of the same high kick destroying an opponent and the inevitable Van Damme splits!

The remainder of the cast also provide solid performances! Ron Silver gets away with a hammy rendition of Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber as the Presidential candidate who will do anything to get what he wants. Slimey and brutal in equal measure, he brings a presence to the film not often found in a Van Damme flick. Perhaps the single most outstanding performance comes from Bruce McGill as Walker's boss Matuzak. Sarcastic and bullish, he brings a light comic relief in a general buddy, buddy way through his verbal sparring with Van Damme (not that Van Damme says much)! Unfortunate that he doesn't get more screen time.

Whilst the end of the film is unfortunately telegraphed early on in the movie - there is little rarley to complain about Timecop! It's far from a masterpiece, but if you like your no-brainer action films, with quintessential one-liners, fast-paced action, a driven pragmatic plot showing off the lead actors physical presence, enemies that serve merely as punching bags and a conclusion you can guess - then this is highly entertaining, unoriginal guff!

Overall - This is not a fantastic film! However it does exactly what it says on the tin! A workable plot, good sense of excitement with some solid action sequences and a nice streak of wit running throughout results in a film that is miles above the straight to video rubbish Van Damme's been condemning audiences to recently. No doubt thanks to the solid direction of Peter Hyams, by all means this is one of Van Damme's superior films.

Director: Peter Hyams

Cast:
Jean-Claude Van Damme .... Walker
Mia Sara .... Melissa
Ron Silver .... McComb
Bruce McGill .... Matuzak
Gloria Reuben .... Fielding

Certificate: 18 (Violence, language and one unnecessary sex scene)

Running Time: 98 Mins

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Martial Arts 

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