Probably Van Damme's last big hit, Timecop is a mix of action, sci-fi, time-travel, and revenge with the usual roundhouse kicking fun. The big budget is clear to see with a myriad of special effects and explosions every few minutes. What makes Timecop better though is a decent story, even though it follows the usual revenge theme, a good script, and s decent cast to back up Van Damme.
Van Damme stars as Max, a cop with a difference in the future. Time Travelling has been near-perfected, and Max is a Timecop- an elite crime fighter with the special authority to travel through time to stop criminals. Only a few people are authorised to use this technology, but naturally some bad guys get there hands on it and plan to change the past. A few years earlier Max's wife had been murdered. When Max learns of a sinister plot involving Senator McComb, who plans to become President by going back in time, Max takes the law into his own hands and goes back to stop him. This leads to further trouble of course, and Max soon sets out to save his wife as well.
The time travelling stuff is handled to an average degree, certainly not as good as in Back to the Future or The Terminator, but it's adequate. Van Damme has enough star quality now to carry the film but Silver and Sara provide strong support. The effects are mostly very good, the action scenes are exciting and there is some honour and a few good one-liners. Probably a good one to watch for people coming to Van Damme movies for the first time as it delivers what it promises and doesn't try to be special.
7.5 out of 10
Van Damme stars as Max, a cop with a difference in the future. Time Travelling has been near-perfected, and Max is a Timecop- an elite crime fighter with the special authority to travel through time to stop criminals. Only a few people are authorised to use this technology, but naturally some bad guys get there hands on it and plan to change the past. A few years earlier Max's wife had been murdered. When Max learns of a sinister plot involving Senator McComb, who plans to become President by going back in time, Max takes the law into his own hands and goes back to stop him. This leads to further trouble of course, and Max soon sets out to save his wife as well.
The time travelling stuff is handled to an average degree, certainly not as good as in Back to the Future or The Terminator, but it's adequate. Van Damme has enough star quality now to carry the film but Silver and Sara provide strong support. The effects are mostly very good, the action scenes are exciting and there is some honour and a few good one-liners. Probably a good one to watch for people coming to Van Damme movies for the first time as it delivers what it promises and doesn't try to be special.
7.5 out of 10