Timecop - 1994, Dir: Peter Hyams.

"There is never enough time....to satisfy a woman." - Max Walker, in Timecop (1994)

   Van Damme's opening lines of dialogue can probably be taken as a fair indication of the standard of Mark Verheiden's script for this time-travelling action adventure. Coupled with the intonation and line-delivery issues faced by the high-kicking Belgian, it was never going to be Shakespeare. The premise of Timecop is far-fetched to say the least, placing JCVD in a world in which time-travel has become a possibility and, naturally, requires a policing organisation to prevent its misuse. Van Damme plays Max Walker, an officer charged with the responsibility of taking down those who try to change history for their own gain, creating "ripples" in the temporal order. 

   
  
   Even from the outset, the dialogue contains somewhat tedious allusions to time-travel and even the most patient viewer will tire of lines such as "I can see into the future!". This only adds to very standard 90s-actioner feel of Peter Hyams' film. As this is precisely what Timecop is, it would be wise to consider it within this context.

   The plotline showcases some familiar elements from films of the era. There is political corruption in the character of ambitious Senator Aaron McComb (Ron Silver), who desires the presidency and sees time-travel technology as a convenient way to gain all the funding needed to get to The White House. Another aspect which makes Timecop a product of its environment is the action. Van Damme's style is of course relatively unchanged, as we see Max disposing of the inevitable groups of faceless henchmen with a typical mix of impressive kicks and improvised weaponry. Highlights (as it were) of these scenes include a surprisingly lengthy sequence of knife-fighting and a lethal combination of water and a taser gun. A particular moment involving an assailant's arm being chemically frozen and subsequently shattered is perhaps one to forget.

   To the 2011 viewer, Timecop's dating of the futuristic time-travel police headquarters as being in 2004 means it suffers from what I like to call 'Space 1999 Syndrome'. The optimism of the timescaling adds to the general preposterousness of the sci-fi involved. The main treachery comes from the greed of the villainous McComb, who essentially wants to employ a stock market version of Biff Tannen's sports almanac scheme in Back To The Future to make himself rich enough to run the country. However, they also find time to include an emotional strand of narrative, involving the death of Walker's wife (Mia Sara) ten years earlier. This area of the plot is left relatively untouched for the most part, until the climax of the film.

A photographic summary of what to expect.

   To be frank, Timecop requires a little 'relaxation' of the viewer's cognitive faculties. To dwell on the holes in the plot, the quality of the scriptwriting and the ludicrous nature of the combat sequences would only serve to frustrate. Hyams' film will never be considered a triumph of 1990s cinema, nor even a particularly good film of the decade. The best to be hoped for is some less than subtle Nissan product placement and a showcase of the lead actor's martial arts skills in a variety of historical time periods.

Verdict: 3/10