If you ask me Peter Hyams is a very underrated director. He has quite a few classics under his belt and by now Timecop should be considered as one also.
It's easily one of the best that Van Damme has been in. And apparently both he and Hyams thought so too since they made Sudden Death a year after this one which surprise surprise also is very good action flick. That being said Tinecop is a heavily flawed film. The science in this time travel film is highly inaccurate and illogical. Worse is that it's never explained in detail. Not sure if the comics (Dark Horse) on which this is based on is the culprit or they just simplified things for the film. It is expected of you to follow all the rules they claim and roll with it. Don't try to make sense of it since it won't add up. I remember watching Timecop for the first time with a very good friend of mine and that we had a major discussion during and after whether events were plausible or not. Especially the " same character visiting himself and matter not being able to occupy the same space" elements had us fascinated although we couldn't agree on the topic. We went places we should not have been since we probably gave it a lot more thought than the writers did. It doesn't really matter. All you need to know is that Van Damme is able to kick ass in every time. Next to the time travel shenanigans there is a lot of action and spectacle packed within this film. Some of the special effects still look good today while others clearly are dated. Good thing that those types of effects are limited and that Hyams very wisely decided to use practical effects and stunt work. It looks fantastic. Especially when the action is in high gear.
Van Damme is very comfortable as the star and even manages to crack jokes in the same vein Stallone and Schwarzenegger in their younger years. He also shines in scenes acting wise even though he is no match for Bruce McGill and Ron Silver. Ron Silver is having fun as the villain and one of the best scenes is his character from the future berating his younger self. To the extent that even his younger self doesn't like him. That is some next level acting right there. I was wondering why I never heard or seen him again until I read that he died of cancer in 2009. I am sure that if he was still around he would have outclassed himself many times over.
Timecop is best enjoyed when you just go with it and don't think about it too much. It's filled with action and even has a nice twist or two. Definitely a must watch!
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