Timecop

Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, Ron Silver, & Gloria Reuben

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

It's a rare occurrence, but once in a while, a film is made that is way ahead of it's time, too far ahead of it's time, and Timecop is one of those films. Had it been made in the error of CGI, this film would have been so much better. The story is strong, a lot stronger than the performances, and the use of some crazy special effects would have taken it over the top, but those weren't available in 1994. The result is a slightly above average film, with a really cool plot, and not much else. The story follows Max Walker (Jean-Claude Van Damme) whose job is to stop people from using illegal time travel technology, in order to change the past. Changing the past can drastically change the present, and is often abused by criminals trying to get wealth and power. One of those men is U.S. Senator McComb (Ron Silver), who has his eye on the Presidency. Walker must go back in time to stop McComb and expose him, before he can reshape the country in his own image. I love time oriented Science Fiction, as the story can take you on a magical trip all throughout history, like nothing else can. In this film, they didn't travel as much as they should have, and the technology and effects behind time travel were so basic, that it's hard to buy that this could ever work. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars and we all know that I see him as one of these brawn over brains guys, that only get work because of their looks and their fancy movies. Van Damme wasn't bad, but this is a film that had real potential, and simply using an average star, contributes to the overall sentiment of the film. Timecop is a great story, and in my opinion is something that could really work if it is re-made properly. It's not because the film is bad, it's just not a good as it should have been. If you're a Sci-Fi fan, I definitely recommend it, but if it's not your favorite genre, you might want to skip this one.