Timecop

Name: Timecop
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Romance
Released: September 16, 1994
Duration: 99 min
Rating: 48
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme

1994

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 47 Ratings

See All

6.6

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6.6	Your Score
6.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 47 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Timecop

Now Playing: Timecop

Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: September 16, 1994 | R

Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme

Summary: An officer for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician who has a tie to his past.

Director: Peter Hyams

Genre(s): Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 99 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle

The desire to go back in time to change things -- or just to visit -- is so central to the experience of being alive and stuck in time that Timecop has a built-in power. It's a power the film, a satisfying science-fiction thriller, takes full advantage of. Read full review

Barry Johnson

Timecop speeds along briskly: It's a well-oiled, smooth-running action movie with a science-fiction twist tossed in for good measure. [16 Sep 1994, p.14]

Janet Maslin

Years of tireless persistence have begun to work in Mr. Van Damme's favor. It's hard not to enjoy his energy, even if his acting gifts still leave a lot to be desired. The fact is that he looks good, behaves affably and kicks with gusto, which is quite enough to satisfy the demands of Timecop. Read full review

Rick Groen

Director Peter Hyams strives hard to maintain a light and entertaining touch, lifting Timecop slightly above its formulaic restraints. On the one hand, there's a pleasing freshness to the movie, thanks to lots of energy and a little playful wit. On the other, there's something deeply fatiguing about this picture. Maybe it's the formula, maybe it's all that time travel, but you just can't help thinking you've seen it all before. Must be deja vu. [21 Sep 1994]

James Berardinelli

As a shoot-'em-up, blast-'em-to-pieces film, it's not half bad. As a futuristic time travel movie, however, it has some very serious problems. Read full review

Stephen Hunter

Initially an amiable sci-fi thriller that toys with the paradoxes inherent in time travel, it finally gets drunk on them. It becomes an incomprehensible stew of versions and revisions, until there's no there there and no then then. Read full review

Mike Clark

Timecop's conversation piece is the scene in which Van Damme springs into the air amid hand-to-hand combat, finessing a perfect split atop his kitchen counter. Though definitely ooo-and-aaah stuff, it falls short of landing Timecop the 3-star review earned here by Van Damme's Hard Target. [16 Sep 1994, p.5D]

SEE ALL 17 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Came

Sep 15, 2019

Timecop is a must watch for Jean Claude Van Damme fans and is one of Van Damme's best films (in my opinion at least). Timecop is an enjoyable and entertaining action sci fi (or sci fi action) film from the 90s that most action fans of 80s & 90s action flicks will like. Most action scenes &Timecop is a must watch for Jean Claude Van Damme fans and is one of Van Damme's best films (in my opinion at least). Timecop is an enjoyable and entertaining action sci fi (or sci fi action) film from the 90s that most action fans of 80s & 90s action flicks will like. Most action scenes & effects are good. The last action scene can be dissapointing due to it taking place at night making it hard to see what's going on.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

DariusTowers

Dec 30, 2022

No es fácil hacer películas que toquen el tema del viaje en el tiempo. Tienen que estar bien armadas y conectar todos los elementos con precisión. Esta película lo aborda, de manera básica, pero lo aborda. Me paso con el caso de End Game, después del final de infinity war(que por cierto esNo es fácil hacer películas que toquen el tema del viaje en el tiempo. Tienen que estar bien armadas y conectar todos los elementos con precisión. Esta película lo aborda, de manera básica, pero lo aborda. Me paso con el caso de End Game, después del final de infinity war(que por cierto es muy bueno). Sentí, que establecieran lo de los viajes en el tiempo, era como la solución más fácil a todo lo bien logrado en la anterior película.
Volviendo a la peli. Está bien, Van Damme no actúa mal, hay muchos actores de acción que son medios duros para trabajar, como es el caso de la roca, terminator y el demoledor.
¿Es básica? Sí, pero cumple lo más importante. Entretener. Se deja ver y se disfruta
¿La recomendaría? No necesariamente, hay muchas mejores películas de viajes en el tiempo.
¿La volvería a ver? Si la volviesen a pasar en la tele y no tuviese nada que hacer seguro.
Otra cosa que siempre pasa, es que en la mayoría de películas de este estilo las cosas se podrían resolver más fácilmente de lo que se terminan resolviendo. Pero bueno, si fuera hecho de mi forma no existiría la propia película… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Tss5078

Jun 23, 2014

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 theIt'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.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

Steven1981

Mar 22, 2020

Peter Hyams who brought us Sudden Death which was stupid but fairly decent brings us TIMECOP which is a 1994 fantasy/ sci fi action with probably bits of humour in it... I remember most if not all of the movie and Ron Silver playing some senator guy who sees his other self due to timePeter Hyams who brought us Sudden Death which was stupid but fairly decent brings us TIMECOP which is a 1994 fantasy/ sci fi action with probably bits of humour in it... I remember most if not all of the movie and Ron Silver playing some senator guy who sees his other self due to time travel.. This film is the equivalent of Back to the Future but with violence and going back in time and preventing things from happening. The whole concept is about time travel but the violence is there just as an added spark to make the movie seem more entertaining and fun. Some of the villains are fairly decent and some utterly laughable in a bad way especially Ron Silver and also we get to see Mia Sara aswell in the movie. The scene where some character is falling off a building or out of a window and dissapears suddenly before he hits the ground and faces trial or sentencing in another time period before being found guilty then returned to his original time period and continues to fall from the building and eventually is splattered on the pavement and dies is pretty hilarious and decently done. Some of the action is decent including Van Damme's fight scenes so this is watchable at best but not that great.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

clem666

Jan 11, 2021

As you may deduct by yourself this movie is about time-travelling. But it totally misses its point. From its beginning the movie sets a lot of dumb and weird rules about time-travelling, so-called secret files and deontology. You don't have to wait long to realize these rules are a big bagAs you may deduct by yourself this movie is about time-travelling. But it totally misses its point. From its beginning the movie sets a lot of dumb and weird rules about time-travelling, so-called secret files and deontology. You don't have to wait long to realize these rules are a big bag of crap. Scenario is generic and really predictable. I however have to admit that the way events happen surprised me and were less predictable than the scenario in overall.

All the constant time-travelling dimension makes it really hard to understand realtions between characters since some don't act and think the same way in the very past, the past and the present times.

Van Damme's acting is great and it almost goes the same way for the rest of the cast. Really honorable mention to Mia Sara whose acting and presence bring an authentic human touch to the movie. 'Timecop' is once again one of those movies highlighting Van Damme's abilities and especially his flexibility (just as 'Kickboxer' did five years before its release). So don't even question scenes in which he will fight almost naked and will do gymnastics splits for nothing.

Visual effects are decent (even if you watch it in 2021 like me) excepting this ugly scene at the end. If you watched the movie you surely know which scene I'm talking about. The lighting is terrible. I stopped counting the number of scenes that are so dark that you can't see what's going on. Soundtrack and audio atmosphere are dull and almost non-existent. Fights and violent scenes are terribly presented. You simply can't feel the stakes of conflicts. Almost all the characters' deaths don't evoke any emotion to me and are poorly shot.

Ending (no spoil) is awful. It is full of fake and useless suspense, it is inconsistent and feels like it is lasting a whole hour. Villains don't stop to appear and wake up from total coma just to make action scenes be a bit longer. Seeing credits never made me so happy.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

SEE ALL 5 REVIEWS