Timecop
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| Time Cop | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Peter Hyams |
| Produced by | Robert G. Tapert Marilyn Vance Moshe Diamant Todd Moyer Richard G. Murphy Sam Raimi Mike Richardson |
| Written by | Mike Richardson Mark Verheiden Story: Mark Verheiden Comic Book: Mike Richardson Mark Verheiden Nicholas Kern |
| Starring | Jean-Claude Van Damme Mia Sara Ron Silver Bruce McGill Gloria Reuben |
| Music by | Mark Isham Robert Lamm |
| Cinematography | Peter Hyams |
| Editing by | Steven Kemper |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 16, 1994 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Country |  United States/Japan |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision |
Timecop is a 1994 science fiction thriller film directed by Peter Hyams. Dark Horse published a comic book series of the same name.
The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Max Walker, a U.S. Federal agent in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when time travel is possible. It also stars Ron Silver as Senator Aaron McComb and Mia Sara as Walker's wife Melissa. The story follows an interconnected web of episodes in Walker's life (or perhaps lives) as he fights time-travel crime and investigates McComb's unusually successful career.
Timecop remains Van Damme's highest grossing film (breaking the $100,000,000 barrier for a worldwide gross). It was also regarded as one of Van Damme's better films by critics who usually derided his acting ability.
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[edit] Plot
As the film begins, a man uses laser-sighted submachine guns in the year 1863 to rob gold bullion from Confederate soldiers. In the next scene, set in 1994, top government officials create the Time Enforcement Commission (TEC) to combat misuse of the new discovery of time travel. Senator McComb volunteers to oversee the commission. Shortly afterward, Walker is offered a job as a TEC agent, and shortly after the job offer, he is attacked by intruders at his suburban home. During the attack, Melissa is killed in an explosion.
Ten years later, Walker is an experienced TEC Agent. When he is sent to 1929 to arrest his former partner Atwood (Schombing) for taking advantage of the U.S. stock-market crash, Atwood reveals that he has been working for McComb, who needs money for his U.S. presidential campaign. Terrified of McComb, Atwood tries to kill himself by jumping out a window, but Walker catches him and takes him back to 2004. However, Atwood refuses to testify against McComb and is sent back to 1929, where he falls to his death. Haunted by his memories of Melissa, Walker vows to stop McComb.
Walker is then sent with agent Fielding (Reuben) to 1994, where they find a young Senator McComb arguing with Jack Parker about their computer company's new chip technology. Parker offers to buy McComb's share of the company, but an older McComb arrives from 2004 to warn the younger McComb that the chip will make huge profits. Walker tries to arrest the older McComb, but is double-crossed by Fielding, who works for McComb. A fight ensues, and McComb kills Parker and escapes back to 2004.
When Walker returns to 2004, The TEC is being closed, McComb is a powerful political figure, TEC director Matuzak (McGill) is no longer Walker's best friend, and the TEC staff have no memory of McComb's actions in 1994. Realizing that he must act immediately, Walker commandeers the time machine with Matuzak's help.
Back in 1994 again, Walker finds Fielding recuperating from gunshot wounds in a hospital. In the lab, he finds a sample of Melissa's blood indicating that she is pregnant, remembers that her death occurred on that day, and decides to rescue her. After finding Fielding murdered, he goes to the shopping mall where he and Melissa met before she died, finds her, and explains who he is.
In the final showdown, McComb's thugs arrive at the Walker home as they did at the beginning of the film, but this time the older Walker is waiting for them. The two Walkers defeat the thugs with Melissa's help, but Melissa and the young Walker are wounded, and McComb takes Melissa hostage and sets a time bomb to kill them all. However, the young McComb appears, tricked by a message from Walker. According to the film, two instances of the same matter cannot occupy the same space at the same time (compare to the Blinovitch Limitation Effect). Therefore, when Walker pushes the younger McComb into the older one, the two McCombs fuse into a writhing, disappearing mass of blood and flesh.
Walker carries Melissa out of the house just before it explodes. When he returns to 2004, the world is less corrupt and McComb has not been seen since he vanished ten years earlier. At home, Walker finds Melissa and their son waiting to greet him.
[edit] Cast
- Jean-Claude Van Damme - Max Walker
- Mia Sara - Melissa Walker
- Ron Silver - Senator Aaron McComb
- Bruce McGill - Commander Eugene Matuzak
- Gloria Reuben - Sarah Fielding
- Scott Bellis - Ricky
- Jason Schombing - Lyle Atwood
- Scott Lawrence - George Spota
- Kenneth Welsh - Senator Utley
- Brad Loree - Reyes
- Kevin McNulty - Jack Parker
- Gabrielle Rose - Judge Marshall
- Duncan Fraser - Irish Cop
- Veena Sood - Nurse
- Brent Woolsey - Shotgun
- J.J. Makarno - McComb Guard #1
- Yves Cameron - McComb Guard #2
- David Jacox - McComb Man #1
- Mike Mitchell - McComb Man #2
- Shane Kelly - Rollerblades
[edit] Reception
Timecop was released on September 16, 1994, where it opened at the number 1 spot with $12,064,625 from 2,228 theaters and a $5,415 average per theater. In its second week, it took the top spot again with $8,176,615. It finished its run with $45 million in total U.S. ticket sales making it the first real solid box office hit for Van Damme. Overseas, it grossed even more, with the total gross at $101 million.[1]
Critics were mixed on Timecop, noticing its various plot holes and inconsistencies. Roger Ebert called Timecop a low-rent Terminator.[2] Richard Harrington of the Washington Post said, "For once, Van Damme's accent is easier to understand than the plot."
[edit] Spinoffs
The film, which was originally based on a comic, spun off into a short-lived television series named Timecop which ran for nine episodes in 1997 on ABC. It starred T.W. King as Jack Logan and Cristi Conaway as Claire Hemmings.
In 2003, a Direct-to-DVD sequel was released titled Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision starring Jason Scott Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, and directed by Steve Boyum.
A game based on the movie was developed by Cryo Interactive and released on the SNES in 1995. A Mega-CD version was also completed but it remained unpublished. Eventually, this version was freely distributed on the Internet by the main programmer.
A series of tie-in novels was published from 1997-1999, by author Dan Parkinson, featuring the Jack Logan character from the television series.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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