O Cavaleiro do Tempo

Amusing cult flick combines sci-fi and the Western in this offbeat tale of a motocross racer, Lyle Swann (Fred Ward), who gets lost and wanders into the testing area of a time travel experiment. So good old Lyle is zapped back over a hundred years to the Old West where he confounds the locals with his outrageous (to them, anyway) get-up and his astounding vehicle, which slimy outlaw Porter Reese (Peter Coyote) wants to obtain no matter what.

The film is co-written (with director William Dear), produced and scored by ex - "Monkee" Michael Nesmith, and overall is pretty entertaining, even if it's doing a lot of standard fish-out-of-water humour. However, after a while it begins to take itself just a little too seriously. The viewer can also take issue with just how clueless Lyle remains about his situation. It never once occurs to him that he could have ended up in the past.

"Timerider" certainly features an impressive roster of character actors - Ward is likable in the starring role, the oddly matched Richard Masur and Tracey Walter are funny as bickering brothers, and Ed Lauter, L.Q. Jones, Chris Mulkey, and Macon McCalman are fine in supporting parts. Belinda Bauer is damn sexy in the part of a feisty female outlaw who becomes attracted to Lyle.

The camera-work and cinematography are first rate, and the scenery is beautiful to look at. The costumes are nicely done, as well. Nesmiths' score is catchy, funky stuff. There is some violence, but never much in the way of gore.

B movie enthusiasts will surely enjoy the premise of this little film, which does move along quite well and offer enough diverting set pieces and laughs to rate as acceptable entertainment.

Seven out of 10.

Some good ideas just get lost in the time/space continuum.

Look at "Timerider". Great idea (moto-cross racer Ward inadvertently rides through a time travel experiment that lands him back in the Old West, circa 1870), but once Ward comes upon an Old West town, that's where things kind of slow down to a crawl.

At least the cowboys are smart enough to realize something's wrong. A gang of cowboys shoot at a revving motorcycle, they think Ward in all his moto-cross gear is some kind of demon and no one knows what an Exxon station is. You'd think Ward would get the message, but no. He even gets to know a woman (Bauer) whom he doesn't understand his connected with until the very last scene.

Thank goodness for pros like Coyote, Masur, Lauter and Walter; they help keep things lively and interesting for a while. Even good old L.Q. Jones shows up as a Texas Ranger to add some spice to the proceedings.

I won't say too much more about the movie. Indeed, there are some scenes here that are best left experienced by the individual. But for the most part, being a veteran of the "Back to the Future" series, I was left wanting.

Who knows, Hollywood says they're running out of ideas for sequels....

Two stars. Nice try, but this "Timerider" stays lost in time.

Suspend yourself for a time. Watch motocross goat roper style.

Lyle Swann (Fred Ward) rides his bike off-road and by accident back a century. There he encounters Some bad characters including Peter Coyote and Ed Lauter who covet his machine and a woman Belinda Bauer that covets his... well, not his bike. Will he come out of both encounters unscathed? Does he ever hear the truth of his situation or will he be lost forever "a stranger in a strange land?"

Maybe not the best production. However, it is quite fun watching them go through the motions. It is fun to see top actors from different films all come together for this one. You may find out what happened if you stick your nose into the situation.

Timerider is a fun movie to watch. It's a good movie to watch with kids on a rainy day. Some of the content is a little adult, but not over the line. It's not a billon dollar pick, but it has some nice special effects. You will see some familiar faces when they were young, and the acting they really tired. I liked the movie, and hope it sparks the fire that leads someone to become a "timerider". I would not say run out and buy it, but if someone has a old VHS of it, watch it! I think even hardcore si-fi fans like me will get a kick out of it. Maybe its just me, but I thought the soundtrack was pretty good. It fit the mood of the movie. Only downside is there is a lot of rerun footage.

Fred Ward deserves more attention as an actor...he did a great and believable job in this movie! (I especially like that part where he's asked where he got that map...he say's "got it at an EXXON Station") Peter Coyote was awesome!. What a bad BAD guy he was! and Belinda....WOHOO!....now that's a hot woman!, she can Rape me at gun-point anytime she wants! (ehh...don't tell my wife I said that!)