Timecop 2 - La décision de Berlin

All I can say is that I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. Wonder how many they'll have time to churn out before Van Damme gets desperate enough to want to do one himself, gleefully shoving aside everything that came before and thus ruining the continuity of the series? (Not many, judging by Derailed.)

Hang on, though - continuity? Not one of Timecop 2's strong points, and at the end of the day the only reason Timecop 1 didn't contradict itself at every turn was because it kept the actual time travelling at a modest level. Timecop 2 ventures into Nazi Germany, the Wild West and various other places, ultimately making only the most halfhearted attempt to imagine (let alone visualise) the consequences of changes made to the timeflow. One of the characters mentions a mysterious war a couple of times. Someone else gets an eyepatch, then loses it again. Oooo! Change my pants.

Worse: it's boring. While small mercies are appreciated - such as Jason Scott Lee being given a new character rather than trying to be passed off in Van Damme's role (which wouldn't have surprised me) and being marginally more charismatic than the total nobody who starred in the TV series - they're not enough to save the film from inconsequentiality. Neither is Lee's hair, which remains rooted in the late 70s. You'd think he'd be able to do something about that at least, being a Timecop and everything.

Queuing up behind the leading man is the usual racially diverse but underused and pointless supporting cast, including a limp Thomas Ian Griffith as the baddie. Any and all attempts to make us sympathetic to Griffith's cause fail because of his fundamental Hollywood Baddieness compounding the gaping holes in the plot and reasoning: on one hand I suppose we should be grateful that the writers tried to ask 'meaningful' questions and stray from the standard good/evil action film templates, but on the other hand, if you can't do it properly then don't bother, because you'll end up with nowt but plot holes, mixed messages and viewers trying to stay awake just for the big fight at the end. Which isn't that good anyway, apart from the bit with the shirt. Tsk.

I'm shocked. Until Timecop 2, I don't think I had ever seen a cheap, direct-to-video sequel that was actually good and possibly even better than its theatrical predecessor! And it's not just because of the action either - the best thing about the film is its story. It's handled with EXQUISITE pacing. On the one hand, the hero played by Jason Scott Lee is constantly jumping from time period to time period, so there's always some action or intrigue going on. But amazingly, at the same time, the filmmakers manage to acknowledge all of the great moral or ethical dilemmas that a time altering premise provides. It's thought-provoking and even a little emotional. Basically, the film is stuffed with great ideas, good acting, and decent action scenes.

The only way Timecop 2 suffers in comparison to the first is in the cinematography. Whereas the first film had fantastically moody photography, the sequel looks like an above average television film. It has a too "clean" look to it. It isn't horrible, but it's not very cinematic either. In terms of action, the film is exceptional at demonstrating fast, brutal Jeet Kune Do moves. I guess Jason Scott Lee has still been practicing since he did Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story all of those years ago.

Bottom-line, give Timecop 2 a try. It's far better than it has any right to be.

Well I just got finished watching the dvd. I was a fan of the first Timecop, and I thought the follow-up maintained the good action scenes and fairly interesting storyline that the first one possessed. There are also some nice effects throughout the movie which complement the movie well. For people who liked the original Timecop, I recommend that you at least rent the dvd.

On another note, I am glad to see Jason Scott Lee back in an action driven movie. Dragon was one of my all time favorite movies, such a fine movie, and I was expecting to see Jason star in alot more movies than he has been thus far. Hope to see more of him!

Thanks,

John

I actually think first of all what happens when same matter and same place at same time thing was cool considering what happens to Douglas in this sequel.

Plus the movie is better than the first in some ways.

For instance what happens in this film to dangerous convicts such as the Frank Knight character who are brought back to trial is really cool.

Plus the film brings up interesting questions about time travel and yet has a lot of cool action and special effects as well.

I hope there is a Timecop 3 cause this one was really good.

Though it doesn't have the big budget of the original TIMECOP, this sequel makes up for that with a more enjoyable, more involving plot. It's also better at exploring the concept of a future where time travel is possible, with organizations set up to make sure that the past remains correct. There's also a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by Hong Kong movie 'Gwailo' Steve (OPERATION CONDOR, LETHAL PANTHER) Tartalia as a Nazi soldier.