Timecop 2 - La décision de Berlin

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.

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.

I caught this film on SciFi Channel at midnight one evening. After a good meal, sitting in a relaxing chair, you're liable to watch just about anything. Which is why I didn't immediately turn it off once I spotted the incredibly horrible visual effects at the beginning which just smacked of god-awful Direct-to-Video cinema. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the film.

The key to enjoying this film is to suspend disbelief. Pretend that you're looking at the German countryside, not some foothills in the LA area shot through a Sepia filter. Pretend that a Chinese man dressed in a business suit in the 1800s wouldn't arouse a lot of suspicion. Above all, pretend some of the more horrible special effects don't look as bad as they do. Once you've done that, you'll enjoy the film a lot more.

The performances by most of the cast are neither outstanding nor bad, save for Thomas Ian Griffith, who makes an incredibly good villain in this film. The plot of the film is almost secondary and unnecessary, chock full of plot holes and serving only as a backdrop against which to set fight scenes and excuses to change the era. But if you went into this movie expecting something scientifically sound, just stop; remember that this is the sequel to a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.

Were a few things changed in this movie, specifically some of the horrid "special" effects, two or three of the more illogical and confusing points of the plot, the cheesy Direct-to-Video style overlays for the credits, and most importantly the unbearably long final 10 minutes of the film, it could have been worthy of a cinema release.

Final verdict: 5/10. It's worth watching if it happens to be on, or worth buying if you spy the DVD for cheap. Really cheap.

First, before watching this movie you should be aware that it is "about" time travel...therefore there is bound to be some inconsistencies and paradox problems; and yes...the film does "bump" into some of these rather clumsily. If you are a movie viewer that demands perfect logic and continuity or a real "time travel" buff you will have to "let it go" for this film. Yes, this movie is ABOUT "time travel" but it is NOT a time travel movie (it is an "Action" movie).

Secondly; this is a sequel, and thefore presumes some previous knowledge of the basic premise; what a "timecop's" purpose is and some of the primary "paradox" problems as to what would happen (to the present / future) if you changed the past. I can say that this movie does try to follow most of the "rules" of time travel; as outlined in the "Star Trek" TV shows (a well known "standard" in science fiction circles).

The movie starts out posing the question; "should Hitler be assassinated" before he has time to put events into motion & "what would then happen if he was?". The viewer gets to see what happens when someone wants to try; and the Timecops have to stop it from happening (or DO they?). Viewers may also want to know that the "Timecop" story, about cops that monitor consistency & prevent history from being altered; was a comic book before it was a movie.

True; "time travel" movies must address such issues in a consistent & believable manner and in this regard the movie is somewhat disappointing. However as an "action" movie (that makes you "think") it generally succeeds.

In my opinion it is far better than the first "Timecop" movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (1994). Given the comic book / Van Damme history; the target audience for this movie is going to be action / martial art movie fans.

Jason Scott Lee (as hotshot Timecop Ryan Chan) does very well given the script & direction. Viewers may need to remind themselves that Lee is NOT related to Bruce Lee although he did play him in the movie "Dragon, the Bruce Lee Story" (1993). For that movie Lee was trained in Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kune Do" style of martial arts. So not only does he physically look like Bruce Lee, he also fights using the same "moves". Seeing this, I believe the director recognized that he would be unable to avoid the reference; so he "uses" it consciously. In one fight scene there is deliberate homage paid to Bruce Lee. Timecop Ryan Chan (after getting hit in a fight) gets "really mad" and takes off his shirt; flexing his muscles in the famous "Enter the Dragon" style. When you see this scene you will know why Jason Lee was picked to play Bruce in "The Dragon",..., and why the director (and likely the actor) must accept & work with the inevitable references. For martial arts fans there are some fairly good (albeit short)examples of "Jeet Kune Do" style hand-work,trapping, and a couple of Jeet Kune Do style limb traps / breaks. The martial arts kicks are all "movie" style & less than crisp.

Thomas Ian Griffith is quite good in the supporting role (even in the fight scenes); however the movie watcher doesn't really see his character's motivation until the end of the movie. The movie's script is what you would expect given the "Timecop" movie history & story genre (somewhat in the "comic-book" style); although I have the impression that Lee did quite a good job fleshing out his lines. Overall, the movie gets a bit muddled because of all the different time periods involved (the "period" costumes are made necessary, however, to separate and enforce the different time lines)and it is possible that the editing contributes to the confusion. Many of the fight scenes appear to be chopped or cut short (while the special effects scenes, although not over-done, are a tad long). I imagine the editor of this movie had a hard time keeping a cohesive story line and "flow" given the topic(s). There are a lot of things going on in this movie all at once; the good guy "chasing" the bad guy through different time periods, shifting realities due to the changing of past events, and even characters changing or existing / not existing depending on which "reality" you are watching. Not only does the bad guy want to kill Lee's character, he also has the option of going back to almost any time period and kill his parents, thus ending the Hero's family line. If that is possible then, can the Timecop kill the bad guy given what has already happened? You'll have to watch! In a similar movie's plot line, "Jet Li's - The One" (2001 - one of my favorite time-travel movies) these issues and paradox' are better addressed (however I had to watch that movie 4 or 5 times to understand all the nuances).

Although you probably won't want to watch "Timecop: The Berlin Decision" again and again; if you liked "Jet Li's - The One" you will probably enjoy this movie as well.

I thought this film was pretty good, considering a sequel to a movie like Timecop tends to be destined as a flop. Jamie Scott Lee's performance is great as usual, portraying Anderson as someone trying his best to hold himself together.

Support performances were also above the standard you might expect and while the fight scenes are not spectacular, but they are certainly more than competent. The music grounds well with the film, especially at the climax of the last fight scene...

I found it confusing at one point as to what exactly what Miller (the antagonist) had been doing as Anderson burst back and forth through time trying to track him down, with each return highlighting the consequences of his actions. But these scenes moved a bit too fast for me to catch up, so had to watch a few times... maybe I'm a dumbass, or maybe the pace was too quick considering the subject!

Overall I found this film well paced and I liked the idea of the Society for Historical Authenticity being competition to the TEC. The moral aspects of time travel were touched on nicely enough to make you think, but not too much to tease you and leave you feeling unresolved in much of the theorising unlike Matrix Reloaded.

I rate this perhaps a little higher due to 1 - Jamie Scott Lee's great performance, and 2 - The fact films like these tend to be a whole world worse than the original!