Timecop: The Berlin Decision (2003 Video) User Reviews

Surprisingly not that horrible

[yukichigai · 5/10 · 21 December 2004]

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.

"Timecop" Reloaded!!!

[zardoz-13 · 6/10 · 5 May 2014]

Aside from its premise, "Timecop: The Berlin Directive" shares little in common with the Van Damme original. Like the Muscles from Brussels, Lee is a competent martial artist who performs fights with convincing pugnacity. Veteran TEC agent Ryan Chan (Jason Scott Lee of "Back to the Future 2") Lee fears he has been time jumping a few times too many. He complains about losing pieces of himself in those various eras. Chan isn't the only one concerned about the toll that too much time jumping is exerting on TEC agents. An exasperated female physician, Doc (Mary Page Keller of "The Negotiator"), complains vociferously that the agents aren't given enough turn around time. She argues, "We're suspending them in their own reality, and ripping them back and forth through time." She has evidence that cerebral hemorrhage has impaired one agent. Nevertheless, O'Rourke (John Beck) keeps sending his "go-to boy" Chan back into the breach. Villainous Brandon Miller (Thomas Ian Griffith of "Excessive Force") wants to change history out of a sense of moral duty. "I'm just saying if time travel is possible," Miller opines, "we have a moral obligation to right the wrongs of the past." Chan thwarts him early on in Berlin when Miller attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler. He manages narrowly to save Hitler's life by knocking aside Miller and shooting Miller's wife Sasha as she is about to shoot Hitler. Miller winds up in prison, but this wily fiend manages to escape and put the status quo into real peril. Since "Timecop 2" lacks the beefy budget of its predecessor, "Slapshot 2" director Steve Boyum and "Furious and the Furious" scenarist Gary Scott Thompson have changed the focus ideas instead of big action. They advocate that time must remain the same. Interestingly enough, they introduce a new source of antagonism. The Society for Authenticity sends people back to observe the past so that we remember it correctly. This organization creates no end of danger, and Miller is the chief example. "Timecop 2" does some other things differently, too. They don't launch them the same way they did in the Van Damme epic. Instead of riding a rocket sled toward a dead end wall, they sit in a chair and particles bombard them. Despite its straight-to-video look, Boyum's thriller is still pretty entertaining. Boyum and Thompson lace the action with exposition straight out of the original movie. John Beck is suitably gruff as Chan's boss. Mind you, Boyum is no Peter Hyams, but he stages the action with a modicum of style.

pretty good stuff

[bernythefly · 6/10 · 24 October 2003]

the movie it self is not much but although is a pleasure to watch it because it's that kind of relaxing movies. Still i recognize that i haven't seen the first part so it might be boring for the viewers of the complete series, i don't know that. Have you ever wondered if you have the power to go back in time knowing your past world history what would it be if you change it acccording to your good-right moral sistem, would it really be in for a better world? what if hitler would never existed, what if something have had worked in other way that you really knew but if someone had changed before you have ever been born, how can you know that it was the other way around, It's a puzzle allright but a nice one. Only they know the real truth, only they are allowed to travel through time to put history on the natural course, to be sure that what time sealed by its passing would stay the same. It's a lousy job because only them know if they failed or suceeded because they are the only ones that can see the history changes.The time cops are the ones you owe your present life because they defend it by defending the lives of your ancestors. My advice:see the movie cause it will be a pretty nice experience. And if after you saw it you will begin to wonder, let's be realistic:nobody can travel through time!:))

Better than the rating indicates!

[Dariunas · 5 July 2004]

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!

Only for the completely pain-free niche

[patrickfilbeck · 1/10 · 8 September 2021]

Those who like the kind of action presented here will be satisfied. For viewers who drive more on the scifi track, the film is very disappointing and fans of the first part are also welcome to ask themselves how this film could happen.

Awful

[nicholls_les · 1/10 · 2 September 2015]

Sorry but this was a major let down. I watched it based on other reviews and thought it was going to compare to the Jean Claud van damn first film, which it really didn't. Jason Scott Lee still seems to be acting as Bruce Lee with a set of half a dozen moves. But the main problem with the film was that the storyline was just too messy. Little if any of it made any sense. Why go back to 1940, a year after the war started to try and stop it? And why did JSL feel it was necessary to stop the killing or Hitler? Shooting the girl made no sense as he could have gone back before this time and prevented the shooting of Hitler that way. The Jean Claud Van damn film was full of suspense and intrigue. This one was like a child's version.

Just Confusing and Hollow

[saint_brett · 1/10 · 13 November 2021]

Holy Hogwarts. Where to begin with this one?

Tonight we've got Bruce Lee versus Terry Silver in the direct to video Timecop 2. I don't think this got a cinema release? And I don't think Jason Scott Lee's career really took off in Hollywood?

We're in nazi Germany and they've introduced the soldiers to Eastern Kung Fu methods. Okay. If you say so.

The actor playing Aldof looks nothing like Hitler. He's a bit overweight, and pale, and seems timid.

How's that for confusion - Mr. Silver went back in time to blow Hitler away and Bruce Lee saved Hitler's life and defends him.

So Bruce Lee then belts up 3 English bobbies and brings a Ripper suspect back to the future and he's executed and turned into ground beef.

I'm showing bias toward this movie as I'm a fan of Mr. Silver but honestly remind me again what Kurt Russell said in that courtroom scene in "Tango and Cash." Never mind.

Sonya Blade is the female eye candy in this, but she adds zilch to the plot other than to stand there and look pretty.

Man, this is not making much sense. It's jumping all over the place.

They should have captured Hitler and brought him back to the 80's and made him ride all the roller coasters at Disney Land in Minnie Mouse ears and a blouse.

I wonder what ever became of that actor who played Terror in "The Wanderers?" Did he make any other movies? Sorry, my mind's literally wandering.

Mr. Silver is a spitting image of the baddie from "The Crow" in this.

Alright then, can we see a show of hands - who's actually following this movie?

Apparently Mr. Silver is holding a grudge that Bruce Lee prevented Hitler from being killed and he's going back in time and erasing all the time cop officers as punishment?

Mr. Silver just went back to 1929 and got his ass kicked by a bunch of chefs in a kitchen. Yer, that's integral to the plot. Wow.

Mr. Silver now looks like Howard Stern here in 2002.

So, is this all it comes down to at the end - a silly fist fight between the 2 karate kids? Never saw that coming.

Mr. Silver is losing badly to Dragon. Surprise surprise.

Hey, I got an idea, can someone go back in time and prevent this movie from ever being made and erase it from history so future generations don't waste an hour an 19-minutes of their lives watching this?

"People often wonder how this movie died. I prefer to remember it the way it lived." R. I. P. Timecop 2.

Time cop goes matrix

[spaceas · 7/10 · 31 October 2003]

This is a job well done with a small budget. The CGI made us almost queasy for a while; time travelling generates lots of SFX :)

Lots of kung-fu style action in a SF movie with a not too complex script: Save the present by travelling to the past and stop the bad guys from messing up the to be time line while dodging bullets and other weapons. The soundtrack is really cool and fits the movie.

Amusing if you are into kung fu and science fiction-if not don't watch it. We liked it 7/10

And here you thought the original was bad...

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 1/10 · 16 June 2005]

This is pretty much the first Jason Scott Lee film I've seen. I say pretty much, because I have also seen Soldier, in which he plays the villain... but from what I've heard, it's not considered a Jason Scott Lee film. This, however, is. And if this is any indication of the quality of such films, I won't be seeing any of the others. Lee is basically passable as a martial arts artist... as the lead, he's awful. He gets in a fight with random no-name characters every few minutes of the film, probably because the script writer couldn't figure out how else to stretch out the film to the minimum required running time for a feature film. The villain is the only character with even a hint of personality, and aside from the fact that he's certifiably insane, he barely seems like a villain at all. The majority of the film is basically Lee chasing the villain through time... or maybe it's the other way around. I can't say for sure... and I definitely wouldn't watch it again to make sure. The effects are not completely horrible... but it's close. The title comes from the popular idea of using a time-machine to go and kill Hitler. Somehow, the film screws up that interesting idea as well. The plot is too complicated for its own good. The pacing is poor. I can't think of one positive thing to say about this film... I really can't. It's simply too formulaic and pointless. If only I had a time-machine, so I could go back and prevent this film from ever being made... no, never mind. I just hope as few fragile minds are exposed to this as possible. Listen to the negative reviewers. Avoid this turkey. I recommend this to fans of Lee, and no one else. If you're looking for a quality film... well, this isn't it. That's for sure. 1/10

As Good as the First Film

[wildcard97 · 7/10 · 14 January 2023]

The 2000's were the heyday of direct-to-video sequels from almost every studio, not mattering how long it's been between films. That being said, this film has the hallmarks of your typical direct-to-video sequel, on the technical level such as basic and simple lighting and cinematography setups and the special effects are a good meh. As well as having little to no continuity with the original movie. However, this film does stand out above others of its kind and it shows within the writing, directing, and the acting.

It's not unusual to have known actors, typically B or C-list, in these types of movies but Jason Scott Lee and Thomas Ian Griffith really make this film engaging and, more importantly, watchable. The martial arts displayed is spread out so it's not relied upon too much, which makes it work and feels effective. Especially when we only get hand-to-hand in the climax between Lee and Griffith.

One thing that really surprised me was that we got to see about six different time periods. Usually with a direct-to-video movie with this concept, or any sci-fi concept, they'd want to keep it as simple as possible for budgetary reasons. Like imagine a space adventure movie on a limited budget, they'd show a very small portion of space travel and have the rest take place on Earth or an Earth-like planet to keep the budget down. But here we manage to see 1895, 1929, 1940, 1988, 2002, and 2025. Although the 1929 and 1988 periods are brief as they are ultimately part of a chase scene but the pacing of the movie made them feel significant and felt like we were there just as much as the other time periods.

Also included is a trope of time travel movies: alternate timelines that the main character goes to when going back to their present time. Neat to see but doesn't really add to the overall story. Its only purpose is getting Lee to the next time jump and giving him a new time watch to help him follow Griffith through time waves. Those scenes could've been re-written to not include alternate versions of characters because it just leaves us with questions of how it got that way and how everything got reverted back to normal in the end. But at least they were quick like time blips, perhaps that was the intention.

It really seems like the filmmakers truly tried their best with what they were given and whatever constraints they had they worked around and were creative about it.

I say this is worthy of standing on it's own. I would definitely even do a double feature with the original Timecop. Both are equal to me.

Jason Scott Lee Takes Time

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 25 August 2011]

Traveling back from the year 2025, maverick timecop Jason Scott Lee (as Ryan Chan) manipulates the assassination of Adolf Hitler. Nice going, but wait. As any time traveler knows, changing history isn't always a good thing, because altering events inevitably leads to unexpectedly more dire consequences - that is, if the past can be altered at all, and herein it is possible. So, time thief Thomas Ian Griffith (as Brandon Miller) decides to attack the timecops by preventing their lineages, thus taking control of time. People in the future disappear and others are altered as Mr. Lee tries to catch Mr. Miller in the time-stream. And it gets personal. Good story, but it breaks its own rules and doesn't fit martial arts in very logically.

**** Timecop 2/ The Berlin Decision (9/30/03) Stephen Boyum ~ Jason Scott Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Mary Page Keller, John Beck

Surprisingly good!

[ipkevin · 8/10 · 12 July 2004]

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.

Not bad

[un_baiat_misterios · 7/10 · 29 December 2003]

This is a good Science-Fiction movie with some karate moves. Probably Jean-Claude Van Damme might have been the right actor to play the second part of Timecop. I wish you a nice watch.

what a waste

[thebrahma · 2/10 · 20 December 2003]

since this is part 2, then compering it to part one...

man that was on many places wierd... too many time jumps etc.

I have to say that I was really disapointed...

only someplaces little lame action... and thats it....

they could have done that better....

Good sequel

[Dilophosaurus · 23 August 2004]

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.

Poor acting, cheap effects, script prob written on a hankie

[lucresi123 · 3/10 · 27 May 2004]

Jason Lee's pecks are back! If that's what you are looking for, look no further. If not, better move on...

But about the movie. Clichés galore, some poorly shot but kinda exotic fight scenes (used JKD) and lots of bad acting & cheap effects. Poor Lee looks like he's in pain throughout the movie, and no wonder. Not a pleasant comeback.

The movie doesn't even cut it as a B-movie - sure, there was a Germanish bleached blonde Rutger-wannabe bad guy, but no gratuitous sex scene or even a single booty shots. None. Zip. Nada. Even in Starship Troopers 2 they had the common sense to include the mandatory nudie scenes (as for rest of my comments on that excellent piece of classic cinema excellence, please refer to our upcoming review on that mind-blowing sequel...). I did get the feeling that the writer was taking his revenge on somebody with this - thus I won't get into the "plot" of the movie or pretty much anything else related. Except that it did have some non-heterosexual overtones, so 'nuff said.

However, this movie has one thing going for it - no Jean-Claude :)

Aaarrrrgggg!!!

[ADG-81 · 1/10 · 17 September 2003]

I gave Timecop a perfect 10, I gave this 1

It's story is very boring, and it has only little to do with the original Timecop. Lots of things from Timecop was scrapped, and they put in new stupid stuff instead. This story is taking place in 2060 (if I remember correctly), but for some reason the timetraveling is now more dangerous :confused:

And the action scenes are nothing to be happy about, well most of them aren't... only the first one is great... and there aren't many action scenes at all, and they're all pretty short

At one point in the story, the main character travels through time about 5 times within a few minutes... no wait, make that two times...



In short: Don't waste time watching this movie, it's not worth it

Not as bad as I feared but still not particularly good.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 15 February 2009]

Timecop: The Berlin Decision starts in Berlin in 1940 where Time Enforcement Commission (T.E.C.) agent Ryan Chan (Jason Scott Lee) manages to prevent renegade Society for Historical Authenticity agent Brandon Miller (Thomas Ian Griffith) from assassinating Adolf Hitller & preventing both the Holocaust & World War II & thus changing history. Back in 2025 & Miller is sent to prison while Chan feels burned out, then suddenly T.E.C. agents start to disappear from the time-line. It turns out that Miller has escaped from prison & is going back in time eliminating the T.E.C. from history so they never existed & therefore no-one ever stops him from assassinating Hitler, Chan realises this & sets out on a mission across time to find Miller & stop him from killing his parents & restoring time to how it was...

Directed by Steve Boyum this was a straight-to-video/DVD sequel to the rather good Jean-Claude Van Damme sci-fi action flick Timecop (1994) & a subsequent short-lived TV series of the same name which ran for a meagre nine episodes in 1997 before it was canned, while it's not a complete disaster & not as bad as I expected that's still no sort of recommendation & it's certainly nowhere near as good as the JCVD original. As the title suggest the films main plot revolves around an assassination attempt on Hilter in Berlin by a time-traveller which JCVD's replacement Jason Scott Lee has to foil & thus sets up the rest of the film. I did like the idea of the theme revolving around the moral questions about time-travel & whether it should be used to rectify past events like preventing the death's of eleven million innocent people as a result of Hitler & World War II rather than a plot that revolves around some bad guy wanting money &/or power. Unfortunately not much is made of this angle & Timecop: The Berlin Decision quickly descends into a series of cheap action set-pieces in which B-Movie action stars Griffith & Lee battle it out across various points in time as Chan has to defeat Miller & prevent him from killing his parents & thus erasing him from history. At only 75 minutes (minus end credits) it moves along like a rocket & to be fair it never bored me although with such a short duration some of the exposition & set-up feels rushed. There is also one major time-travelling plot-hole, as Miller goes back in time to erase the T.E.C. agents from history they are seen to just disappear in the present of 2025 yet Chan & everyone else still have memories of them which if they never existed in the first place they wouldn't & rather contradictorily it's also specifically stated everything the erased agents did would now be undone.

The special effects look really cheap here, this is Playstation stuff with really bad CGI computer effects. The way the agents travel back in time is different than in the original too. Some of the period sets look good while other's look like cheap theme park recreations. The action scenes are alright but consist mainly of a few martial arts fights, there's no big action set-pieces which is a disappointment. The opening sequence set in Berlin features the most unconvincing Adolf Hitler impersonator ever, Jason Scott Lee himself could have done a better job. The opening text talks about time being 'breeched' which is just ridiculous since it should be spelt 'breached', the word breeched as it's spelt with two e's means put in trousers! I also love the scene in which three cops try to beat Chan up because he bumped into one & made him drop his doughnut!

The budget was probably fairly low but the production values are decent enough & it tries to vary it's location & point in time which gives it some variety. Shot in Los Angeles in California. The acting isn't anything special, Lee does alright & a bleached blonde Griffith is an OK villain.

Timecop: The Berlin Decision is a reasonable if unspectacular sequel to one of JCVD's best films & while it's not as good as the original it passes 75 odd minutes harmlessly enough & a fast paced story means you won't get bored or have to long to think about the plot-holes.

not too bad...

[troodon · 7/10 · 28 February 2004]

A lot better than the first actually. You know, if TEC actually did exist, they'd have to be guarding Hitler around the clock I'm sure, he'd be a pretty popular target for rogue time travelers. No wonder he was so paranoid... By the way I find it amusing that although Hitler was very obviously portrayed, all the characters never mention him by name, ever. Remnids me of that Justice League episode...

Anyway, for some odd reason time travel is actually more dangerous than it was in the first movie, with risks to cellualar stability and all, although only one person dies as a result of this. I can olny imagine this was supposed to make the time jumps more dramatic having that risk, but really seems kind of pointless to me.

Is unique in that the main antagonist is someone who wants to change history for the better rahter than just get short term gains from it like in the first. However how that philosophy ties into preventing the existance of every TEC agent is beyond me... all that seems more tying into avenging his wife's death than his orginal mission.

As the villain tries to prevent the existance of Chan, you see a pretty big logical flaw in his initial target... Now I suppose the chinese guy you see in 1881 Texas is more logically Chan's ancestor than Jason Anderson, who actually is. However, the only reason he knew to go back there is the genealogical database that named the time and place AND NAME of the ancestor, and I serouisly doubt one would think that chinese guy was someone named ANDERSON. If he though it was, he's an idiot, and if he didn't, than he killed somoene just for the heck of it, which kind of contradicts his altruistic intent of changing histroy for the better.

Another logical flaw is his jump to the dance hall in 1988... I seriously doubt the genealgical database specifically pointed out specifically when and where Chan's parents would be dancing... logically it would make more sense to attack them at their wedding, or their home, or something of that nature. It must be a very detailed database to point out their attendance at that dance... I don't know, maybe that's where they met or something, but seems a rather personal fact to be put into a database that's just supposed to be describing ancestry of TEC agents. Though watching Chan's reaction to seeing his parents dancing to 80's music is solid gold, still can;t stop laughing at that. That almost ranks up there with catching your parents having sex, it really weirds you out to see your parents that way.

The final fight just seems silly... I think Jason Scott Lee forgot he wasn't playing Bruce Lee for a few minutes. Hope he doesn't get typecast because of that movie.

Overall a fairly decent ride, movie does flow well.

Direct to video faster than you can say "Time Travel."

[atrac · 5/10 · 4 July 2004]

OK, it's obvious that this isn't a great "Direct-to video & Sci-Fi Channel" Flick. I've always enjoyed watching Time Travel movies (even bad ones), and this one was unfortunately not one of the better ones.

What's good about it? It was definitely nice to watch a lead character who is Asian-American. While this may sound odd to most, there aren't that many films out there that have an Asian-American lead. Of course the filmmakers just *had* to have him know Kung-Fu, but still, if you've got Jason Scott Lee as your lead, why not? Jason Scott Lee does indeed shine in this movie, especially considering what he's been given to work with in terms of plot.

What's not so good about this movie? Just about everything else. The Visual Effects were below par (even the TV Show from the late 90's had better effects), and the story was not very exciting. There is a cliché with Time Travel stories that everything "turns out OK" at the end...as if none of the previous events ever occurred. We need to get away from that. It's trite.

What's absurd about this movie? The ending epilogue. I'm not sure of the *exact* term that it's called, but you know..when they show clips of a character, then pause the image and give you a paragraph below it about what happened to them after the movie is over. This one takes just about *every* character in the movie and gives them a paragraph (sometimes even more). It just keeps going and going. And they even had a misspelling ("...demons of his conscience drove Knight to *from* -- should be *form* -- his own gang..."). At any rate, it became so laughable that I decided it would be a great drinking game (take a shot every time a character gets a "paragraph resolution" at the ending).

Cheers for a movie with an Asian-American lead. Cheers to Jason Scott Lee for giving an exciting and credible performance in a really bad movie. Jeers to just about everything else in this film.

i like it

[funny_slaughter · 6/10 · 11 November 2003]

i like it. the best is that the actors are talking "german" in the original version. every time they open their mouth there is a great chance to fall off your chair laughing. if you are german :-)

the story was disregardable, the fighting scenes were a bit slow sometimes and the dialogues mostly b-movie. but it was fun watching. dont expect some philosophic stuff, its a comic-movie and it behaves this way.

gs Funny

it's a good and intelligent film

[tmarinov · 8/10 · 18 October 2003]

When I read the reviews I was expecting something really awful and cheap, like some of the latest Segal movies (sorry to those of you who may have liked them). Actually, the storyline is well developed, no false over-dramatizing or similar flaws you may have in a martial art/sci-fi sequel. The cast is good and it is shot very well, regardless of the low budget. And you don't have to compare it to Timecop 1, this one has value of its own. 8/10 for me.

Surprisingly good for a B-movie sequel

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 13 March 2012]

Van Damme's TIMECOP was a serviceable science fiction thriller that I personally found to be far from the star's best work – yet its legacy has proved surprisingly popular over the years, with first a TV series in the late '90s and then this low budgeted sequel. In this outing, Jason Scott Lee (DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY) takes over the role of the heroic timecop out to stop some nefarious bad guys meddling with time. Cheesy special effects, weak scripting and a distinct lack of originality are the order of the day, but in the end I found myself enjoying this film quite a bit. It's one of those tongue-in-cheek B-movies that never takes itself too seriously and delivers plenty of entertainment in the scant running time.

The lack of decent plotting is a real problem, but the film manages at least a couple of impressive set-pieces. One action highlight comes during a full-scale prison riot, featuring our hero kicking the ass of various hulking prisoners. The other is a more cerebral moment, a cleverly staged moment in which Lee discovers that history is repeatedly changing almost as he watches – yes, it's obvious, but done just so. The last half hour is busy setting up a final confrontation between Lee and Thomas Ian Griffith, here taking on bad guy duties after once making a few films of his own as hero (such as EXCESSIVE FORCE). I found the fight scenes in this film to be fun in a light-hearted, Jackie Chan style, while Lee's acting has improved greatly since he was in the likes of TALOS THE MUMMY. It ain't art, but for B-movie cheesiness it provides more than a few thrills.

Combines Sci-Fi & Martial Action fairly well

[lskelly-1 · 26 September 2004]

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.

Let's kill Hitler

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 19 July 2015]

Although this belated sequel to the 1994 Van Damme hit "Timecop" was made for the DVD market, it is quite ambitious; it tries to be a philosophical martial arts / sci-fi combo - everything but the kitchen sink. The eternal question about time travel and Hitler is not just posed - it is a central plot (and title) element! You could even argue that the "villain" of the film is not really a villain at all; he operates under the theory that we should use time travel to prevent tragedies that we know are going to happen, while the "hero" believes that the "original" course of History must be preserved at all costs, because of the unforeseeable consequences of messing with it. Sure, there are holes in the script (like someone remembering an alternate timeline before it even happens), but all the crazy, brain-twisting time-and-space-hopping does keep you on your toes. And in the midst of it all, Jason Scott Lee gets a few chances to unleash his pretty forceful martial artistry. In fact, the weakest part of the movie is the ending, where everything comes down to a gratuitous martial arts showdown between Lee and Thomas Ian Griffith (complete with gratuitous shirt-ripping by Lee - though part of the audience certainly won't mind!). **1/2 out of 4.