Timecop (1994)
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A veteran time-travel agent must confront a corrupt politician who is manipulating history for personal gain.
The story
In 1994, the invention of time travel leads to the creation of the Time Enforcement Commission (TEC) to protect the timeline. Detective Max Walker is recruited as an agent, but before he can join, his wife Melissa is murdered in a home attack. By 2004, Walker is a veteran agent who discovers that Senator Aaron McComb is using illicit time travel to fund his presidential campaign. After a series of dangerous missions to different eras, Walker realizes McComb is actively altering the present and must take drastic measures to stop him from rewriting history.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1863, a time traveler steals gold from Confederate soldiers. By 1994, the U.S. establishes the Time Enforcement Commission (TEC) to prevent history alterations. Detective Max Walker is recruited but his wife, Melissa, is killed in an attack. In 2004, Walker discovers Senator Aaron McComb is using time travel to fund his presidency. Walker travels to 1929 to arrest a partner, Lyle Atwood, who is working for McComb. After Atwood's execution, Walker investigates McComb further. He travels to 1994 and discovers McComb's younger self is manipulating a computer chip company. McComb's 2004 self kills the partner and warns his younger self about physical contact. Fielding, a rookie agent, betrays Walker to work for McComb. Walker returns to 2004 to find history altered: McComb is a wealthy presidential frontrunner who shut down the TEC. Walker returns to 1994 to stop him. He discovers Melissa was pregnant when she died and returns to the day of her murder. He convinces his younger self and Melissa to stay home. When McComb's henchmen attack, Walker lures the two versions of McComb together, causing them to merge and disintegrate. History is restored, and Walker is reunited with Melissa and their son.
- First release year
- 1994
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Hyams
- Writers
- Mike Richardson · story; Mark Verheiden · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Jean-Claude Van Damme · Max Walker; Ron Silver · Aaron McComb; Mia Sara · Melissa Walker
- Genres
- science fiction; action
- Themes
- Time travel consequences; Political corruption; Widowhood
- Tone and mood
- Action-oriented; Serious
- Setting
- Various locations across 1863, 1929, 1994, and 2004.
- Premise and plot tags
- Time Travel; Sci-Fi; Action; Crime
- Source material / true-story basis
- Timecop, a story created by Richardson, written by Verheiden, and drawn by Ron Randall, which appeared in the anthology comic Dark Horse Comics.
- Franchise connections
- Timecop
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics noting plot inconsistencies, but it was generally regarded as one of Van Damme's best films and was later listed as an underrated film.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 17
- Production trivia
- Timecop remains Van Damme's highest-grossing film as a lead actor.; A game based on the movie was released for the SNES in 1995.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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