The Crow And Blade Are Classic ’90s Comic Book Movies, But There’s Another One People Sleep On

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The 1990s weren’t dominated by superhero movies like the 2000s, but it still gave us some memorable films. Think of the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, The Crow, and of course, Blade – which holds up incredibly well even today.

Okay, let me tell you about a movie I think deserves way more love: 1994’s Timecop, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. It’s about a special police force that uses time travel to stop criminals, and things get messy when the wrong people start manipulating the past. It was pretty popular back in the ’90s, but it feels like a lot of people have forgotten about it, even though there’s been talk of a remake for ages. Seriously, give this one a watch!

So, why does Timecop still kick ass? Well, you’re about to find out.

I’m Sorry, But This Is Arguably JCVD’s Best Movie Ever

Everyone has their favorite Jean-Claude Van Damme movie – some enjoy Street Fighter (from 1994), while others prefer Kickboxer or Bloodsport. But if you ask me, Timecop is the best.

The movie Time Cop is based on a Dark Horse comic and stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a police officer who travels through time. He’s trying to save his wife, who was killed in an explosion, and the time travel element is key to how he attempts to do so. The story also follows Van Damme’s character, Max Walker, as he works to stop a dishonest politician, played by Ron Silver, from manipulating the past to gain power.

It’s a really great movie! Growing up in the ’90s, Van Damme felt like a different kind of action star. Unlike Schwarzenegger or Stallone, who were known for their muscles, he was a martial artist who excelled in action-packed fight scenes. But Timecop isn’t just another martial arts film. It’s a cool movie on its own, and the action actually adds to it. It reminds me a bit of the Highlander series with its time travel element, but it’s science fiction instead of fantasy – and let’s forget that sci-fi attempt with Highlander II: The Quickening ever happened.

This movie’s time travel element is really neat, and Jean-Claude Van Damme makes it even better. However, there are some questions about how the time travel actually works…

The Time Travel Concept In This Movie Is Really Cool

I’m a big fan of time travel movies, and what I love most is how each one comes up with its own unique set of rules. It’s fascinating to see how different filmmakers approach it. Take the Terminator films – their version of time travel is completely different from something like The Butterfly Effect. And then you have comedies like Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure where they don’t really worry about being consistent, which is a fun contrast to a really complex, hard sci-fi movie like Primer. Honestly, Primer is so intricate you almost need to watch it twice just to understand what’s happening!

The movie Timecop has a unique take on time travel – you can only travel to the past, not the future. Similar to the Time Variance Authority (TVA) in Loki, which exists to stop changes to the timeline, Timecop features a police force called the TEC, or Time Enforcement Commission. (I know the TVA actually came first in the comics, but that’s not the point here.)

Many time travel stories explore how changing the past can affect the present. This story adds a unique twist: your present self and your past self can’t physically touch. If they do, both versions would be instantly and dramatically destroyed – though the effect is visually impressive!

I really love this idea! It’s similar to the famous rule in Ghostbusters about not crossing the streams, but much more disturbing. Seriously, could it be any more perfect?

The Story Genuinely Feels Comic-Booky

Let’s be honest, I don’t always enjoy it when movies feel overly based on comic books. I actually don’t like Batman Forever because it feels too ridiculous – which is odd, because I do enjoy Batman & Robin, mostly because it’s so over-the-top and campy. But it really depends on the character, I think. I have a real fondness for the first Judge Dredd movie with Sylvester Stallone, and that’s about as comic book-like as a film can get!

Basically, I’m really inconsistent, and that’s probably why I enjoy the over-the-top, comic book feel of the movie Timecop. It starts with a scene during the Civil War where Confederate soldiers are defeated by futuristic weapons, and it just… works. It feels like something you’d see in a comic book.

Since I’ve never read the comic, I can’t say whether the movie captures the same feel. And honestly, I think there are probably better action movies starring Van Damme – I particularly like The Quest – so it’s hard to judge this film on its own merits as just a movie.

Overall, I think this movie succeeds as a comic book adaptation. While the plot isn’t surprising, that’s actually a good thing. What really matters is how faithfully it captures the spirit of the original comic, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.

And The Action, Oh Baby

While there are definitely other Jean-Claude Van Damme action movies that might be better – like Universal Soldier – what I really enjoy about Timecop is the variety in its action sequences. This is largely because the film’s different time periods create unique scenarios. For instance, seeing Van Damme use martial arts while fighting opponents in the 1920s is a visually interesting contrast.

One memorable scene features him fighting attackers with knives while only in his underwear—it’s also where he does the famous split jump across the countertops. What I really appreciate is the genuine feeling of danger in that moment, especially considering it’s part of a movie that also includes someone using advanced weapons against Confederate soldiers.

The movie’s action feels perfectly placed. I’ve seen Jean-Claude Van Damme fight in many films, but it works especially well here. I particularly like the idea that his time-traveling hero’s actions have ripple effects, causing problems for someone’s descendants because of a fight that happened decades earlier.

Everything just clicks with this movie. While it might not be Jean-Claude Van Damme’s greatest action film, it’s still my personal favorite. That’s why I believe Timecop deserves a bit more recognition than it usually receives.

But, what do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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2025-11-22 19:10