Timecop: The Berlin Decision (2003) (V)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Steve Boyum

Writers (WGA):

Mike Richardson (comic series) and
Mark Verheiden (comic series) ...

Release Date:

30 September 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Twenty years after a set of events, the TEC (Time Enforcement Commission), the agency that makes sure...

Plot Keywords:

Sequel | Based On Comic Book | Dark Horse Comics | 2000s | Alternate History

Cast

Jason Scott Lee	...	Ryan Chan
Thomas Ian Griffith	...	Brandon Miller
Mary Page Keller	...	Doc
John Beck	...	O'Rourke
Tava Smiley	...	Tyler Jeffers
Josh Hammond	...	Michael Travis
Tricia Barry	...	Sasha Miller
Sam Ly	...	Young Ryan
Wen Yann Shih	...	Cyndi Chan (Ryan's Mom)
Kenneth Choi	...	Professor Josh Chan
Eran Shine	...	SS Officer #1
Steve Tartalia	...	SS Officer #2
A.J. Buckley	...	Gate Guard
Toshi Toda	...	Sushwel, Japanese Diplomat
Hans Schoeber	...	German Soldier

Also Known As:

Timecop 2 (Philippines: English title)
Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision (Australia)
Eisvoli sto parelthon: Kodikos Verolino (Greece) (TV title) [el]
Timecop 2 (Italy) [it]
Timecop 2 - Entscheidung in Berlin (Germany) [de]
Timecop 2 - La décision de Berlin (France) [fr]
Timecop 2 - La decisión de Berlín (Argentina) (video title) [es]
Timecop 2 - O Guardião do Futuro (Brazil) (cable TV title) [pt]
Timecop 2 - O Guardião do Tempo (Brazil) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

USA:81 min | Argentina:82 min | UK:78 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

City Hall - 200 N. Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the end titles, the text regarding Frank Knight's alternate timeline said he went on to "from his own gang" instead of "form his own gang".

Movie Connections:

References Back to the Future (1985)

Soundtrack:

The Blue Danube

Surprisingly good!

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.