I’m not a massive Jean-Claude Van Damme fan but he has made a few films that I’ve quite enjoyed.
This was on TV the other night and it’s probably my favourite of all:
Timecop (1994)
The muscles from Brussels was a pretty big deal for about six years between 1988 and 1994 until, by his own admission he got blacklisted by Hollywood for being a bit of a d#ck. He went from making decent budgeted films and being on the road to becoming one of the biggest action stars going, to a straight-to-DVD “could’ve been”.
This was the last “good” movie he made in my opinion.
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a sci-fi/action/crime/thriller starring (you guessed it) Jean-Claud Van Damme (Universal Soldier), Mia Sara (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Bruce McGill (The Last Boy Scout), Gloria Reuben (Lincoln) and Ron Silver (Ali) as the movie’s villain.
This is what it’s about according to IMDb:
“Max Walker, an officer for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician who's intent on changing the past to control the future.”
It’s probably largely to do with the nostalgic value this movie holds but I really like it. I’ve never understood why people go crazy over Universal Soldier personally. I’ve seen it a couple of times and it’s ok but it’s no Timecop.
This movie has a good storyline, it’s easy to follow, it has a nice pace with a few twists and turns and the movie’s villain, McComb (played by the late Ron Silver) is a really good bad guy. Sure he’s like a poor man’s Hans Gruber but he’s arrogant, callous and ruthless and you route for the good guys coz you hate him enough to want to see him get his comeuppance.
This wasn’t the only time director Peter Hyams worked with Van Damme. He also directed Sudden Death (1995) and Enemies Closer (2013), not to mention a couple of underrated non-Jean-Claude Van Damme movies that I really like: Horror/Sci-Fi monster movie, The Relic (1997) and Satanic/Action/Horror (and a slightly different film for Arnold Schwarzenegger) End of Days (1999).
It’s interesting that out of the big action hero players of the 1980s/1990s, only three are still prominent. Arnie, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis are still hanging in there despite their advancing years and the change in movie culture, whereas Jean-Caude Van Damme and Steven Seagal have fallen into the “straight to DVD/bargain bin” era of their careers. They’re still making money doing what they enjoy doing I guess.
Another mention should be given to the legendary Chuck Norris who’s somehow managed to maintain a God-like status for years despite not starring in a major movie for decades! (Not including The Expendables 3).
This is a nice easy watch and a reminder of what movies were like in the 90s before all of the remakes and unnecessary sequels dominated our screens.
Have you seen it? Are you a JCVD fan? Let me know and comment your favourite of his movies below. 👇