Timecop is good dumb fun, but it's likely to receive the same sentence most Van Damme projects do: a few weeks in movie theaters and eternity on video store shelves and cable television.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
For the most part, Hyams’ lackluster direction and the repetitive quality of the action sequences squander an intriguing premise and impressive production design, leaving few moments that elicit the sort of “Wow!” response such fare needs in order to prosper.
Chicago Tribune by Gene Siskel
Van Damme is compelling only when he takes his clothes off, which he doesn't do often enough here.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
As a shoot-'em-up, blast-'em-to-pieces film, it's not half bad. As a futuristic time travel movie, however, it has some very serious problems.
The New York Times by Janet Maslin
Years of tireless persistence have begun to work in Mr. Van Damme's favor. It's hard not to enjoy his energy, even if his acting gifts still leave a lot to be desired. The fact is that he looks good, behaves affably and kicks with gusto, which is quite enough to satisfy the demands of Timecop.
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
It's dumb, to be sure, but then again, so were most of the old movie cliffhangers, from which Timecop is obviously derived.
San Francisco Chronicle by Mick LaSalle
The desire to go back in time to change things -- or just to visit -- is so central to the experience of being alive and stuck in time that Timecop has a built-in power. It's a power the film, a satisfying science-fiction thriller, takes full advantage of.
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
The plot is more confusing than clever, and the only actor who seems to be having any fun is Silver, who's at his best throwing masochistic hissy fits at his younger, not-quite-so-evil self.
Chicago Sun-Times by Roger Ebert
Timecop, a low-rent "Terminator," is the kind of movie that is best not thought about at all, for that way madness lies.