Timecop: The Berlin Decision (2003)

Twenty years after a set of events, the TEC (Time Enforcement Commission), the agency that makes sure that no one travels into the past without permission and changes history, is still ... See full summary »

Director:

Steve Boyum (as Stephen Boyum)

Writers:

Gary Scott Thompson, Mike Richardson (comic series)

Stars:

Jason Scott Lee, Thomas Ian Griffith, Mary Page Keller

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Twenty years after a set of events, the TEC (Time Enforcement Commission), the agency that makes sure that no one travels into the past without permission and changes history, is still going strong. Now Brandon Miller a TEC operative, believes that they have a responsibility to change history hoping that the world will be better but Ryan Chan another Tec operative stops him but kills the woman he loves in the process. Two years later Miller escapes from prison and sets out to eliminate all TEC operatives by killing their ancestors. Eventually Ryan's the only one left and has to stop Miller before he gets him.

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Plot Keywords:

man murders a woman | year 2025 | year 1940 | reference to adolf hitler | atlantic city | 

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some language

Did You Know?

Goofs

The attempt to prevent World War 2 by killing Hitler was made in 1940, a year after the war began.

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Quotes

Ryan Chan: Dinner tonight?
Doc: I don't date Timecops.
Ryan Chan: I don't date doctors.

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Connections

Referenced in Las Vegas: Die Fast, Die Furious (2004)

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Soundtracks

Piledriver
Composed by Andy Gray and Steve Sacre
Performed by amoebaassassin
Courtesy of BPM Records

User Reviews

Combines Sci-Fi & Martial Action fairly well

First, before watching this movie you should be aware that it is "about" time travel...therefore there is bound to be some inconsistencies and paradox problems; and yes...the film does "bump" into some of these rather clumsily. If you are a movie viewer that demands perfect logic and continuity or a real "time travel" buff you will have to "let it go" for this film. Yes, this movie is ABOUT "time travel" but it is NOT a time travel movie (it is an "Action" movie).

Secondly; this is a sequel, and thefore presumes some previous knowledge of the basic premise; what a "timecop's" purpose is and some of the primary "paradox" problems as to what would happen (to the present / future) if you changed the past. I can say that this movie does try to follow most of the "rules" of time travel; as outlined in the "Star Trek" TV shows (a well known "standard" in science fiction circles).

The movie starts out posing the question; "should Hitler be assassinated" before he has time to put events into motion & "what would then happen if he was?". The viewer gets to see what happens when someone wants to try; and the Timecops have to stop it from happening (or DO they?). Viewers may also want to know that the "Timecop" story, about cops that monitor consistency & prevent history from being altered; was a comic book before it was a movie.

True; "time travel" movies must address such issues in a consistent & believable manner and in this regard the movie is somewhat disappointing. However as an "action" movie (that makes you "think") it generally succeeds.

In my opinion it is far better than the first "Timecop" movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme (1994). Given the comic book / Van Damme history; the target audience for this movie is going to be action / martial art movie fans.

Jason Scott Lee (as hotshot Timecop Ryan Chan) does very well given the script & direction. Viewers may need to remind themselves that Lee is NOT related to Bruce Lee although he did play him in the movie "Dragon, the Bruce Lee Story" (1993). For that movie Lee was trained in Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kune Do" style of martial arts. So not only does he physically look like Bruce Lee, he also fights using the same "moves". Seeing this, I believe the director recognized that he would be unable to avoid the reference; so he "uses" it consciously. In one fight scene there is deliberate homage paid to Bruce Lee. Timecop Ryan Chan (after getting hit in a fight) gets "really mad" and takes off his shirt; flexing his muscles in the famous "Enter the Dragon" style. When you see this scene you will know why Jason Lee was picked to play Bruce in "The Dragon",..., and why the director (and likely the actor) must accept & work with the inevitable references. For martial arts fans there are some fairly good (albeit short)examples of "Jeet Kune Do" style hand-work,trapping, and a couple of Jeet Kune Do style limb traps / breaks. The martial arts kicks are all "movie" style & less than crisp.

Thomas Ian Griffith is quite good in the supporting role (even in the fight scenes); however the movie watcher doesn't really see his character's motivation until the end of the movie. The movie's script is what you would expect given the "Timecop" movie history & story genre (somewhat in the "comic-book" style); although I have the impression that Lee did quite a good job fleshing out his lines. Overall, the movie gets a bit muddled because of all the different time periods involved (the "period" costumes are made necessary, however, to separate and enforce the different time lines)and it is possible that the editing contributes to the confusion. Many of the fight scenes appear to be chopped or cut short (while the special effects scenes, although not over-done, are a tad long). I imagine the editor of this movie had a hard time keeping a cohesive story line and "flow" given the topic(s). There are a lot of things going on in this movie all at once; the good guy "chasing" the bad guy through different time periods, shifting realities due to the changing of past events, and even characters changing or existing / not existing depending on which "reality" you are watching. Not only does the bad guy want to kill Lee's character, he also has the option of going back to almost any time period and kill his parents, thus ending the Hero's family line. If that is possible then, can the Timecop kill the bad guy given what has already happened? You'll have to watch! In a similar movie's plot line, "Jet Li's - The One" (2001 - one of my favorite time-travel movies) these issues and paradox' are better addressed (however I had to watch that movie 4 or 5 times to understand all the nuances).

Although you probably won't want to watch "Timecop: The Berlin Decision" again and again; if you liked "Jet Li's - The One" you will probably enjoy this movie as well.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Studios Home Entertainment Family Productions, Capital Arts Entertainment, TE Encore Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1