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Starring
:
Jason
Scott Lee
Thomas
Ian Griffith
Mary
Page Keller
John
Beck
Tava
Smiley
Jeff
Wolfe
Tricia
Barry
Action
:
Fran
Poteet
Jerry
Poteet
Producer
:
Mike
Elliot
Director
:
Steve
Boyum
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TIMECOP
2: THE BERLIN DECISION (2003)
A.K.A.
- Timecop II
Reviewed
by Phil Mills
Set
twenty years after the original film, the TEC (Time
Enforcement Commission) agency is still working hard to ensure
that no one is abusing the capabilities of time travel for
their own benefits. However, they didn't envisage that
the danger could come from within and problems arise when
agent Brandon Miller (Ian Griffith) decides that the best use
of his power would be to correct the mistakes made throughout
history. Therefore he decides to travel back and wipe
out Hitler but is stopped and imprisoned by top agent Ryan
Chan (Scott Lee). Two years later though, Miller escapes
from prison with a new objective - wipe out the members of the
TEC agency so there is no one left to stand in the way of his
devious plans. With time fast running out, its up to
Ryan Chan to travel back and try and stop Miller at various
intervals in history before he is able to kill off all of the
TEC and change the future as we know it.
The
problem with making a movie regarding time travel is that
everyone, no matter whether they be Albert Einstein or you
average Joe, has a theory based around the premise. This
isn't just a case of being anal, its a
natural reaction to such an intriguing scenario and for this
reason alone, if you are going to make a movie about time
travel then you had better make sure that your ideas
are watertight. Unfortunately for 'Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision',
this is the first hurdle
that it fails to overcome as it displays numerous flaws and gaping plotholes
that are so horrendously transparent
that you can't help but shout at the screen in
frustration. I know many will argue that this is only entertainment and movies aren't intended to be
accurate but when people are erased from existence but still
remembered and timelines are drastically altered with very little
difference, it does raise far too many questions to be ignored.
So as it stands, the movie pretty much fails on a
story-driven level
which means most of you will probably find yourselves
instantly questioning any feasible motives for watching the
film in the first place.
Ok
so glaringly obvious errors in the story aside,
does the movie cut the
mustard on a purely diversionary basis? Well in
some ways the answer is yes and in others no, it really all depends on
how patient you are with low budget flicks. For a start,
Jason Scott Lee (best remembered for his role in 'Dragon: The
Bruce Lee Story') makes for a believable action hero and is
certainly more than capable of displaying the necessary two
emotions that are required of his character. Alongside
him is Thomas Ian Griffith who also portrays a fairly
credible, if somewhat hammy, bad guy and is amusing for his
dreadful 'Matrix' style image alone. However, on
the flip side to their performances you have numerous
typically B-movie actors, the type who are probably found on
every LA street corner, and they provide predictably
forgettable roles that let the entire production down. As for the action, once
again the movie is split right down the middle for
quality. Although it isn't hideously bad, it is somewhat
bland with far too much time spent on simple one-two punch
combinations (with the odd kick thrown in) and even though it
is probably what you would expect from a film of this quality,
it is likely to disappoint anyone expecting an action-fest.
Overall
then, 'Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision' is not a completely unmitigated
disaster if viewed with low expectations or caught randomly on
late night TV (which is what happened with me). However, as a time
travel movie and as a lesson in competent filmmaking, it is of
a significantly lower standard and definitely not a must see
by any stretch of the imagination.
Rating:
 
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