Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Mega Time Squad Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 31, 2019

Tim van Dammen's Mega Time Squad is a scrappy but serviceable sci-fi import that, at the very least, coasts by on charisma alone. Shot on location in the writer/director's home country of New Zealand, viewers are introduced to the low-stakes life of John (Anton Tennet) and his stoner pal Markus (Paul Trimmer), who work as runners for local gang boss Shelton (Jonny Brugh). Wanting to finally make a name for himself -- and impress Shelton's pretty sister Kelly (Hetty Gaskell-Hahn) in the process -- John snatches a mysterious bracelet while robbing a local Chinese antique shop. As he soon finds out, however, this bracelet has the power to send its owner back in time and create a duplicate. He'll need all the help he can, too: not only was the antique shop robbery a failed attempt to double-cross Shelton...but according to legend, careless time travelling will supposedly awaken an ancient Chinese demon.

Needless to say, Mega Time Squad packs a lot into it brisk 79-minute lifespan and, for the most part, feels like a fun ride. It keeps things almost completely light from start to finish, feeling like an independent fusion of Looper and Big Trouble in Little China with an obvious nod to 1980s nostalgia. The formula works more often than not, largely thanks to the careless enthusiasm of the script and enjoyable performances; Anton Tennet (John) and Jonny Brugh (Shelton) are perhaps the biggest standouts, delivering their fair share of quotable one-liners and off-the-cuff remarks. I'll admit that the time-travel element, while enjoyable at first, ends up swallowing itself long before the halfway mark: despite its seemingly lightweight format, Mega Time Squad is surprisingly not easy to follow. You'll have fun anyway, as the lack of real danger or drama is assuaged by more than a few clever little twists along the way. Despite its glaring faults, Mega Time Squad is an entertaining little feature that fans of low-budget sci-fi should enjoy.

MPI's Blu-ray fits the main feature like a glove, offering a solid A/V presentation, nice design elements, and a few lightweight but enjoyable bonus features that compensate for the main feature's brisk running time.

Mega Time Squad Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the digitally-shot Mega Time Squad looks quite impressive. Fine detail and background elements look clean and crisp with well-defined textures, while the (mostly) warm color palette appears accurate. Saturation, contrast, and shadow detail all fall within format boundaries, rarely succumbing to black crush or bleeding. Noise is more prominent during dimly-lit and indoor scenes but is rarely intrusive, showcasing an overall look that has thankfully not been scrubbed completely with DNR. There's even a nice level of depth during certain scenes that gives Mega Time Squad a deceptively cinematic appearance, defying its modest sets and budget limitations. Overall, not much to complain about here at all -- it's a great-looking disc that should really please fans.

Mega Time Squad Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sonically, the film can't help but show a few little seams. Although competently recorded with sparse moments of directionality and wide channel separation, most of the dialogue and background noise is anchored squarely up front and might even be confused with a stereo mix. Exceptions include a handful of action scenes, outdoor ambiance, and the synth-heavy score by Mike Newport -- these are what elevate Mega Time Squad to respectable heights during its brief running time, and cranking the volume high enough will make it a pretty enjoyable experience.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature -- these will be helpful for those who struggle with Kiwi accents, but might also help outsiders decipher some of the localized slang terms.

Mega Time Squad Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray arrives in a standard keepcase with attractive and well-designed menus. Not sure what they were going for with the cover artwork, but it doesn't really fit the film's overall style at all. On-disc extras are below.

• Audio Commentary with writer/director Tim van Dammen.

• Deleted Scenes (1-4 minutes each) - "Alternate Opening", "Jay", "John & Damage", "Sir Edmund Hillary", "Shelton & Les", "Fart Joke", "House Invasion", "Gibbo Tied Up", "Bathroom Scene", "Bathroom Death", and "John Leaves the Hotel".

• Trailer (2:14) - Watch it here (NSFW).

Mega Time Squad Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Although its reach regularly exceeds its grasp, Tim van Dammen's Mega Time Squad is a fun little throwback sci-fi/comedy with more than a few good laughs and ideas along the way. Like many, I was going in completely blind and this probably helped the overall experience...but even if you've seen the trailer already, it doesn't give away all the good stuff. MPI's solid Blu-ray supports the film well with a fine A/V presentation and a few light extras.