Timecop 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Timecop 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Over fifteen years ago, my colleague Marty Liebman covered the Action Double Feature Blu-ray consisting of Bloodsport (1988) and Timecop (1994) courtesy of Warner Bros. To read Marty's observations of the films and his analyses of the disc's a/v transfers, please click here).

I can do the splits and hold.

Timecop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Scream Factory's 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray + standard Blu-ray combo of Timecop comes with a slipcover featuring identical artwork as what appears in the case. The movie is presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) on the BD-66 (actual size for feature: 62.2 GB) and in 1080p on the BD-50 (actual size for feature: 30 GB). The authoring and compression on Scream's regular Blu-ray are superior to WB's disc. Timecop shares a BD-50 with Bloodsport and occupies 16.4 GB of space while the 92-minute feature from '88 takes up 13.9 GB of the disc.

I have assembled a graphical comparison in the Screenshots tab of Scream's transfers, the image on the WB disc, and the SD transfer of the "Letterboxed Edition" on MCA/Universal Home Video's THX-certified 1995 LaserDisc. But before discussing those, I want to examine some of the film's sets and visual effects. Based on my research, Timecop was well-publicized in the US and UK across various industry trade publications. But Cinefantastique is essentially the only pub to devote considerable space to the production and its technical facets. Robin Brunet wrote a fascinating feature about the shooting locales and visual f/x for the magazine's October 1994 issue. According to Brunet, the Time Enforcement Commission (TEC) launch bay and other interiors were built in Vancouver's Bridge Studios. Futurist and visual consultant Syd Mead created the arrow-shaped TEC-LV4 time pod, which was later constructed by Thomas Special Ef­fects. The TEC launch bay occupied Bridge Studios' biggest soundstage—an astonishing 475 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 85 feet high. The North Vancouver­-based special effects company designed the pod out of sheet metal so it could be durable enough while being propelled along the track by a double pulley, which was connected to a truck outside the soundstage. The jet fuel you see in the film was set aflame by a blowtorch that yields flames three feet in diameter from the pod's rear. You can see the blast-off in Screenshot #s 25-28.

Brunet also reported in his article that crew members tried to replicate 1929 Wall Street in downtown Vancouver with the Art Deco-style Marine Building, which comprised many blocks of chrome and mirrored glass. One scene was filmed across the edifice's metal tubing with a re­mote-controlled camera. Director of photography Peter Hyams shot parts of the scenes by utilizing a motion control pan which were later matched to digital effects super­vised by Greg McMurry. You can see an extreme low angle of the building in screen capture #10. McMurry and his v/f/x team had to digitally remove any scenic part of Vancouver and replace it with miniature buildings they shot at a 30,000-square-foot CGI head­quarters.

Brunet writes that there are around ten shots in the movie where the time-travel effect is seen from different perspectives. McMurry told Brunet that for the bubble the actors enter and exit from, which is used to represent the time barrier, blue screens were employed. In addition, a Silicon Graphics software package known as the "Flame" composited these shots and erected 3-D mod­els of the actors for close-ups. Liquid was poured off their faces. VIFX employed a high-resolution film scanner (known as TC40) to deliver the 2,000+ lines of reso­lution to scan raw Vancouver footage directly into the CGI computer system. After the effects were added and finalized, the completed files were previewed on video. The final stage was for a Solitaire printer to trans­fer them back to film. One thing I would add to Brunet's piece is how textured some of these visual f/x appear on screen. For example, when TEC agent Walker (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is transported ten years back in time, he lands on a highway with a semi-trailer truck approaching. A thick grain field surrounding Walker appears on all the transfers I studied.

The source for Scream's transfers on the two discs is taken from Timecop's 35 mm original camera negative. When I first watched the 4K, I noted how dark it often looks but a lot of the film is shot a night (including a big rainstorm) and in dim interiors (e.g., Commander Eugene Matuzak's headquarters). But upon close inspection, highlights courtesy of the HDR actually make the UHD brighter than the LD and Blu-ray. Contrast is also significantly better on Scream's discs compared to Warners' Blu-ray. Additionally, density levels are superior on the new release. Definition and finite details on colors in general enjoy an upgrade on the recent restoration. For instance, look at how an explosion is given a bright amber orange tone in Screenshot #24. That shot and Scream's SD Blu-ray (#23) more closely matches how the LaserDisc appears (#21). By stark contrast, the WB image (#22) is duller and more muted. The skin tones on Van Damme's face and other characters sometime display a warm complexion. That is retained in the latest restoration. When I watched the 4K, I could see Senator Utley's (Kenneth Welsh) right eye in a long shot while he's seated at a boardroom table. (Zoom in when clicking on frame grab #18.)

Scream's transfers display some source-related dust in a couple scenes. For example, during the brief scene where a goon walks down the hallway, you'll notice a small black speck along the lower right wall (#s 39 and 40). My video score for the UHD and new BD-50 is 4.25/5.00.

Scream has encoded the feature on the 4K UHD at a mean video bitrate of 81.2 Mbps while the whole disc boasts an overall bitrate of 90.9 Mbps. The MPEG-4 AVC-encoded Blu-ray carries an average bitrate of 34998 kbps. WB's VC-1 encoded video file for Timecop averages a standard bitrate of 18149 kbps.

Screenshot #s 1-10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, & 40 = Scream Factory 2025 4K Ultra HD BD-66 (downsampled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 22, 26, 30, 34, & 38 = Warner Bros. 2010 Blu-ray
Screenshot #s 21, 25, 29, 33, & 37 = MCA/Universal Home Video 1995 LaserDisc Letterboxed Edition
Screenshot #s 23, 27, 31, 35, & 39 = Scream Factory 2025 BD-50 (from 4K restoration)

The 98-minute feature receives the usual twelve chapter selections on both discs.

Timecop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround mix (4532 kbps, 24-bit) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo track (2075 kbps, 24-bit) on the UHD and Blu-ray. Timecop was originally recorded and presented with a 6-track DTS surround mix and a DTS 2.0 Stereo track in theaters. I made direct comparisons between Scream's DTS-HD MA 5.1 and the older DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix (4558 kbps, 24-bit), the lone sound track on Warners' Blu-ray. Despite a very high rough average bitrate, Scream's 5.1 option is a big disappointment. It more closely resembles a very average Dolby Digital 5.1 mix on a DVD. The track hardly has any separations or discrete f/x along the satellite speakers. In fact, you'll probably have to sit or stand close to your surround channels to really hear sounds coming out. They're present throughout but don't demonstrate much range. I did hear a car horn honking along the SR, which is heard outside the senate subcommittee building. By sharp contrast, the 5.1 mix on the WB disc demonstrates substantially higher frequencies with some nice .LFE kicked in during fight scenes. The treble sounds super clear over the opening titles and when the rain pitter-patters during the prologue as well as a couple later scenes. There are occasional surrounds heard along the rears. While WB's 5.1 track is a marked improvement over Scream's 5.1, it isn't a great mix. I feel it lacks balance at times. I agree with Marty that low-end sounds aren't that pronounced. I also would rate it a 3.5/5.0 (or even go a little higher to 4.0/5.0). I rate Scream's 5.1 a 2.0/5.0.

It was a welcome surprise when I next played Scream's 2.0 track. I listened to the matrixed stereo surround mix on the LaserDisc before and after playing Scream's DTS-HD MA 2.0. Fortunately, it compares favorably to the LD. Composer Mark Isham's steel drum and percussion thump to a high pitch over the opening credits. Dialogue delivery is clear and crisp. (One positive aspect to Scream's 5.1 is that spoken words are consistently audible along the fronts.) Bass is sometimes used to good effect on the 2.0. For portions of the film, I lowered the volume on my receiver by ten decibels than my regular listening level and could still make out all the dialogue on Scream's 2.0. I estimate that ambience is present along the rears 70 to 80 percent of the time on the LD audio mix. Ditto for the 2.0 on the 4K and Blu-ray. My audio score for the 2.0 Stereo on Scream's discs is 4.5/5.0. My overall score for the two mixes on the Scream discs averages out to about 3.5/5.0.

I watched Timecop with the optional English SDH enabled on the Blu-ray. While they are 99 percent accurate, the track mis-transcribes one line. More, the track is missing various lines spoken during different scenes so it is overall incomplete.

Timecop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No extras are to be found on either the UHD or Blu-ray, a rarity for a 4K release from Scream Factory.

Timecop 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Timecop is a terrific time-travel thriller with an excellent script by Mark Verheiden (The Mask) that has aged well. Van Damme demonstrates that he is more than a skilled martial-arts specimen with screen charisma and an ability to handle emotional moments with pathos. Ron Silver is outstanding as Presidential candidate Aaron McComb. He also does a fine job of differentiating his older self from the younger Senator McComb. The great character actor Bruce McGill is perfect as Cmdr. Eugene Matuzak. Mia Sara and Gloria Reuben are each wonderful, although I would have liked to have seen more of both. The visual effects are very good but can't compete with higher-budgeted productions from the early to mid-90s. Some f/x are influenced manifestly by those executed better in T2. (Trust me.)

Scream Factory has used a very good restoration for the 4K UHD and Blu-ray. The colors and contrast are remarkably superior to what appears on the Warner Bros. transfer. It is an oddity, however, that Scream couldn't have ported over Warners' DTS-HD MA 5.1 because its own 5.1 sounds a lot more lossy than lossless. It lacks any punch. For that reason, I would recommend keeping or purchasing at a semi-reasonable price the Action Double Feature Blu-ray. Luckily, the 2.0 Stereo option is not a downmix of the 5.1. It sounds similar to the matrixed surround track on the LaserDisc. I would play the 2.0 almost exclusively while watching the Scream discs. The supplementary department has not treated Timecop well at any point in its home video history. The same is unfortunately true here with no-frills discs. I don't know if Arrow or another label will issue the film in the near future. So, if you want to experience Timecop in 4K, I would advise picking up this release. It currently comes with a high price tag, though. This budgeted package is RECOMMENDED with some qualifiers.