Bloodsport/Timecop – Blu-ray Review

The Films:

Bloodsport:

In 1988, nobody had heard of a young Belgian actor named Jean-Claude Van Damme. After appearing in 1985′s forgettable action film No Retreat, No Surrender, he was soon cast in Bloodsport, as Frank Dux. At this time, the martial art film genre was “dead-in-the-water” here in the States and distant were the memories of what the Shaw Brothers had done in the 1960′s and ’70′s. The Newt Arnold directed film sat on the shelf after being completed in 1987, only to be released in the Fall of 1988.

In an effort not to repeat myself, I would like to point out my “Remembering Bloodsport” article with interviews with Frank Dux and the Director of Cinematography David Worth here. We discuss the origin of the film, the making, and the rise of the career of JCVD. The film is instantly watchable, with great fighting scenes, some humor, and the star-to-be Jean-Claude Van Damme, who essentially, owns the film. Probably the first great martial arts film from America, since Enter the Dragon.

Timecop:

The film came at the height of JCVD in the 1990s. Based on a Dark Horse Comics graphic novel, Timecop remains one of Van Damme’s critically acclaimed films and his highest grossing film to date. It’s easy to see why. One of the key reasons is that the element of family is quite prevalent in his films, creating a heart around the splits and round-house kicks, something that I think made JCVD a household name. Other action stars at the time, were too cold and stiff. With Van Damme’s wife (Mia Sara) getting killed by a mysterious group of futuristic thugs, Van Damme here was given some dramatic scenes to work with. Oddly, besides being an action fan favorite, critics always decried his limited acting abilities, and while Peter Hyams’ film is geared towards the sci-fi action, at least JCVD excels here.

Other than that, Timecop is fairly routine for JCVD and for Hyams, yet despite the now quaint appearance of a futuristic 2004, the film glides along nicely with some great little character moments from Bruce McGill as Superior TEC officer Eugene Matuzak and the villain, Senator McComb played by Ron Silver.

For a lot of reasons, Timecop could be considered the last great action film JCVD starred in until JCVD and Universal Soldier: Regeneration (directed by Hyams’ son!), since from here on, the box office returns weren’t as high, and a few years later, the DTV world came calling. Still, the sci-fi elements, the nice little dramatic moments of tenderness or sorrow with Mia Sara and the supporting cast, makes for a great 90s action film. Followed by a SNES game and a Jason Scott Lee sequel, and a short-lived ABC TV series. This arguably makes Timecop one of Van Damme’s most successful and well-adored films.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: WB unleashes these two films on their first Blu-ray release to satisfying results. Bloodsport has a clean print thankfully (unlike LGF’s Kickboxer Blu-ray here), as colors and details are quite bold and high. Some of the darker scenes look a little soft and feature some extra minor grain, but overall the film looks swell for 20-plus years old. Timecop was an old HD-DVD issue from Universal. As far as I can see, this is the same print. Details and textures are high and sharp, making it easily visible as being in HD. The one problematic part is in the darker scenes (like the climax) that appear to be washed-out. It looks a little muddy, hurting the details.

Bloodsport has a DTS 2.o track and it’s fairly generic. No real low-end, little musical elements in the rear speakers, so don’t expect much. Dialogue is clear, but maybe a little shrill at times. Timecop has an aggressive DTS 5.1 mix. Featuring clean dialogue, bass, rear speaker activity, it’s a good use for an action film.

Sadly, no extras, not even trailers. Both films are on a single-sided disc when at the main menu, you can select either film.

Conclusion: For JCVD fans, this is welcomed. While no extras, both films are amongst his best and look and sound pretty good in HD.

The Films: Rating:

The Blu-ray: Rating: