Jean-Claude Van Damme is one of the most popular action stars ever, but it was more than three decades ago when he ruled the box office. Having gained his breakout role playing the controversial real-life fighter Frank Dux in Bloodsport, this paved the way for the martial artist to dominate the action genre throughout the late ’80s and ’90s.
As a Belgian martial artist with the genuine karate and kickboxing skills needed to portray a true action hero, JCDV remains a cult favorite for his roles in everything from Lionheart to Universal Soldier. However, for all his achievements, there’s one 1994 Van Damme movie that stands leagues above the rest in terms of box office success.
Timecop Was Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Biggest Box Office Hit
While many will point to early roles in classics like No Retreat, No Surrender and Double Impact, JCDV’s biggest success was actually in the sci-fi genre as the lead of the cult hit Timecop. With Van Damme as the time-travelling police officer Max Walker, this unique action movie saw him face off against a shady time-altering politician.
Timecop was a major hit at the box office and stands as Van Damme’s biggest financial success to date, earning $102 million against its budget of $28 million (via The Numbers.) When adjusted for inflation, these figures are even more impressive, as its total box office would amount to $282 million.
The cultural impact of Timecop was so great it even found its way into the season two episode of Friends, “The One After the Superbowl: Part 2,” where Van Damme appeared in a cameo role. With Monica gushing over the action star, she explained to Rachel that “he totally changed time!”
Timecop signaled Van Damme’s increasing appeal as a leading man and represented the best example of his potential as a Hollywood star. Although some critics pointed out plot holes and inconsistencies in the story’s narrative, most were in agreement that Van Damme excelled in his role as Max Walker.
Even The New York Times, which had disparaged previous Van Damme movies, praised Timecop as “his classiest effort to date.” With a fantastic premise, the influence of Timecop can be felt on later movies like Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report and Rian Johnson’s Looper, both of which explore the intersection between time and crime.
Weirdly, Timecop 2 With JCVD Never Happened
Despite Timecop’s influence on later sci-fi movies, a sequel with Jean-Claude Van Damme as Max Walker was never made. Looking back, it’s a real shame his biggest hit didn’t launch a franchise, as the role could have given him a lasting identity, much like other sci-fi stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger with Terminator or Sigourney Weaver with Alien.
Instead, the Timecop franchise continued without Van Damme as the film spawned a short-lived TV series that was cancelled after nine of its 13 episodes were aired in 1997. Another attempt was made to revive the property in 2003 with the direct-to-video sequel Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision, which introduced new characters and was set 21 years after the original.
Van Damme was a huge contributor to Timecop’s original success, and even recent plans to reboot the franchise fail to understand that what audiences wanted was more stories with Max Walker. However, the legacy of this Dark Horse Comic adaptation was just one great movie and a bunch of forgotten spin-off releases.
Timecop Has Aged Into One Of JCVD’s Best Movies
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career has seen highs and lows, but Timecop stands out as one of his greatest achievements. Released when his future as an action star was still uncertain, this sci-fi hit found major success at the box office and solidified his place as a Hollywood leading man.
In the years after Timecop, Van Damme’s career entered a downward slump as his popularity was in decline and he found himself starring in direct-to-video roles that didn’t have the same high production values. It was not until Van Damme embraced his legacy in the satirical, self-referential comedy JCDV that he found renewed success.
JCDV saw Van Damme play a fictionalized version of himself caught in the middle of a post office heist in his hometown of Brussels and allowed viewers to reflect on his legacy as an action hero. With this hilarious role, action fans revisited movies like Timecop with renewed appreciation.
Today, Van Damme remains a beloved star whose roles in The Expendables 2 and Minions: The Rise of Gru highlight his impressive place at the forefront of modern pop culture. These kinds of films continue to introduce new audiences to Van Damme’s work, and younger viewers are continually discovering his impressive back catalogue.