Out of Time (1988 TV Movie) User Reviews (8)

not ready for prime time

[robot-cat · 3/10 · 12 January 2005]

the way the credits were presented and the fact that it very basic incidental and theme music leads me to believe that this was a pilot movie for a t.v. series for NBC that was not picked up.

i doubt that it ever aired when it was first made, and it was probably only eventually aired because of the success of bill maher.

i like the concept of a cop from the future teaming up with his great-grandfather to solve crimes on the mean streets of l.a., and maher was funny as the goofy techno-geek cop from the present, but if this had been picked up as a series, then i imagine that this teleplay would have been re-shot since most of it is as dull as an unsharpened pencil.

3/10

You're obsolete my baby, my poor old fashioned baby...

[hughie522 · 3/10 · 17 July 2006]

Oh boy. As if 'Timecop' wasn't bad enough. We have our brief, poorly lit matte painting of the future. 'Futuristic' technology (that looks like it was bought at a two-dollar shop)! And all the trappings of a cop-buddy flick gone horribly wrong.

The budget must have been tiny. I can't imagine a TV series made on this sort of budget; even Star Trek had more convincing set-pieces. At least the two leads ( ) are easy to watch and quite likable (although I can imagine a remake with Craig Sheffer, something that makes me cringe), but everything else...

The science just doesn't hold up. We've never before SEEN such FANTASTIC VISUAL EFFECTS! And what was with the scene transitions? And the zooming? It's it meant to be futuristic or something? It's 1988! The year 'Terminator II: Judgement Day' was released! Are they seriously expecting this to take? At least it has an original idea. But everything else was of terribly poor quality. It's not that the acting (which was average) or the script (which was also average) was bad, but it's the budget that lets this down. It's so cheap. Ridiculously so!

Waste of time.

[mark.waltz · 1/10 · 18 February 2023]

Time marches back a century for one of the worst science fiction films ever, as well as one of the oddest leading men, overrated talk show host Bill Maher so probably decided after this that it was a waste of his time pursuing an action career. It's a very odd story in a very badly filmed TV series pilot that should have just been shelved. Bruce Abbott comes back from the future (the film which obviously this was ripping off) to join forces with his own great-grandfather, Maher, with evidence on an unsolved crime. The convoluted story just never becomes clearly paced, and with young actresses Rebecca Schaefer and Kristen Alfonso, as well as Barbara Tarbuck giving a campy performance as an evil doctor, this still remains absolutely a boring mix of action and sci-fi that most people will find cumbersome to try to get through. Easy to save your time by just skipping it.

Use your time for something better

[jackreich · 2/10 · 16 June 2006]

Fun to see Bill Maher in a lead movie role! But he's better in his comedy show. The concept of a time-traveling cop chasing a future baddie is fine, but this piece of shtick never finds its rhythm. Many scenes drag, and the actors seem to have trouble taking the plot seriously, which makes the flic almost a send-up of itself!

The violent incidents don't seem at all realistic, the romantic scenes lack sincerity and clarity, and the plot is entirely predictable, and not very compelling. The villains are laughable. The situations are stilted, clichéd, unconvincing. There's merit in the idea, but it never gets developed successfully. A big yawner. Sorry, Bill.

Bill Maher finally convinced me...

[drkrutz · 1/10 · 4 January 2022]

... There is no God.

Honestly. This might be one of the worst films I've ever seen. So, unless you love so-bad-it's-good movies, I'd stay well clear of this one. And even if you do, be prepared to be bored for 93 minutes.

A police officer is hunting after a bad man and is somehow transported a hundred year back in time (from 2088 to 1988). Here he meets his great-great-grandfather, and together they try to catch the bad man.

The time traveler knows all about the Vietnam war and the Watergate scandal (oddly specific), but somehow doesn't understand cars and cigarettes. It makes no sense.

The script is weak, the humor doesn't work, and the pacing is off.

An extremely rare 1/10 from me.

I want to see this again

[IceBerg2076 · 6/10 · 17 November 2006]

I remember seeing this film as a Saturday afternoon Matinée on a UHF channel in OK when I was a kid. I remember bits and pieces of the story, but what I really wanted were those awesome glasses from the Future, that let a Person see various frequencies of Light, and energy. I still wish I could get a pair of Glasses like those. I wasn't as entertained by the story as I was intrigued by the Future Tech toys that I was sure would be invented as I grew up. Oh well.

As a guilty Pleasure for my Sci-Fi mind, and imagination, I'd like to see it on DVD with a commentary by Bill Maher. I can't remember how it ends, so Please would someone release it to DVD.

quite possibly the best film ever!!!!

[perfectvillain1 · 10/10 · 25 February 2006]

If you haven't seen "Out of Time" starring the great Bruce Abbott and the wonderful Bill Maher in this fantastic science fiction action thriller, then you haven't lived. It's a great premise, a great grandson goes back in time to help his great grandfather save the world! Isn't that great. It's action packed, suspenseful and emotionally gripping at the same time. I cried at the end, and the special fx are mind blowing, even for today's standards. Go rent "Out of Time" and if you can't find it, order it. You won't be disappointed !!! Not only is it a beautiful and touching film, but Abbott's performance is so engaging, it explodes! See it or be square!

"Impossible is for sissies" - Max Taylor "Out of Time"

Maybe it was a "pilot" movie for a show..

[dopeyharp0 · 8/10 · 25 August 2006]

It was run in 1988.. I recorded it! =Along with the Bud Cort t.v. movie ("Psycho 5"{?} )with Jason Bateman and Kistine(Kathrine?) Haji-from "Head of the Class"=

Adam Ant as the bad guy in this was great. The late Rebecca Schaeffer was awesome in this! (As she was on the show "My Sister Sam" with Pam Dawber) Bruce Abbott ("T.A.G:The Assassination Game") did a remarkable job.. as always! Bruce Maher.., actor? -Who knew? He was in "House II: the second story". If it was a movie for a TV show, it would have been great to see where they would have taken this. It may seem 'low tech' now, but at the time, it was pretty cool!

"If not for the heroics of one man, many lives would have been lost."