timerider

Steven Spielberg owned the ‘80s. Even the films he didn’t produce or direct went out of their way to have a Spielberg feel, most of them bargain basement adventures appealing to 10-year-olds wandering the mall with their parents’ money. Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann sends an off-road motorcyclist back in time to 1877 where he runs rings around a gang of Wild West outlaws. Trust me, in 1982 that was enough to convince most kids to fork over a five-spot. In 2013, it’s a bit of a harder sell.

Produced by former Monkee Michael Nesmith, Timerider is awfully amateurish for a major motion picture. The first act seems to be entirely made up of motorcycle POV shots, as if we were watching an amusement park simulation ride rather than a movie. Eventually, after driving through a scientific test area, Swann is zapped back into the past and faced with a trio of bad guys who want his “riding machine” for themselves.

There’s a good idea at work here; one that Robert Zemeckis turned into a fun and engaging third chapter in his Back to the Future trilogy. Timerider doesn’t quite know what do with its own clever situation. Luckily, it has a cast that tries to make up the difference. Fred Ward (Tremors) plays Swann with the same sort of rugged likability he brings to every role. And Peter Coyote (E.T.) gives his conniving bad guy just enough of an edge to pose a threat, while still in on the joke. Supporting actors Richard Masur and Tracey Walter add even more comedic depth to a script that had to be serious lacking on the page.

Timerider gets the tone right but misses all the details, leaving 10-year-olds to fill in the blanks with their imagination, something most 10-year-olds are pretty adept at. Director William Dear went on to work with Spielberg on Harry and the Hendersons a few years later, so “The Beard” must have seen something he liked. As a piece of ‘80s nostalgia, Timerider fits as tight as Swann’s red leather pants, right down to the Casio-composed score by Nesmith himself. For anyone not already in the Lyle Swann Fan club however, it might be a bumpy ride.

One thing’s for sure, there no better way to watch Timerider for the first time than on Shout Factory’s blu-ray. The outdoor photography really pops with details. Swann’s aforementioned red leather racing suit is so intense it practically sears the screen! Just a phenomenal transfer all around, plus a 20-minute Making Of and full commentary from director William Dear.