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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Salesrank: 78029
Released: October 9, 2001 |
| Our Price: $68.95 |
| Used Price: $54.00 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
As time-travel adventures go, this 1983 outing is an enjoyable one: a loosey-goosey shaggy-dog story about an '80s kind of guy who gets tossed back to the '70s--the 1870s, that is. Fred Ward plays the hero, a motocross racer who, along with his motorcycle, accidentally rides into the middle of a science experiment and is transported to the Old West. There, he runs into a cast of bad guys that includes some of the best character actors of the period: L.Q. Jones, Tracey Walter, Richard Masur, Ed Lauter, and Peter Coyote. It's your classic fish-out-of-water setup, with Ward as the slightly dippy wise guy who startles the heck out of the cowboys and pioneers of the period with his motorized bike, until he runs out of gas. The movie runs out of fuel as well, but it's an enjoyable ride while it lasts. Notable for its coproducer and cowriter: Michael Nesmith, formerly of the Monkees. --Marshall Fine
Timerider Reviews:
TIMERIDER RAN OUT OF TIME ABOUT 3 SECONDS TOO EARLY! BOOOOOO! 
2009-06-16 - I remember the first time I saw this film, it was on late night back in the early 80's. Whenever a friends parents would go away for the weekend "the gang" would turn their house into a party!......sound familiar? hhmmmm?
Well, after a night of Ted Nugent and other top notch heavy rockers we would watch SNL.......which was a big deal back in those days! This film came on later that night and those who didn't pass out caught a fairly enjoyable "fish out of water" flick called Timerider!
The first thing I noticed was that it was produced by ex-Monkee Mike Nesmith and starred a fairly unknown Fred Ward.
The premise basically has a motor cycle rider going back in time to the old west with his cycle and riding gear and well......you get the picture.
It's a fun movie with a good cast even if the ending is a bit confusing and dumb if you really think about it, but the biggest disappointment is on this DVD release. Some idiot edited out about three seconds worth of film that just completely ruins the entire experience!
Considering the second market price, please be aware that you will be disappointed! The edit destroys this film and I can't believe that it has not been corrected and re-release with the missing footage.
The film is easily 3 1/2 stars, but this edited version isn't worth a cent!
Great late 70s BMX flick 
2008-08-09 - This one is a real winner. I saw it as a kid because of all the BMX hype back then and I loved it. Now years later I still love it! They had a low budget but then again they didn't need much to film it when you see the setting. They key to this films success is the casting -great acting. The lead is good and the hot babe paired with him is one of a kind. There is also a surprising amount of solid humor in the film as well. I didn't remember the cracks as a kid but you will enjoy them as an adult.
classic riding movie!
2008-03-11 - classic riding movie with a weird twist at the end.you make the call.was it his...(never mind,buy the movie,decide for yourself and enjoy).
Nesmith in the zone!
2008-01-16 - I was 13 when i fist saw this and i loved it. I can not review this film based on it's place as compared to other films. For this my mind is stuck at 13 and I love it just as much as the day I first saw it. Time travel, the bike, the red outfit, the glow sticks, El Diablo, Fred Ward, Peter Coyote, The old west, even the paradox of creating ones own existence. I love it all. I still get the urge to ride my old dirt bike every time I watch this.
The soundtrack is cool too. Classic Nesmith!
It was seeing 3:10 to Yuma that made me want to see this again. I love it.
Motorcycle Guy Drives into the Past 
2007-06-18 - Lyle Swann (Fred Ward, "Escape from Alcatraz," "Silkwood," "Tremors") is running a cross-country motorcycle race when he is launched more than 100 years into the past. He meets a motley cast of characters that includes criminal Porter Reese (Peter Coyote, "E.T.," "Sphere," "Patch Adams,"), and Claire Cygne (Belinda Bauer). Lyle never does realize that he has traveled to the past during the movie.
This movie is actually fun to watch if you like time travel movies. There are aspects of this movie that are vaguely reminiscent of time travel stories by Robert A. Heinlein, such as "By His Bootstraps" and "All You Zombies..." I enjoyed how Swann reacted to his surroundings as though he had gotten lost in modern America, though he had traveled into the past. Most time travel movies have the principal character or characters know that they traveled into the past and have them react accordingly.
This movie does have some plot holes, typical for time travel movies in general and especially for low budget time travel movies. However, the movie is sufficiently interesting that you keep watching to see what Lyle Swann will do next, most of the time anyway. The biggest problem the DVD release has is that it replaced the ending originally seen on HBO and available on VHS with an awful ending that has significantly less irony and I found personally less satisfying. I would probably have given this movie 4 stars had the original ending been retained.
Michael Nesmith co-produced this movie. He also wrote the music and appears in a cameo. People who remember the 60's well may recall that Nesmith was a member of The Monkees (the tallest member, who was also one of the two members who could actually play instruments when they joined the band). Nesmith became a powerful force in the music video business, producing videos and records while still recording music. This movie was one of his numerous projects after departing The Monkees.
Even with the awful change to the end of this movie, it is a good movie to watch if you want to see a different take on time travel movies. The movie was filmed with a serious and sincere tone rather than being played for laughs. Indeed, there are several violent deaths in this movie that make this movie unsuitable for family members younger than 12 or 13 years old.
Because of the change to the ending I recommend either trying to track down the VHS with the original ending, or wait until another DVD comes out with the original ending.
Good luck!
