With a title that invokes invokes 90s fare like "Timecop" or "Sudden Death", Time Renegades is not quite the sci-fi/action B-movie of Jean Claude Van Damme's career peak (but its got that spirit, for sure).

Butterfly Effect time travel lay the crux of the film's narrative, which follows a music teacher from the 80s and a detective in the year 2015, attempting to prevent the deaths of 49 students and several women.

Like "Timecop", both characters are driven to save a woman they care about from (certain) death, but the story isn't so predictable that you'll be counting the story beats in chronological order as they come along, but they kinda come out of left field most of the time.

I think the most surprising thing about the story is that the detective actually admits to dreaming about the past like it's the most natural thing in the world, and none of his co-workers call him 'crazy' or 'psycho' (as you do in this genre). They just kinda say, "That's weird, but okay", and go about their day.

Like most K-dramas that introduce a serial killer element into their plot, the writing goes hard on the melodrama (to the detriment of the film), and the villain comes off as unintentionally comedic as the actor mugs, shrieks, and widens their eyes to communicate the character's madness.

The film's tone flip-flops between deadly serious and sustained bouts of comedy (mostly performed by Lee Jin-Wook), all of which is sandwiched between schmaltzy romance and conversations about reincarnation.

"Time Renegades" is a good time for the most part. It's time travel aspect isn't overly flashy, certainly makes a mess of its story (and to such a degree the time travel aspect is really treated like a get-out-of-jail-free card), but the performances are solid, and I think (sans the ending) the story is worth your time.