Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1983)

29% of users liked it
(1,512 ratings)

Given the off-the-wall premise in this sci-fi western -- that a motorcyclist rides his bike through a time warp right into the Wild West, into the middle of a gang of outlaws, and cannot figure out what happened -- the glitches and gaps in the plot fit right in with the spirit of the adventure. When… More Given the off-the-wall premise in this sci-fi western -- that a motorcyclist rides his bike through a time warp right into the Wild West, into the middle of a gang of outlaws, and cannot figure out what happened -- the glitches and gaps in the plot fit right in with the spirit of the adventure. When the outlaw Reese (Peter Coyote) catches sight of the macho bike, he decides that several hundred horsepower are better than his one and is out to rustle the vehicle any way he can. Unfortunately, the bike does not run on high-octane hay -- an issue that bites the dust when pistol-packing Clair (Belinda Bauer) appears on the scene. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: William Dear
Genres: Western, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy, Cult Movies

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1983 Wide
On DVD: Apr 27, 2004
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
A time-travel movie that rarely feels like a time-travel movie...

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Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

A stupid sci-fi TV movie, it's got bad acting, special effects, story, and dialogue. I didn't care for it.
Byron B

Spoiler: You know that old novelty song "I'm my own Grandpa"? That's the weird, kind of gross, circular twist to come out of this time travel movie. There are so many holes in the plot and it's not a very good representation of the old west. There is some… More
Spoiler: You know that old novelty song "I'm my own Grandpa"? That's the weird, kind of gross, circular twist to come out of this time travel movie. There are so many holes in the plot and it's not a very good representation of the old west. There is some beautiful desert and mesa scenery, which are seen from the many dirt bike rides Fred Ward takes. Filming a dirt bike roaring around the desert seems to be the filmmakers main motivation for making this movie. Nothing else.
Burger S

Complete 80's cheese...I love it. For some reason the DVD is going for $50. Plotpoint question: Did he sleep with his own Great-great grandmother?
Fascade F

Not too bad a classic sic fi epic. a little beit cheesy but worth watching if you have time and patience. back to The Future with Michael J Fox will always be my all time favorite time trip flick!
RJ M

Cowboys and motorcycles. This little gem from 1982 is one of the most fun time travel movies ever made. The always dependable Fred Ward plays Lyle Swann, a motorcycle hotshot racing through the desert, competing in the Baja 1000. He unwittingly gets caught up in a secret time travel… More
Cowboys and motorcycles. This little gem from 1982 is one of the most fun time travel movies ever made. The always dependable Fred Ward plays Lyle Swann, a motorcycle hotshot racing through the desert, competing in the Baja 1000. He unwittingly gets caught up in a secret time travel experiment, and is transported 100 years into the past. Not knowing that he's no longer in his own time, he stumbles upon a group of outlaws led by Peter Coyote, who sees his "machine" as his ticket to unlimited riches. What follows is a cat and mouse chase as Swann attempts to stay alive, the outlaws try to kill him and steal his bike, and scientists from Swann's time try to find him before the timeline is destroyed. It's lightweight as they come, but it moves like a high powered motorcycle, and has one of the great last minute rescues scenes in movie history. Ex-Monkee Michael Nesmith not only serves as producer, but also provides a blistering, guitar laced musical score. Note: While thankfully available on DVD, for some reason the ending of the movie has been changed, removing a hysterical, and somewhat gruesome death scene. That's a pretty big ripoff, and demands a collector's edition be made.