In the 90's, I'd pick up a dtv title for rental if it starred the right name and well ... you know where this is going. The likable Mark Hamill was probably the only reason anyone found themselves giving 'Time Runner' a go. A not particularly good opening with cheesy special FX, bad acting cut up by overlong and drawn out credits that has six people credited with the story wasn't a good sign. It's not the worst - some parts look like they're legitimately trying - but the end sci-fi action result is weak.
In 2022, Cpt. Raynor (Hamill) escapes a space station hovering above Earth just before it's destroyed while an Alien race is in the final stages of conquering the planet. Entering a wormhole, he ends up in the past crash landing on the planet in the year 1992. He doesn't have much time to get his barring or make sense of what's going on because bad MiB - alien sleeper agents - are already on his trail to make sure he can't change the future and stop the invasion.
In a plot that jumps between timelines, b-movie regular Brion James puts in a bit part of the president elect slash real deal. Rae Dawn Chong is a government scientist in the present day who as part of a team finds Raynor's escape pod, personally gets involved and helps. There's a standard bit of run 'n gun action, escape sequences and of course conspiracy - who can you trust element - but much of it isn't done with much in the way of excitement. It's 'Terminator' mixed with 'Blade Runner' on a low scale.
'Time Runner' is the type of generic movie that was pumped out by the dozen back in the day. At no point did it become a painful watch, but without Mark Hamill involved, I wouldn't have given it the time. 90 minutes moves quickly enough and there's some decent moments. Hamill can see into the future, realize he can alter events, but the flick is also on the low budget side and only written knee deep. Fans of his might want to give it a watch for curiosity sake, but it ain't no Wing Commander or Star Wars.