The Time Machine

December 10, 2004

Rated: PG-13 Runtime: 96 min Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

The Time Machine is yet another movie roughly based on the 19th century novel of the same name by H.G. Wells. In this version we’re treated to some excellent modern day digital effects, but overall the film is all style and no substance.

The Time Machine

Guy Pearce stars as Alexander Hartdegen who invents a time machine in the late 1800’s and finds himself 800,000 years in the future. I won’t spoil it any more than the trailers for the movie already have, but suffice to say the neighborhood has changed more than a little bit and the future can be a scary place.

This movie just does not work. We visit a couple of time periods that look interesting only to have them cut off as we leave them with us really wanting to stay around and watch. Instead, we’re transported to this world 800,000 years in the future that is just not what most people going to watch a scifi or time travel movie are there to see.

Most of the performances were basically phoned in, but with this script who can blame the actors. Anytime there’s time travel you have to check your sense of disbelief at the door as there will be paradoxs, but the lack of attention to detail here is such that your brain can’t help but be sidetracked. For instance, if I were time travelling, I would be really paranoid about where I left my time machine and it’s security, so I could get home. Not this guy, he parks it in a plainly visible alley off a busy street in New York City completely uncamoflauged and walks away.

The only slightly redeeming features of the film are the visuals. There are some really good looking scenes and some of the action sequences toward the end aren’t bad. If there’s nothing better available, it might make a good DVD rental for that reason. But otherwise this movie is pure dreck.

Posted by Billy Bob | Filed Under 1 Stars, Action, Guy Pearce, Jeremy Irons, Mark Addy, PG-13, Philip Bosco, Samantha Mumba, SciFi, Theatrical