Time after Time

This is another warm and cozy romance movie from Hallmark, with likable characters in a beautiful small country town, good actors and a good story about a guy who left things undone with the love of his life, but return and try to fix his past mistakes.

That part is really good, but for me the thing that gets in the way is the pathetic and simplistic political speech "big chain stores are bad for small traders, let's ban them even if that is the worst possible choice for the consumers", as if it were possible prevent the progress. This speech is the only thing that annoys me and complete ruins the film for me.

I wasn't expecting too much of this film, but I have to say it really hooked me from the start and was a really enjoyable journey for 90 minutes. All the usual elements of a Hallmark movie were there - small town, local stores , local newspaper and lost romance - but the storyline and Richard Thomas gave the film a big boost. The time travel supposition was a bit weak (no, very weak !), but I'll forgive that. Nice to see a kiss not saved up for the end credits too. ! Worth a watch - go see it.

I thought that this was a decent film; it was gentle, moved at a comfortable pace and gave me a warm feeling. The setting was beautiful, as you would expect of Duncan B.C. and the background score was not intrusive but assisted the atmosphere rather than distracting from it.

The actors were all good and likable characters, even the town doctor who strayed (the unethical behaviour which another reviewer mentioned) with someone who was likely a patient. Richard Thomas has always been that actor who is like the home town boy of the Waltons who we all like. He gives just enough of that boy with the angst of the man who left things undone but finally finds a way to make his biggest mistake right.

Though there are not many surprises there are a few little twists that make the plot work but basically it's a feel good film to give you the warm fuzzies on a cool day under your blankie.

Unlike most Hallmark love stories, this one is less about the process of the lovers falling in love and more about using time travel to change what is from the story's viewpoint is the future.

We very quickly learn that Dick is really a future version of Richard who has returned to get Richard to correct his mistake of giving up yet again on his true love, Jackie. This isn't going to be easy because Jackie has a boyfriend.

In the usual Romance movie, much of the plot centers around how the potential lovers fall in love with each other. In this movie, the plot centers more around first convincing Richard and then having Richard do what needs to be done to change the future which has more to do with being a journalist than being romantic.

I really dislike time travel movies that are based on changing history as opposed to restoring it. Since the perspective is not so much changing the past as it is changing the future (its all in the viewpoint), that makes this one a little easier to live with. Dick's attempts to convince Richard are intended to be funny, but I found them to be more clumsy writing and acting than funny.

And there was at least at little time spent trying to bring the lovers together again after an 11 year separation. There are a couple of funny moments as Jackie appears more intent on crippling Richard than loving him, but they are really more accidents than intention. There are some warm moments as well.

Unlike most sci-fi, there is very little techno-babble, so both the sci-fi fan, and non-fan, may enjoy this different take on Hallmark romance.

I love Hallmark movies I'm afraid to admit. Most of them wouldn't win any awards, but, are sweet lovely films that do what movies are supposed to do - leaves you entertained and smiling at the end. Most of them you won't remember in a day or two, but, at least they don't leave you numb with shock at the violence, sex or language like big movies do now. So I was looking forward to Time After Time and it didn't disappoint me. It was lovely and gentle and left me smiling. Richard Thomas was marvellous and the ending was rather wonderful. I may not watch this over and over, but, it kept me smiling. Also, the ending of who she went with couldn't have been more obvious as well as what the Doctor did and why the supermarket was no good.