The Time Machine

I have a theory that if you can watch a movie twenty years or so after it was initially released, it's probably a good movie.

A lot of folks complain that it wasn't "the original", and that's okay. The original is a good movie, and this doesn't really need to be it. Instead it takes a story, updates and tweaks it just a bit and creates a delightful world of it's own. Sure, there are a few plot holes, and yes, there are a few scenes that could have done better. But they aren't hell-worthy trespasses, and are forgivable for the sake of propelling the plot forward.

Other than the spot on casting, which is enjoyable and fun and really well portrayed, what brings you into this film are the sets and sceneries. This movie came out before CGI was used to replace the world rather than augment the world, and so you have real sets in real woods and real costumed creatures, and it just pulls together nicely. The music fits incredibly well to capture the tribal setting that humanity has found itself back into without it being too anachronistic.

All in all a fun, enjoyable film to watch, and much better than a lot of movies that have been coming out lately that force the narrative, rather than letting the story unfold.

Since Herbert George Wells(1866-1946)' "The Time Machine" happens to be one of my favorite novels I was interested in this film mainly to see how the old man's great-grandson would handle his legacy.This film left me with mixed feelings.Many good points and many bad ones.

The Good:I truly enjoyed the 19th centurie scenes with Alexander and Emma.Her tragic death and Alexander's wish to change it provides our Time Traveler with serious motivation that he seemed to luck in the book.His obsession with his work is another good point.When you turn all your efforts towards one point then it is more probable that you will achieve your goals.The scenes while the machine is operating are visualy beautiful.Alexander as a "wandering fool" and his amazement at the 21st centurie achievements are well done.The Uber-Morlock was quite impressive, his seing the memories, dreams and nightmares of others seem to have left him with a lot of wisdom.His lack of emotions in a matter of survival for himself and his race is understandable.Why should he be shocked?Humanity has fed on flesh for milenia.We knowed and we don't get shocked by it.Why should he be?He actualy seems evolved rather than devolved as the other Morlocks.

The Bad:In the original novel humanity supposedly reached a golden age.The upper-class used the lower-class to achiebe its dream.A life with no worries.The upper-class lived in magnificent towers while the lower class was forced to live below the earth, in tunnels.As time went on the upper-class evolved to the Eloi living in a paradise.Childlike in appearance and in nature.Their luck of problems left them with no need to studie and eventualy all the wisdom of their founders was lost.They were left using achievements they couldn't understand and couldn't maintaine.The lower-class evolved into the Morlocks.Forgotten by the Eloi they were left to feed on each other and eventualy reached the surface and started feeding on the Eloi.Both races were devolved when the Time Traveler arrived.The only person from this time he actualy likes was Weena a young Eloi girl he saved who grew attached to him.In the novel they wander around studying the state of decline the human races had reached.

Unfortunately all this history of the two races is lost in this movie.The plot about the Moon falling was rather ridiculous and hardly explained the evolution of the two races.The Eloi of the film are much more inteligent than those in the movie but nothing interesting is truly done with them.I was hoping to see Alexander trying to teach his new roomates some of his wisdom.But nothing like this happens.Why would Alexander be interested in those two races isn't explained.Why would he pass two chances to return to his time isn't expained at all.What gives him the right to kill the Morlocks is left equaly unexplained.The "Happy" ending leaves him living in a time that shouldn't held any interest for a science-loving man.Nothing to explore or study.After his experience with time travel I don't think he would just be content left in one or the other point of the time stream.Rather unfortunate progress.

It could have been a classic if only the finale didn't resemble stupid adventure movies rather than the original novel or any other piece of fiction with an actual interest in the concept of time traveling.Alas the Wells family seems to be devolving too.

I had the oppportunity to see "The Time Machine" last night at a special screening in Arlington, Virginia, and I enjoyed it. It does not follow the same plot line as the H.G. Wells book, but in my opinion, that does not detract from the movie. I thought the Orlando Jones character of Vox was quite interesting and amusing, and Jeremy Irons definitely deserved more screentime, as he is a superb actor in every role he takes on. The character development was a little weak, but it was tricky with the time travel aspect. I found the special effects to be good; it is difficult to measure up to some of the special effects that have come out recently, and I think they did a good job. With every new movie that comes out, you have increasingly more spectacular visual effects, especially with the higher budget films. All in all, I think that the actors did a good job, and the movie kept me interested the whole time and was especially good in some parts. I would definitely recommend this movie, and I give it 8 stars.

Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce) is a scientist living in 1899 NYC. He proposes to his girlfriend Emma, but she's killed in a robbery. Four years later, he builds a time machine. However when he tries going back to rescue Emma, she is killed in a different way. Disenchanted, he travels forward in time to 2030 to search for a way to change the past. However he finds nothing about time travel. He jumps forward another 7 years to find the world in collapse and chaos after the moon is destroyed. He tries to use his time machine again but an explosion knocks him out. The machine keeps running until 802,701 AD when he regains consciousness.

The movie works well for awhile, but the future world of Eloi and Morlock is a bit of a letdown. It takes the H. G. Wells world and makes a Planet of the Apes movie out of it. In the end, the well-made movie is let down by this. Also there is an uncompelling action ending. The movie just has nothing profound to say, and is a barely functional action movie.

The four of us are in the 40 - 50 age range, and we are fairly tough what we like and do not like in films. It was Friday night and we wanted entertainment. We read the comments below - mostly, but not all negative - and decided to take a gamble. Arriving at the cinema, we were prepared for a bad movie but hoping for 'a good relaxing time'. Well, we *did* like this film! Not a top box office smash or even an 8 out of 10, but entertaining nevertheless. The MUSIC was superb. ACTING was fine. HISTORIC life portrayed in old Cambridge Massachusetts was realistic - even the snow and cold weather was real. The ROMANCE was acceptable. The STORY, while not closely following H G Well, was good enough. The SPECIAL EFFECTS were very good indeed. It is worth a gamble, to see this film. But go with a light heart and an acceptable frame of mind, and keep your expectations below that of a 10 out of 10 film.