From Deseret News archives:
The Time Machine
Time Machine, The
Film review
There's simply no reason for the existence of this big-budget remake of George Pal's science-fiction classic actually adapted from H.G. Wells' forward-thinking short novel except that special effects have progressed in realism and complexity since the '60s.
Unfortunately, while there has been dramatic progression in effects technology, storytelling quality has eroded even more dramatically during just the past couple of years.
As a result, this film is yet another CGI-heavy adventure piece that's not very involving or interesting. And frankly, despite the budget, and the presence of some very talented people, the much-ballyhooed effects aren't nearly as impressive as you might expect.
Guy Pearce stars as Alexander Hartdegen, a Columbia University professor obsessed with time. The only thing that interests him nearly as much is his fiancee, Emma (Sienna Guillory), who is tragically murdered just as the two begin to celebrate their engagement.
So instead, the heartbroken time explorer decides to take a foray into the future, and he's horrified by what he sees mankind now occupies the moon, though with extremely catastrophic results.
In fact, he barely manages to escape from that time period before he winds up even further in the future, a time in which man has "devolved" into two species the peaceful Eloi, and savage, subterranean Morlocks, who hunt their gentle cousins for food.
Being author Wells' great-grandson, you'd think filmmaker Simon Wells would have more reverence for the material. But this costly dud is a far cry from either the book or the beloved film.
The screenplay (by "Gladiator" scribe John Logan) tries too hard to be clever as with winking nods to the venerated Wells and a goofy gag about an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical and it is never as profound as it thinks it is.
Even the usually steady Pearce doesn't seem all that inspired by the material, while Irish singer Samantha Mumba, who plays the Eloi's leader, is fairly bland in her big-screen debut. Only Jeremy Irons, as the villainous Morlock leader, makes much of an impression though some of that can be attributed to his creepy makeup.
"The Time Machine" is rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi violence (some gunplay, as well as startlingly violent Morlock attacks) and gore (including a gruesome scene in an abattoir). Running time: 96 minutes
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com
Recent comments
I love this show!!!!!! the acting is fantastic, the script
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Ginger Brown | March 8, 2004 at 1:23 p.m.
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james barger | Sept. 17, 2002 at 9:46 a.m.
Cast: Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Jeremy Irons, Orlando Jones
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