Subject: Review: Time Machine, The (2002)

From: Laura Clifford <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 2002 19:36:04 -0000

THE TIME MACHINE
----------------

In turn of the century New York City, absent minded professor Alexander
Hartdegan (Guy Pearce, "The Count of Monte Cristo") is spruced up by his
housekeeper Mrs. Wachit (Phyllida Law, "The Winter Guest") before he
goes to propose to Emma (Jessica Lange lookalike Sienna Guillory).  But
tragedy strikes and the bereft Hartdegan is determined to undo what has
been done and so he spends years using his intellect and correspondence
with a patent clerk named Einstein to create "The Time Machine."

Based on the H.G. Wells science fiction story that George Pal first brought
to the screen in the 60's, "The Time Machine" is directed this time around
by the author's great grandson Simon Wells ("Prince of Egypt").  While
forty years of special effects development take the cheese factor out of
this version's visuals, overall the effort is a disappointment.

The film's first major problem is its ham-handed handling of its motivational
tragedy.  When Hartdegan succeeds in returning to the time before his fiance's
death, he soon learns that it is an event he can't alter.  The second death
scene shouldn't inspire titters, however, and this one does.  A carriage
accident may as well have been replaced by the proverbial 2000-pound weight.
The man who spent years going back in time gives up on his endeavor after one 
try and decides instead to go future hopping to find out why he couldn't 
prevent Emma's death.

Hartdegan boards his machine for a longer journey and we're treated to
changing seasons and the botanical growth and shrivellings that creep
across the conservatory glass in retro stop-motion spurts.  In 2030, he
finds a new addition to the story inside the city's library.  Vox (Orlando
Jones, "Evolution") is a database hologram with attitude who frustrates
Alexander's demand for time travel schematics with information on H.G.
Wells and Pal's earlier film.  When Hartdegan attempts to jump forward,
he's halted a mere 7 years later to find the earth being destroyed by a 
fragmenting moon.  He barely escapes arrest, but is knocked out clambering
into his vehicle which progresses forward for 800,000 years.

He awakens to find himself being cared for by Mara (Irish pop star Samantha 
Mumba) within a colony of cliff hugging pod dwellings.  His puzzlement over
where the older Elois have gone is answered one day in a horrific attack
by the Morlocks, which hunt down Elois as food and take Mara to their
underground dwelling.  Hartdegan travels into the underground Morlock
mining community to find Mara in the clutches of Uber-Morlock (Jeremy Irons,
"Reversal of Fortune"), an intellectually evolved being who controls
the hellish society.

While Vox is an inspired addition, this adaptation by Josh Logan ("Gladiator")
is curiously lacking in time travel and doesn't generate any excitement
until the last journey's already been taken.  The final segment, with its
powerful and fast moving Morlocks, offers some thrills, but logic isn't its
strong suit.  The 'stone language' taught amidst New York tablets inscribed
with Brooklyn Bridge and Tiffany and Co. smacks of "Planet of the Apes"
while the hideous, human hunting miners recall "Battlefield Earth."  It
makes little sense why the Elois need to live dangerously suspended
along cliffs when we're shown that Morlocks have no problem climbing.

Guy Pearce's stilted performance does little to distract the audience
from the film's problems.  He gives his character no humor or warmth and
seems incapable of projecting wonder, something a time traveler should have
in good supply.  Thankfully Orlando Jones perks things up in the few scenes
he's in and Samantha Mumba has nice presence as Mara.  Phyllida Law is
underutilized as Mrs. Watchit yet still injects some much needed character
into the Victorian segments which find Mark Addy ("The Full Monty") adrift as 
Hartdegan's friend Philby.  Samantha Mumba's young brother Omera plays
Mara's younger brother Kalen like the feral boy of "The Road Warrior." 
That Jeremy Irons' character should set one to thinking of "Battlefield
Earth's" Travolta is not a good thing.

The wall to wall chalkboards of Hartdegan's laboratory were configured by
a mathematician to ensure accuracy, but this "The Time Machine" needed
more time at the drawing board.

C+

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X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 293742
X-RT-TitleID: 1112951
X-RT-SourceID: 386
X-RT-AuthorID: 1487
X-RT-RatingText: C+