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*** Official "THE TIME MACHINE" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

RobertR

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Mark, I really think you should change your reviewing style to not go into so much detail about what happens in a film. A review shouldn't be a detailed recap. That said, I think Jack's instincts about the film were right. It doesn't sound like this film is anywhere NEAR the quality of the 1960 version. Too bad, but unsurprising in today's Hollywood.
 

Rob Willey

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As I stated in the previous Time Machine thread, I'm really ambivalent about the CGI in this remake. It should be awesome for portraying the rapid passage of time as he travels, but the supercharged Morlocks look like retreads from too many summer popcorn flicks we've all seen before.

I'm afraid this remake of The Time Machine will be to the 1960 original what the recent release of Rollerball is to the 1975 original.

Rob
 

Beau

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Every time I see a tv preview I am more anxious to see it. I don't think it'll be as good as the original 1960 version, but I think it'll be good.
 

Gavin_L

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after reading your review mark, pretty excited to see this movie, along with the old sometime. thanks for the review :)
 

cafink

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Well, I saw "The Time Machine" tonight. For free. Here's my brief review:

I liked it. It puts an interesting spin on the idea of time travel and changing the past. The special effects were fantastic. The morlocks looked great; VERY creepy. Good acting all around.

It's not perfect, but there are far worse ways to spend six bucks and ninety minutes. I recommend "The Time Machine."
 

Sean Oneil

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For some reason I always had this title confused with 'Time after Time' ..probably due to the H.G. wells connection somehow getting twisted around in my head.

I agree with Seth. The first time I saw the long trailer for this movie, I thought that it lookd a lot like Planet of the Apes.
 

Robert Crawford

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This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for The Time Machine. Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.
All HTF member film reviews of The Time Machine should be posted to the Official Review Thread.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy
 

Scott Weinberg

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I've posted my review in the appropriate thread. Hope you enjoy it.
Unfortunately my trailer-based suspicions have proved somewhat accurate. What a mess this movie is! At least it was short! :D (95 minutes with credits?? Something like that.)
 

Peter Kline

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I was looking forward to the film. However the trailer gave me the feeling that Guy Pearce is a rather cold and unappealing actor. He looks like he didn't bathe regularly (at least compared to Rod Taylor) what with his stringy hair.
Several reviews I've read this morning concur in part to my observation. I think the fact that the film had not been readily available to the press until the last week means the studio was wary. However, it will do well this first weekend. To quote Jack Briggs, "there's a sucker born every minute". Oh, Jack didn't say that? Sorry.:frowning:
 

Jay E

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I checked Rotten Tomatoes and the reviews have not been very kind. Quite a few of them are saying that it ends very abrubtly, as if the film was truncated. I wonder if this has anything to do with the scrapped footage due to 9/11(I'm hoping that the DVD will have the restored footage). I'm not sure now if I want to see this for the $10 we New Yorkers have to overpay.
 

Edwin Pereyra

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I was also looking forward to this one. But a 14% rating (32% overall) over at RT doesn't bode well. I'll save my hard earned dollars and precious time and wait for the DVD instead. :frowning:
~Edwin
 

Peter Kline

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The truncated ending as reported has absoultely nothing to do with 9/11. Based on the trailer, there is still a meteor shower depicted in New York City. Since I haven't seen the film I suspect they just removed the WCT towers and inserted other buildings. I'm sure someone who has seen the film can confirm or deny.
 

Peter Kline

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Edwin,
You'll be paying more for the DVD then seeing it in a theatre (unless you plan on renting it) :)
 

Dave Scarpa

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I can't understand why people wait on seeing it in the theater, then Buy the DVD. If it's not good enough to see in the theatre why would I want to own it, no matter how many extras they stick on the thing. I might rent, but that's it.
 

Jack Briggs

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"I'll save my hard earned dollars and precious time and wait for the DVD instead."
Edwin, I had Peter Kline-esque comment all ready for you, but the man beat me to the punch. Instead of buying the disc, I'll wait for a friend of mine to get it--and I'll watch the thing in her Toshiba 56H80/Marantz/Paradigm-based theater.

I am willing to hazard that this new incarnation of The Time Machine is a high-profile example of the dumbing down of commercial, studio-driven American "cinema"--sort of on the scale of 1999's The Haunting compared to Robert Wise's incomparable 1963 original. I bet it's that dramatic of a difference.
 

Chris_Anders

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Dec 3, 2001
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just saw the movie so I thought I'd post some observations. The speceial effects were awesome, especially the "Time passing forward" scene when Pierce is traveling into the future. The Morlocks are actually pretty cool, remember the first movie? They were just these big hulking blue things, so not too much was needed to update them, except to make them faster and meaner. Irons was good in his minimal role as the Cheif of the Morlocks.

There were a few cheezy parts in the movie I must warn you all. I chuckled under my breath a few times. And the music was of the "native" style wailing when our trusty time traveler is wandering around in the future with the Eloi, don't think it fit all that well, could have had better music selection in some scenes.

This is a pretty quick overview of the movie, there is more to say, but I just don't have the time at the moment.

It was a very entertaining movie with some flaws, and a few terrific scenes (ESPECIALLY the time travel sequence)and some solid acting.

I would give it ***1/2 Stars out of 5.
 

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