THE TIME MACHINE (2002) **1/2 I have very mixed feelings about this film. H. G. Wells wrote entertaining and visionary tales, not least the somewhat similar one that shares this title. But that was a long time ago, and the novelty of the possibility of time travel has...not worn off so much as it's just not shockingly brilliant in stand-alone style. So these guys work more the philosophical and metaphysical implications of it: where it interacts with fate, for example, whether there might be some kind of reversible metaphysical dialectic, brave not mild ponderings along the those lines. The ambition alone is intoxicating but it isn't sustained, they realize very little of what they go after. Which leaves entertainment value: it's a fun enough movie, but none of the performances are particularly brilliant, other than Jeremy Irons I guess, who isn't exactly good. Though it's left with enough ambiguity that you don't have to despise him. And Omero Mumba is so cool, and acts so cool and looks so cool that he definitely adds to the proceedings. But it's too choppy, and so much of the scenery is just so obviously computer fake that it more than offsets the really cool stuff. The physics and metaphysics doesn't have to make sense-shouldn't make sense, can't make sense-but Guy Pearce' motivations in some pivotal scenes don't make a lot of sense, either. Entropy for the devotees of pathology, I guess. I guess.
back to Brilliant Observations on 2120 Films page, or Index
go back home, or send me email
Reviews won't do it any more! I need sustained brilliance! I want to buy your exciting new terrorist novel!
I've already read both of your novels. Thank you, they're amazing. Now I want to check out your weekly blog on everything