Thursday, July 26, 2018

The Time Machine


Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Simon Wells

Starring: Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Mark Addy, Jeremy Irons, Orlando Jones

From: Warner Bros./Dreamworks

What an explanation I have for watching what was not a very good movie: 

Or: When the Planet of the Apes that I am reminded of while watching this is the one made by Tim Burton...

Before yesterday I never thought I would ever see this motion picture. Its reputation is not great and besides, I hadn't even seen the 1960 one in full. Yet I was somewhere and a person I know was watching this on the SyFy Channel; as I'd have to see the movie while eating dinner (which was at least better than the film), I might as well see it all. Yeah, it's not too great. Not that I would ever call this atrocious: I can't really complain about the acting and such things as the cinematography is fine. There are even some stylish moments. Overall, though...

This is a little different than the original H.G. Wells story or the 1960 version; Guy Pearce is Dr. Alexander Hartdegen, who builds the title object after his fiancee is killed... he wants to save her, you see, but that goes awry. He visits a few places and ends up 800,000 years in the future, where there are Eloi and Morlocks; he gets involved in those matters and really, that world reminded me so much of Burton's PotA... unfortunately that is not a plus as that motion picture was also rather lousy.

I'll presume the original story or the earlier film was more exciting and interesting than how this turned out. I suppose it did give me a few things to talk about.

* The novelty of H.G.'s great-grandson Simon Wells directing this. As he was otherwise an animation director and Gore Verbinski ended up directing part of this due to “extreme exhaustion”... but I won't say all of the movie's faults lie on him.

* I actually remember Samantha Mumba; at least in the United States she was a real one hit wonder. If people in the states do recall her, it would be for Gotta Tell You.

* That Orlando Jones character... not only was it pretty pointless, but a hologram that lasts for 800,000 years?!

* The way that Jeremy Irons looked in the movie: pretty incredible. Powdery white skin, long blonde hair, black lipstick, and bright blue eyes. I wish that character would have been in something better than this.

It's a common complaint yet it is accurate: the way this movie concludes really is a trainwreck and a disaster. Talk about going off the rails.

In my opinion, there is no real reason to see something that a lot of people probably forgot about by now.

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