The Time Machine

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Machine</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="501" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 146 WIDTH="495"><div> <IMG SRC="12fb628c0.jpg" border=0 width="98" height="140" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005JKLZ/reelmoviecriticc"> The Time Machine on DVD</A>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> .</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="575"><div> The Time Machine ***<FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#CC9900" FACE="Arial" > (PG-13) </FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Reviewed By Pam Singleton</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="549" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="545"><div> Time well spent</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="580" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Alexander Hartdegen: Guy Pearce </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Mara: Samantha Mumba  </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Uber-Morlock: Jeremy Irons </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> David Philby: Mark Addy </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Vox: Orlando Jones </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Emma: Sienna Guillory </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Mrs. Wachit: Phyllida Law</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><div> Kalen: Omero Mumba </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="269"><div> Director: Simon Wells</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="304"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="304" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: At the turn of the 20<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> century a brilliant scientist time travels into the far distant future where he discovers that humankind has evolved along two different paths.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Story Line:</B> Inveterate inventor Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce) is an absent-minded professor of science in New York at the turn of the 20<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> century. Among his inventions is a motorized toothbrush, designed to help people "…keep their teeth well into their forties." He corresponds with Einstein but hardly remembers a date he's late for with the woman he plans to marry. When tragedy strikes his fiancée, Emma (Sienna Guillory), Alexander buries himself in his laboratory, determined to unlock the puzzle of time travel.</div> <bR> <div> Alexander's magnificent time machine remains a secret from his best friend and usual confidante, Dr. David Philby (Mark Addy) and his devoted housekeeper Mrs. Wachit (Phyllida Law). The machine itself is an elegant character in the plot with its dazzling brass fittings and whirling centrifugal panels transporting Alexander across eons, transiting time. </div> <bR> <div> In the year 2030 Alexander meets Vox (Orlando Jones), at the New York Public Library. Vox is a hologram with attitude and knows everything there is to know- a self-described "compendium for all human knowledge."</div> <bR> <div> Alexander glimpses humankind's race to control the galactic environment. Propelled 800,000 years into the future, he is rescued by the Eloi when his time machine is disabled. He is cared for by Mara (Samantha Mumba), a healer and teacher who speaks English, the old language, and her young brother, Kelan (Omero Mumba, Samantha's real life brother). The Eloi are gentle, passive people who live in pod-like shelters clinging to the sheer rock-face of cliffs, rising from a river bed and accessed by rope ladders, which are pulled up at sunset. </div> <bR> <div> Evolution has created two distinct species and the Morlocks are mutated underground-dwellers…ashen warriors with ferocity. Carrying their Eloi victims off through sinkholes in the sandy earth, Morlocks give new meaning to the expression "dust to dust."  Manipulating the behavior of these slope-headed monsters is their erudite, chalky skinned leader, portrayed by Jeremy Irons. Human in form, his sub-species is part of the underworld and not able to tolerate the sunlight but is knowledgeable and conversant about the history of mankind as shown by his ability to engage Alexander in a chilling dialogue.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: This revised film adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic science fiction novel, <I>The Time Machine</I> is rife with political and social commentary, while telling an entertaining tale. And yes, they are related…director Simon Wells is the great-grandson of H. G. Wells. </div> <bR> <div> George Pal's 1960 version has humor and a fairly contemporary look, considering it's been 22 years. The special effects are definitely dated, although those glowing Morlock eyes are pretty scary. In both films we end up in the same place of desperation and dread, brought on by war, miscalculation and greed. In 1960, however, it appeared that Rod Taylor had landed on a Nordic Island-everyone was <I>very </I>blonde. In this version the filmmakers wanted a more accurate portrayal of what the evolutionary tract predicts humans will look like in the far distant future.</div> <bR> <div> Guy Pearce brings intensity and wit to this role as he did in his memorable performance in <I><B>Memento</B></I>…but did <I>not </I>in a much less memorable turn in <I><B>The Count of Monte Cristo</B></I>.</div> <div> Samantha Mumba, the popular Irish and African singer, with hit songs across Great Britain, makes a fine acting debut here and is lovely. The emotional component of love is unique to this adaptation and necessary for today's audience, so the character of Emma was created.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>The Time Machine</B></I> is a fun ride through our galaxy, and possibly a revealing one as well. </div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="591" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> PG-13 (intense sequences of action violence)</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> Pam Singleton © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="587"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>pam@reelmoviecritic.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> Mini Filmography </div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 WIDTH="286"><div> Guy Pearce: <I><B>Memento, The Count of Monte Cristo</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Samantha Mumba: Film debut; popular</div> <div> Singer/songwriter</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 38 ><NOBR><div> Jeremy Irons: <I>Reversal of  Fortune</I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Mark Addy: <I>The Full Monty</I>; <I><B>A Knight's Tale</B></I></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Orlando Jones: <I><B>Evolution</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Sienna Guillory: American film debut</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="286"><div> Phyllida Law: <I><B>Saving Grace</B></I></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><div> Omero Mumba: Film debut</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 57 WIDTH="286"><div> Simon Wells: Co-director <I>The Prince of</I> <I>Egypt</I><I><B> (</B></I>animated). Debut as live action director</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="286"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="57" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="286" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>