THE TIME MACHINE
US, 2002, 95 minutes, Colour .
Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Mark Addy, Sienna Guillory, Jeremy Irons, Phyllida Law.
Directed by Simon Wells.
Many parents and grandparents have happy memories of the 1960 version of H.G.Wells' The Time Machine with Rod Taylor. It took them into future worlds like those of Jules Verne. In those days, the film studios were developing special effects to spark the imaginations of young audiences. These days, there are so many marvels of special effects movies that it is very hard to top them, especially the Star Wars series and, now, The Lord of the Rings.
The director of this version is Simon Wells, great grandson of the author himself, who was responsible for the animated feature about Moses some years ago, The Prince of Egypt. Wells obviously relishes the chance to make a film of his ancestor's novel and, while not in the same league as the huge blockbusters, there is enough here to satisfy an audience who enjoys imagining the future. The makers obviously respect the 1960 film because they actually refer to it and many of the scenes echo the earlier film.
The action has been changed to New York at the turn of the 20th century. Alexander Hartdegen is a maths professor and an inventor. When his fiancee is killed during a mugging in the park, Alexander builds his time travel machine to go back to save her. He is unable to. He then decides to visit the future. In the 21st century, he finds technology so developed that a personalised computer hologram (played by Orlando Jones) is programmed with all human knowledge and is on duty in the museum. Later, Alexander finds that colonising of the moon has so affected the lunar environment that the moon is breaking up and hurtling meteoric pieces towards earth.
Felled in his attempt to escape, Alexander sets his machine in motion but does not regain consciousness until he is more than 800,000 years into the future. Humanity has regressed, the Eloi being the humane survivors who are hunted by the Morlocks, ugly, voracious monsters who are controlled by a highly intelligent albino Uber-Morlock?, played in sepulchral tones by Jeremy Irons. By now, the quiet professor has had to become something of the Indiana Jones of 800,000 and fight the Morlocks to save the Eloi.
Perhaps this is part of Wells' genius in telling his story. He combines speculation about the future with a quiet hero who has to turn adventurer. In 1960, Australian Rod Taylor played the part. In 2002, Australian Guy Pearce is convincing as the introspective academic, disappointed in love, who goes into action hero mode. Popular singer, Samantha Mumba, is Mara who befriends the professor.
Families with older children should enjoy it. Some of the Morlocks and the confrontations and chases may be too frightening for the very young.
1. The classic status of H.G. Wells' story? The film version of 1960? Audience interest in the theme, the book, the film? This film paying homage to the previous one?
2. New York City 1900, the elaborate detail of the sets and décor, of the house, laboratory, the streets, the park? The comparison with the passing of time during the 20th century? The 21st century and the museum, Vox? The transition to the colonising of the moon, not respecting the moon's environment, its breaking up and hurtling towards the earth? 800,000 AD and regression, the caves and the precipice homes? Hunters and hunted? Audience interest in the theme, the book, the film? This film paying homage to the previous one?
3. New York City 1900, the elaborate detail of the sets and décor, of the house, laboratory, the streets, the park? The comparison with the passing of time during the 20th century? The 21st century and the museum, Vox? The transition to the colonising of the moon, not respecting the moon's environment, its breaking up and hurtling towards the earth? 800,000 AD and regression, the caves and the precipice homes? Hunters and hunted?
4. The special effects, the time machine itself, its mode of travel, Vox as a hologram, the moon and its break-up, the pursuits in the future? The musical score and its old classic style?
5. Simon Wells and his vision, respect for his ancestor? Glimpses of the future in the Jules Verne style? Interpreting the present and its meanings through the past and the future? How prophetic was H.G.Wells? This film?
6. Alexander Hartdegen: the maths professor, absent-minded academic, relationship with the students, with Philby, with Mrs Watchit, his relationship with Emma? His getting ready to go out, his friends looking after him, going to buy the flowers but looking at the car, meeting Emma discussions, the proposal, the ring, the robbery and the killing, Alexander's grief?
7. Four years alone, Philby coming to visit him, Mrs Watchit looking after him? His plan to return to the past, building the machine, going to save Emma, meeting her early, the proposal, the accident and her death? Fated to die?
8. Alexander's motivations, feelings, the academic and introspective man becoming a time-traveller, seeing the changes in the world, going into the future?
9. The 21st century and the museum, the children and the teachers, Vox and his lectures, discussions, the computer programmed with all human knowledge? Alexanders discussion with Vox? The date of his own death and the summary of his eccentricity? In the future, Vox still there centuries later, the finale and teaching the children? The roles of computers, programming, knowledge, holograms and personality?
10. The colonialising of the moon, the ruined New York City, its collapse, hurtling to earth, the guards taking Alexander, his escape?
11. Unconscious, going to the future, 800,000 years hence? The dry earth, the deserts, the replenishment with the forests, the continual evolution and change? The future and the Eloi, their language, puzzle about the visitor, Mara and her brother, knowing English, befriending Alexander, explaining the culture? Becoming friendly with the Eloi? The contrast with the Morlocks, their attack, their victims? The dangers in the homes on the precipices? Alex and his response to the Marlock attack, becoming an action hero? Love for Mara?
12. The Morlocks as monsters, spying and hunting? The Uber-Morloc? as the control, the albino, intelligent, his deformities, subterranean? Jeremy Irons' visual and verbal style? The verbal jousts with Alexander, the physical fight, Alexander using the time machine to destroy him?
13. Alex and his choices, for Mara, for the Eloi? Sharing their being hunted, the pursuits through the caves? The destruction of the time machine - that it was only a machine?
14. An understanding of the future by re-examining the present and the past? Action entertainment with insight?
