The Time Machine (2002)

Hoping to alter the events of the past, a 19th century inventor instead travels 800,000 years into the future, where he finds humankind divided into two warring races.

Director:

Simon Wells

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel), David Duncan (earlier screenplay),

Stars:

Guy Pearce, Mark Addy, Phyllida Law

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Guy Pearce	...	Alexander Hartdegen
Mark Addy	...	David Philby
Phyllida Law	...	Mrs. Watchit
Sienna Guillory	...	Emma
Laura Kirk	...	Flower Seller
Josh Stamberg	...	Motorist
John W. Momrow	...	Fifth Avenue Carriage Driver
Max Baker	...	Robber
Jeffrey M. Meyer	...	Central Park Carriage Driver
Jeremy Irons	...	Über-Morlock
Alan Young	...	Flower Store Worker
Myndy Crist	...	Jogger
Connie Ray	...	Teacher
Orlando Jones	...	Vox
Lennie Loftin	...	Soldier #1

Storyline

Based on the classic sci-fi novel by H.G. Wells, scientist and inventor, Alexander Hartdegen, is determined to prove that time travel is possible. His determination is turned to desperation by a personal tragedy that now drives him to want to change the past. Testing his theories with a time machine of his own invention, Hartdegen is hurtled 800,000 years into the future, where he discovers that mankind has divided into the hunter - and the hunted.

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Plot Keywords:

time travel | time machine | scientist | hunter | 19th century | 

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Taglines:

Be Careful What You Wish For

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Adventure | Action

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

La máquina del tiempo

Filming Locations:

Albany, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$450,608 (Japan) (9 August 2002)

Gross:

$4,156,558 (Japan) (9 August 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, DreamWorks SKG, Parkes/MacDonald Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Guy Pearce was so consistent in most of his takes that the audio from one take could be put with the video from another and the combination of the two would fit perfectly.

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Goofs

One of the pocket watches in Alex's collection was actually a Swiss made design that was not introduced until around 1920, and thus would not have been produced in 1899.

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Quotes

Alexander Hartdegen: You're forgetting one thing. What if?

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Connections

Referenced in The History and Allure of Time Travel (2004)

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Soundtracks

"There's a Place Called Tomorrow"
Written by Alan Zachary

User Reviews

Interesting but flawed

Since Herbert George Wells(1866-1946)' "The Time Machine" happens to be one of my favorite novels I was interested in this film mainly to see how the old man's great-grandson would handle his legacy.This film left me with mixed feelings.Many good points and many bad ones.

The Good:I truly enjoyed the 19th centurie scenes with Alexander and Emma.Her tragic death and Alexander's wish to change it provides our Time Traveler with serious motivation that he seemed to luck in the book.His obsession with his work is another good point.When you turn all your efforts towards one point then it is more probable that you will achieve your goals.The scenes while the machine is operating are visualy beautiful.Alexander as a "wandering fool" and his amazement at the 21st centurie achievements are well done.The Uber-Morlock was quite impressive, his seing the memories, dreams and nightmares of others seem to have left him with a lot of wisdom.His lack of emotions in a matter of survival for himself and his race is understandable.Why should he be shocked?Humanity has fed on flesh for milenia.We knowed and we don't get shocked by it.Why should he be?He actualy seems evolved rather than devolved as the other Morlocks.

The Bad:In the original novel humanity supposedly reached a golden age.The upper-class used the lower-class to achiebe its dream.A life with no worries.The upper-class lived in magnificent towers while the lower class was forced to live below the earth, in tunnels.As time went on the upper-class evolved to the Eloi living in a paradise.Childlike in appearance and in nature.Their luck of problems left them with no need to studie and eventualy all the wisdom of their founders was lost.They were left using achievements they couldn't understand and couldn't maintaine.The lower-class evolved into the Morlocks.Forgotten by the Eloi they were left to feed on each other and eventualy reached the surface and started feeding on the Eloi.Both races were devolved when the Time Traveler arrived.The only person from this time he actualy likes was Weena a young Eloi girl he saved who grew attached to him.In the novel they wander around studying the state of decline the human races had reached.

Unfortunately all this history of the two races is lost in this movie.The plot about the Moon falling was rather ridiculous and hardly explained the evolution of the two races.The Eloi of the film are much more inteligent than those in the movie but nothing interesting is truly done with them.I was hoping to see Alexander trying to teach his new roomates some of his wisdom.But nothing like this happens.Why would Alexander be interested in those two races isn't explained.Why would he pass two chances to return to his time isn't expained at all.What gives him the right to kill the Morlocks is left equaly unexplained.The "Happy" ending leaves him living in a time that shouldn't held any interest for a science-loving man.Nothing to explore or study.After his experience with time travel I don't think he would just be content left in one or the other point of the time stream.Rather unfortunate progress.

It could have been a classic if only the finale didn't resemble stupid adventure movies rather than the original novel or any other piece of fiction with an actual interest in the concept of time traveling.Alas the Wells family seems to be devolving too.