It's just a shame when a film based on one of the most enduring novels of all time performs so poorly in the story department. Obviously something went wrong.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I just couldn't imagine that H.G. Wells' great-grandson would botch his novel so badly, and I was very excited for this movie because I love Guy Pearce. He is one of my favorite actors.
But this adaptation just did not work, and I blame Simon Wells' direction and whoever so poorly adapted the novel into the screenplay.
I enjoyed the first half hour and the last five minutes, however the time traveling sequences make up the bulk of the film, and that is where the story lagged the most.
In the first half hour these characters had feelings and motives, but that was all forgotten when the director decided to rely on awesome special effects instead of simple storytelling during the time traveling. Visually this film was stunning, from the machine, the effects as time passed, the costumes, and the scenery, but there was practically nothing beneath all this glitz to truly capture the viewer's interest.
Also the time traveling sequences made absolutely no sense. There were so many inconsistencies. Yes, this is science fiction, but there was absolutely no logic dictating how time travel works in the film because I suppose the director didn't care enough to include that. Perhaps he thought if he created something pretty enough it would distract away from the lack of sense in the story.
Another thing that truly bothered me was the way Guy Pearce's character seemed to be almost schitzophrenic throughout the film. When does a humble physics professor turn into an action hero? He was fighting a genetically engineered warrior and talking about starting a rebellion! He changed that much all in the course of two days?
I walked out of the theater with so many unanswered questions, the primary one being, "If H.G. Wells had a time machine, would he travel to 2002 and boycott this empty adaptation?" I think he would.
I gave it a 7 just because the visuals were extraordinary and the performances were fine throughout.
Perhaps my expectations were too high. I just couldn't imagine that H.G. Wells' great-grandson would botch his novel so badly, and I was very excited for this movie because I love Guy Pearce. He is one of my favorite actors.
But this adaptation just did not work, and I blame Simon Wells' direction and whoever so poorly adapted the novel into the screenplay.
I enjoyed the first half hour and the last five minutes, however the time traveling sequences make up the bulk of the film, and that is where the story lagged the most.
In the first half hour these characters had feelings and motives, but that was all forgotten when the director decided to rely on awesome special effects instead of simple storytelling during the time traveling. Visually this film was stunning, from the machine, the effects as time passed, the costumes, and the scenery, but there was practically nothing beneath all this glitz to truly capture the viewer's interest.
Also the time traveling sequences made absolutely no sense. There were so many inconsistencies. Yes, this is science fiction, but there was absolutely no logic dictating how time travel works in the film because I suppose the director didn't care enough to include that. Perhaps he thought if he created something pretty enough it would distract away from the lack of sense in the story.
Another thing that truly bothered me was the way Guy Pearce's character seemed to be almost schitzophrenic throughout the film. When does a humble physics professor turn into an action hero? He was fighting a genetically engineered warrior and talking about starting a rebellion! He changed that much all in the course of two days?
I walked out of the theater with so many unanswered questions, the primary one being, "If H.G. Wells had a time machine, would he travel to 2002 and boycott this empty adaptation?" I think he would.
I gave it a 7 just because the visuals were extraordinary and the performances were fine throughout.