Every Trekkie knows the expression: "Beam me up, Scotty." In this viewer's fantasy, the expression would be: "Beam me back!" Yes, I'm a time-travel film nut!
This post assumes that readers have seen the classic flicks that take us back to the old days...or forward to the future. The Terminator series is among the most popular. Then there is the great standout, The Time Machine (and its wimpy remake with Guy Pearce).
Today's discussion touts four lesser-known, but delightful time-travel movies.
First, there's The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm a fan of both Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, so this was not a hard sell for me. Basically a love story, the message being that love is eternal, poor EB finds himself soaring through time at the most unexpected moments. Except for a moment of older man/little girl inappropriateness, the film keeps us guessing. Just think of Christopher Reeves/Jane Seymour in a more creative package.
Then we move on to Millenium. With Nick Nolte at the helm, this imaginative piece really gets us thinking. To avoid the usual time travel paradox--a theme central to every good scifi piece--some future folks save people from plunging airplanes just before the crash. If, after all, the people are listed as goners, there's no problem keeping them alive...in the future!
Edward Burns is the star of the next winner: Sound of Thunder. He leads a troop of travelers who must stay on the "path" that takes them back to the Dinosaur Age...without actually entering that world. What if, however, one of the travelers accidentally lets an object roll off the path into the real past? Yikes!
In Twice Upon Yesterday, Lena Heady wows us with her charm and wit. She and her lover, who really screw things up in the past, get to go back and work it all out again. A nice fantasy for those of us (everyone?) who really messed up a relationship way-back-when! Will she succeed? Will her lover succeed? Or is the past truly fixed?
Enjoy, film buffs!
PS: If they ever make a real time machine, sign me up. I'll go visit my favorite hero, Abe Lincoln...and about a thousand other folks!
So my favorite time-travel movie is Primer followed closely behind by the last great - IMHO - Terry Gilliam film Twelve Monkeys.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aria. Yes, 12 Monkeys was a delight. Brad Pitt's finest role...for which he should have been nominated for an Oscar. Such a creative plot. Madeline Stowe is, as usual, a knockout...although I found her even better in Last of the Mohicans. Have not heard of Primer...but I will add it to my Netflix immediately...then report back to you once I've seen it. Here's another question for you: your top three scifi films. I know you're an expert, so I'll run out to rent your recommendations!
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