In 1960, I sat in a theater at the age of 12 and was totally dazzled by the original Time Machine, going so far as to run home and recreate a model of the miniature.
In the 2002 remake, the time machine itself is a gorgeous contraption of brass, spinning disks and other parts, light beams, and a force field ball that envelops the machine as it travels through time. In operation, it's a visual treat. That's about it for superlatives.
As I began watching the remake, I briefly considered how much the art and technology of movie making has advanced and wondered how the remake would benefit. Unfortunately, not so much -- there was little in the way of refreshing of visuals in the movie. In fact, Alexander's travel to the future duplicates the scene of hemlines rising and falling in the shop across the way to the degree I thought they borrowed footage from the original movie. The fact that Mara and Kalen not only understand English, but speak it as if they grew up in the present day US, is a real stretch. Alexander reaches that conclusion that you cannot alter the past. However, he did precisely that when he went back and changed how Emma dies. 800,000 years into the future, pieces of the shattered moon seem to be in the same positions they were in shortly after its destruction. They should have moved, possibly back toward the moon, or to become rings around the earth. The Uber Morlock just seemed to introduce unneeded confusion and another opportunity for a knock-down fight.
To sum up, Time Machine of 2002 is enjoyable for the most part, and deserves the "6" rating it received, but is clearly not the equal of the 1960 version that garnered a 7.6.
In the 2002 remake, the time machine itself is a gorgeous contraption of brass, spinning disks and other parts, light beams, and a force field ball that envelops the machine as it travels through time. In operation, it's a visual treat. That's about it for superlatives.
As I began watching the remake, I briefly considered how much the art and technology of movie making has advanced and wondered how the remake would benefit. Unfortunately, not so much -- there was little in the way of refreshing of visuals in the movie. In fact, Alexander's travel to the future duplicates the scene of hemlines rising and falling in the shop across the way to the degree I thought they borrowed footage from the original movie. The fact that Mara and Kalen not only understand English, but speak it as if they grew up in the present day US, is a real stretch. Alexander reaches that conclusion that you cannot alter the past. However, he did precisely that when he went back and changed how Emma dies. 800,000 years into the future, pieces of the shattered moon seem to be in the same positions they were in shortly after its destruction. They should have moved, possibly back toward the moon, or to become rings around the earth. The Uber Morlock just seemed to introduce unneeded confusion and another opportunity for a knock-down fight.
To sum up, Time Machine of 2002 is enjoyable for the most part, and deserves the "6" rating it received, but is clearly not the equal of the 1960 version that garnered a 7.6.