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Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Mark Addy, Sienna Guillory, Phyllida Law ... see more see more... , Alan Young , Omero Mumba , Yancey Arias , Orlando Jones , Jeremy Irons , Doug Jones , Lenny Loftin , Dan McCann , Gary Toy , Connie Ray , Craig Davis , Max Baker , John Koyama , Myndy Crist , Hiro Koda , Richard Cetrone , Jacob Chambers , Clint E. Lilley , Josh Stamberg , Joey Anaya , Michael Chaturantabut , Eddie Conna , Jonathan Eusebio , Roel Failma , Jeremy Fitzgerald , Bryan Friday , Grady Holder , Yoshio Iizuka , Diana Lee Inosanto , Malaea Chona Jason , Dorian Kingi , Laura Kirk , Mark Kubr , Kevin McTurk , Jeffrey M. Meyer , John W. Momrow , Gail Monian , R.C. Ormond , Jeff Podgurski , Maro Uo Richmond , Thomas Corey Robinson , Christopher Sayour , Petra Sprecher , Steve Upton , Jonathan Valera , Bryon Weiss , Josh Todd , Philip Bosco

The classic science fiction novel by H.G. Wells becomes this big-budget adventure directed by the author's great-grandson Simon Wells. Guy Pearce stars as Alexander Hartdegen, a scientist, professor, ... read more read more...and inventor in 1895 New York City who believes that time travel is possible. The sudden and unexpected death of his fiancée spurs Alexander to build a time machine, which he hopes to use in an effort to change the past. When he is unable to change the past, Alexander hurls himself more than 800,000 years into the future, seeking answers about the nature of time, but instead encountering a dystopian world where humanity has divided up into two races, the peaceful Eloi and the subterranean Morlocks. Befriending the beautiful Eloi woman Mara (pop singer Samantha Mumba), Alexander must set out to save her from the underground world of the Morlocks when she is captured by them. Along the way, he is aided by Vox (Orlando Jones), a bio-mechanical being from the 21st century. Ultimately, Alexander makes a shocking discovery about the true nature of the Eloi and Morlocks and decides that the only way to change the future is to alter the present. Due to exhaustion, director Wells was briefly replaced during the last few weeks of production by Gore Verbinski, director of The Mexican (2001). The Time Machine co-stars Jeremy Irons and Mark Addy. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Flixster Users

45% liked it

154,095 ratings

Critics

29% liked it

148 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Simon Wells

Release Date: March 8, 2002

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DVD Release Date: July 23, 2002

Stats: 4,810 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,810)

  • blacksheepboy
    February 24, 2012
    blacksheepboy
    A simplistic yet entertaining adaptation of Wells' story that removes the smart social commentary and invests in action with little imagination. It has some problems but will be enough fun for time travel fans.
  • CloudStrife84
    March 15, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Great special effects, but as for the script and acting, well, it could surely have been a lot better. It's a shame how much potential is lost here, due to lazy writing. Because while the time traveling bits are pretty awesome, the storyline per se goes into B-movie territory. Ha... read mored they skipped the parts with the Morlocks and Jeremy Irons in creepy make-up, it could have been a highly enjoyable experience. But due to said shortcomings, it's value never amounts to more than an average product of the sci-fi department. Worth the watch though, just for the nice visual treats.
  • 3niR
    June 8, 2010
    3niR
    I remember reading a book that was pretty similar was this movie. I was happy to see this. It's a good movie.
  • newvogueravyn
    January 20, 2010
    newvogueravyn
    I admit to having not seen the original or read the book, but I was a deal more entertained by this than I was expecting. This is mainly because of two elements which appeal to me personally; the museum's future computer system, and Jeremy Irons needing to pay his bills and tripp... read moreing my hormones in the process (a.k.a the reason why I did infact buy the DVD).

    Good news guys: if you find yourself 800,000 years in the future, apparantly girls still like flowers. Make sure you show her your shiny time machine, and you're in.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 14, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    Well what can I say to the Remake. I liked the Original one. Nice graphics and all but I had the feeling it didnt have the Magical influence on me like the Original one.
  • sanjurosamurai
    November 30, 2009
    sanjurosamurai
    doesnt hold a candle to the original. inferior in every way.
  • stormyweather980
    September 14, 2009
    stormyweather980
    Wouldn't we all like to be a time traveler? I know I would. If there was a such thing as being a time traveler for a living, I think I just might would do it. Think about it. You might could change the bad things in the past, or better yet, travel into the future and see what hap... read morepens to the world.
    A teacher, Alexander (Guy Pearce), does just that. He builds a time machine and does what everybody previously thought was impossible; he becomes a time traveler. After his beautiful fiance gets killed, he is more than compelled to travel into the past to change that unfortunate occurrance. However, something happens and she just can't seem to stay alive. For this reason, Alexander opts to travel into the future in order to find some answers as to why the past cannot be changed.

    Having never read the book nor seen the classic original, I didn't know what to expect from "The Time Machine". Popular opinion seems to be that the majority aren't crazy about the film, but I for one, liked it a lot. Even though I got real thirsty for a Mountain Dew once while I was viewing the movie, my thirst to watch this interesting film about time traveling was even stronger. It's fun to watch certain parts of the movie in particular, such as seeing the Morlocks (the human/demon looking monsters) for the first time, and watching to see if Alexander will ever return home. I also thought that Guy Pearce did a good acting job.

    But that's nothing. The main showcase of "The Time Machine" is EASILY the visual effects! Whether you're watching the seasons quickly change (by aid of seeing snow cover a window and then watching vines bloom and grow a few inches in a matter of a few seconds), the monsters getting blasted away by something (you'll have to watch the movie to find out :-Ã?) that turns them from huge, muscle bound creatures to little more than specks of dust in a few heartbeats, to the simple act of the time machine's wheels spinning hundreds of miles per hour, you will certainly not be disappointed at all with "The Time Machine" when it comes to its special effects.

    Along with being the first version of "The Time Machine" that I've ever seen or read, this was also the first DVD that I had the opportunity to watch. Therefore, I don't really know if its extras are a lot or not many, but from what I see, I think it's definitely a good deal.

    Included in the DVD are such things as a scene index (start watching the film at certain parts), subtitles, audio, and more. Even better are the many behind the scenes extras that are on this little disc. You can read biographies of the cast, see how the Morlocks and the time machine were made, stunt choreography, a deleted scene (it lasts about 5 minutes, and it's good), trailers, commentaries, how the spectacular visual effects were done, and more!

    If a good movie and all of those extras aren't enough of a reason to purchase a DVD, I don't know what is. If you like the movie, don't think twice about getting the DVD! NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2002.
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    June 11, 2009
    LoughnerWasLucid
    haha wow man i have not heard this movie even mentioned. anywhere since it came out. and theres a reason for that... also there will not b stupid little plastic bikes in the future.
  • garyX
    April 30, 2009
    garyX
    Guy Pearce travels back in time to recreate a half-arsed Victorian version of The Butterfly Effect, but when he is thwarted travels forward to find the world has been taken over by rubbish CGI and libraries have been turned into homages to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. Obviously di... read moresmayed by this, he travels to the far future to find the human race has been split into two; one half the offspring of the extras from Waterworld and Ewoks, the other giant Muppets who round them up in a fashion not unlike that in Planet Of The Apes. Jeremy Irons turns up to collect his paycheck dressed up as a reject From Battlefield Earth before slinking off, muttering "never again..." (you said that after Dungeons & Dragons, Jeremy) and I get the uncontrollable urge to invent a time machine to so I can travel to a point in the future after this film has finished. Basically, a classic of English literature has been turned into a cornball pastiche of every junk sci-fi film of the past 40 years fronted by an Australian soap actor and a pop star in a see-through top. That Time Machine was a warning of what will happen to mankind if it abandons books and learning. This Time Machine is a warning of what will happen if Hollywood script writers abandon all books and learning.
  • Redlats
    August 31, 2008
    Redlats
    If you have read the book by H.G. Wells or seen the 1960 movie of the same name, you will realize this movie takes more liberties with the original book than the 1960 version does. Mind you the basis of Eloi and Morlocks and that the Eloi being the source of food for the Morlock... read mores is still there. I think they could have done a better job of the remake.

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Critic Reviews

Jeff Strickler
November 6, 2002
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

If H.G. Wells had a time machine and could take a look at his kin's reworked version, what would he say? 'It looks good, Sonny, but you missed the point.' Full Review

Michael Wilmington
July 20, 2002
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

One of those staggeringly well-produced, joylessly extravagant pictures that keep whooshing you from one visual marvel to the next, hastily, emptily. Full Review

Dennis Lim
March 12, 2002
Dennis Lim, Village Voice

If it's remembered at all, it will be as a time capsule of early-21st-century blockbuster cowardice and redundancy. Full Review

Bill Muller
March 9, 2002
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

They gave The Time Machine a major overhaul and ended up with a clunker.

Desson Thomson
March 8, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Amazingly stilted before accelerating into its exciting finish.

Stephen Hunter
March 8, 2002
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

The film is weirdly disjointed and uncertain as to tone.

Mike Clark
March 8, 2002
Mike Clark, USA Today

Simon Wells, whose other films include the animated The Prince of Egypt and Balto, manages to gut all the gee-whiz from the practically foolproof time-travel genre -- despite being H.G.'s real-life gr... Full Review

Peter Howell
March 8, 2002
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

Midway through the movie, just when it seems that it might amount to something interesting, we're suddenly transported to the set of a very bad remake of Planet Of The Apes. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
March 8, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

... there's something wrong with a time-travel movie that allows an audience's interest to drift so that we have time to worry over where he's parked, and whether he remembered to take his key. Full Review

Charles Taylor
March 8, 2002
Charles Taylor, Salon.com

... an agreeable time-wasting device -- but George Pal's low-tech 1960 version still rules the epochs. Full Review

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The Time Machine Trivia

  • Original HG Wells sci fi story of a Victorian scientist who invents a machine that catapults him thousands of years into the future. With Yvette Mimeux?  Answer »
  • which movie did actor "Guy Pearce" build a time machine in which he used to try and change the past.. but instead saved the future  Answer »
  • In the Back to the future trilogy, at what speed does the time machine need to run in order for time travel to be possible?  Answer »
  • What does the licence plate say on the time machine in "Back to the Future"?  Answer »
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