The Time Machine (2002)

1.5 out of 4

Starring: Guy Pearce, Samantha Mumba, Mark Addy, Orlando Jones, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Guillory, Phyllida Law

Director: Simon Wells

Time: 95 mins

Sometimes I don't know why I have my hopes raised for a new movie. The original The Time Machine (1960), starring Rod Taylor and based on the story by H. G. Wells, is one of my favourite science fiction films and a much loved genre classic. Though not possessing the elaborate special effects of today's blockbusters, what it had worked, and more importantly, served its intriguing story. The 2002 remake, however, swaps those roles around, with a story that is still interesting but loses some of the irony and earnestness of the original, and deluges the viewer with plenty of computer generated effects. The film clocks in at a breezy 95 minutes, but many key moments seem to almost move too fast, and leaves one with no emotional connection to the characters and little to no explanation for some of their actions.

The story begins in the 1890s. Alexander Hartdegen (Guy Pearce), a scientist whose curiosity about machines often distracts him, much to the dismay of his friend David Philby (Mark Addy) and housekeeper Mrs Watchit (Phyllida Law), has created a time machine. He hopes to return to the past and prevent a loved one from being shot and killed. When that endeavour fails, he heads into the future in search of a clearer answer. After a stop where he barely survives the destruction of Earth's moon, he is catapulted some 800,000 years ahead. Here he encounters a human subspecies called the Eloi, and befriends Mara (Samantha Mumba), a teacher of the "stone language", English. Hartdegen discovers the harsh truth of this brave, new world, however, when Mara and some of the other Eloi are captured by the malicious, underground-dwelling Morlocks, who treat the Eloi as cattle. It's up to Hartdegen to fight back and reclaim freedom for humankind.

The story in this new version pretty much follows the 1960 take, though there is an additional (and unnecessarily awkward) setup to provide our hero with a reason for building the time machine. Is it not enough for him to be a curious and driven scientist? The two stops the time traveler makes in the near future are also updated, from the perils of World Wars I and II in the original to the perils of over-exploitation in the current version. The bulk of the tale, concerning Hartdegen's adventures in the far future, seems rushed and nonsensical, especially with the ludicrous appearance of the Uber-Morlock, the leader of the underground race. Contrast with the 1960 version, where Rod Taylor's optimism for the future is drowned when the paradise he thought he had chanced upon was nothing of the sort. We don't get this irony in the new version - director Wells seems more interested in showing off, via admittedly impressive special effects, evolving landscapes and dizzying pursuits involving Hartdegen, the Eloi and the Morlocks. This may be a concession to today's desensitised audience who are used to MTV-style editing and visuals, but the restraint of the original worked much better.

The visuals are a blend of the beautiful (futuristic abodes hanging from the sides of high cliffs), horrific (the cracked moon) and computer generated morphing run amuck (to show the change in the landscape over time). Fans of sci-fi films with lots of special effects won't be disappointed here. The Morlocks are more realistic than their 1960 counterparts (which is to be expected), but the Uber-Morlock looks more like an albino man with an overgrown spine than the more generic members of his species.

Australian actor Pearce (a bit of interesting trivia: both versions have Australians as the lead) has carved out a nice niche for himself in Hollywood, with memorable turns in films like the excellent 1997 crime noir L.A. Confidential and one of last year's most original works, Memento. In The Time Machine, however, he seems out of sorts, out of place, and (yes, I have to say it) out of time. Never has he looked so gaunt, and his accent doesn't seem quite right. Irish pop singer Samantha Mumba is the notional love interest, but she and Pearce don't show much romantic spark (by comparison, Taylor and Yvette Mimieux's relationship in the original was much better developed). Mark Addy (The Full Monty) is adequate as the loyal friend Philby, and Orlando Jones (as a virtual reality encyclopaedia who answers many of Hartdegen's questions) has his moments. Look for the original Philby (Mr Ed's Alan Young) in a very brief cameo.

The Time Machine was supposed to be released last Christmas, but fearful of competition from the first instalment of The Lord Of The Rings, Dreamworks Pictures delayed it three months. Though representing the first big special effects film of the year, this new version of a genre classic turns out to be rather disappointing. Go back in time, instead, and watch the original.

(c) Joe Wong (10 March 2002)