Timeline (2003)

Just enough of Michael Crichton's novel survives in Timeline to make it a passable popcorn thriller. It's likely that Crichton fans will lament the shallowness of director Richard Donner's film, and its gee-whiz style of acting lays waste to any scientific credibility that Crichton's scenario might have retained. Still, the Crichton formula is a sturdy one, following the model of Westworld and Jurassic Park by involving a small band of adventurers in a fantastical realm of danger and death. In this case, a group of archaeologists and combat experts (led by Paul Walker and Frances O'Connor) use a "3-D fax machine" (so much for technobabble!) to time-travel back to France in 1357, in hopes of retrieving Walker's father (Billy Connolly) and returning safely to the present. No such luck! Fending for themselves against marauding hordes of medieval French warriors at war with the invading British, these semi-intrepid travelers find their body count rising, and the deadline for their return home is rapidly approaching. All well and good, so far, and the castles-and-crossbows action reaches a fever pitch, but it's obvious that Donner's too lazy to make the much better film that this could and should have been. Despite its enjoyable highlights, Timeline is perfunctory entertainment. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

 An Interest in His Father's Work
This 2003 silver screen take on Michael Crichton's book of the same name begins with the mysterious and sudden appearance of a man in medeival dress, literally from out of the Dark Ages into the modern Soutwestern US where he collapses on a desert highway and is driven to a hospital by a passerby named Baker(Richard Donner) where he dies, and his body is signed out of the hospital by co-worker Frank Gordon(Neal McDonough). In due time, we will find the answer to why the dead man's organs and bone structure fail to properly align in the X-Ray photos. We learn his name was Vincent Taub (Jayson Merrill).
Meanwhile, in an area of France known as Castlegard, archeology students and their Scottish professor, E.A. Johnston(Billy Connolly)are studying the ruins of a 14th century site. American-born Chris Johnston (Paul Walker) displays an occasional awkwardness in assisting his father as he teaches. We learn that the younger Johnston is there not only to visit his father, but also to woo his father's pretty assistant, Kate Ericson (Frances O'Connor)--an undertaking his father discourages because he knows from personal experience that relationships between people of dissimilar interests tend to fail.
What does hold Chris' interest is his friendship with the other Scottish academic, Andre Mareck (charismatically played by Gerard Butler).
When Professor Johnston mysteriously disappears, physicist Steven Kramer (Matt Craven) finds evidence that the Professor has traveled back in time and is trapped there, Chris, Kate, Andre, Steven, and Francois Dontalle (Rossif Sutherland), travel to the International Technical Center in New Mexico, where Chris, Kate,Andre, Frank, Francois, and two of Frank's fellow ex-marines (Patrick Sabongui, and Mike Chute), step on the lab's time machine after being adequately prepped for their journey, and courtesy of a physicist with rather dubious intentions named Robert Doniger (David Thewlis)who collaborated with Professor Johnston on various projects, are transported back to 1357 Castlegard.
Complications in bringing the time travelers home stem from their being plunked into the middle of the Hundred Years' War on one end, and because of the explosion of a modern weapon that should have gone back in time causing damage to the machine on the other. The conflicts of interest between Doniger and Kramer add to the problems as well.
Two of the time travelers are killed within minutes of their arrival; another is lost during an encounter with the arrogant Lord Oliver(Michael Sheen).
Soon, they find the Professor, but Mareck's encounter with Lady Clare (Anna Friel), the sister of French General Lord Arnaut (Lambert Wilson), changes both his destiny and hers.
Another encounter with Sir William De Kere(Marton Csokas), who is intriguingly familiar with the group's history, makes the journey even more perilous.
Chris is able to assist Kate when she uses her archeological skills to turn the tide of events on the night of the siege of Castlegard. For him, history has truly come alive, and happily, he is able to share this with the woman he loves.
However this film may be panned by others, I found it to be an intriguing bit of sci-fi which evokes questions about loyalty, how far we would go on behalf of those we care about, and what we would do to change the bleakest situations in our favor. March 30, 2008

 It would be hard to make a more useless film
It is no exaggeration to say that Timeline (Full Screen Edition) is one of the worst big-budget films in a decade. Godzilla and Hulk (Full Screen Special Edition) [2 Discs] are like Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition) next to what has to be the worst idea Michael Chricton ever had. The story is of a group of archeologist/researchers going back in time to mid-1300s Europe, during the Hundred Years War between England and France. The plot is totally nonsensical, there is nothing approaching character development, the acting is laughable and the editing extremely choppy. I would be suprised to learn if any director/producer/writer involved in this ever got another paid job. There should be a cash reward given to anyone over 18 who can watch until the end. Even if there were, not many would want to attempt it. Timeline gives the entire action/scifi/book-to-movie genre a bad name. February 23, 2008

 It's a popcorn movie. That's it.
A few months before it's release, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of this film while in L.A. The trouble with advanced screenings, you're never sure if you're seeing a final cut, a rough cut, or something which will be retooled based on audience response. Overall, my impression was that it was closer to a final cut than anything else.

The plot finds several 21st century archeologists in 15th century France, on a mission to rescue their mentor. The Professor was sent back and left for dead by the Bill Gates-like mogul who stumbled upon the time travel technology.

Director Richard Donner seems set on a low-tech approach to the special effects. A refreshing change in these days of everything being CGI. While a bit predictable at points, the story flows fairly well and makes for a fun time at the movies.

I can't say that I whole-heartedly recommend "Timeline". But if you've got nothing better to do and you're in the mood for a pure popcorn adventure... January 29, 2008

 With the aid of the Professor, Marek, Chris, Kate, etc. The Auld Alliance beat the English
I settled in to watch this, as I had nothing better to do. Was I glad!
I loved it for sheer entertainment, and then to find that Marek is the one who ends up with Lady Claire. Ah.........how romantic. I love to see Butler in this type of role. Billy Connolly gave his usual performance - great. the character who stood out, was Francoise. He really conveyed how scared he was, and then to die at the hands of the English. You were really rooting for him.

January 28, 2008

 A Great Fantasy Movie
My family really enjoyed this movie. A little history mixed with fantasy and two love stories. January 11, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...