Topic: Tom's Time-Travel Movie Reviews

[Tom]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki wo kakeru shôjo)
"TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE"
Student girl Konno Makoto has a very bad day. Everything goes wrong and to top it all off in the afternoon she dies in a lethal accident… only she doesn't.

In fact, she finds herself transported a few seconds back in time and manages to avert her deadly fate. As Konno slowly discovers, she has acquired the power to jump back in time and change things at will!
Soon, she starts the whole day over, but this time without errors, only to discover that sometimes her winnings are someone else's losses. Before she knows it she's busy cleaning mess after mess. And when things go from bad to terrible she suddenly finds out there is a limit to her time-jumping, possibly leading several loved ones straight into great danger.

My thoughts:
What can I say about this movie? I simply love it! It became my favorite movie of last year. Even though I saw it 3 times during the last 6 months I had to include it in this marathon. I like it how in the beginnings the time jumps are simply played for fun but it gets more serious as the movie goes on. Sadly there is no RC1 release yet, but it is said to be coming this year. I recommend to watch out for it! Also there is a Korean 3-disc release with English subtitles available (the German release has only German and Polish subtitles).


Rating:

I don't know if I already have mentioned it, but this movie is finally available as US RC1.

[RossRoy]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (Toki wo kakeru shôjo)

I don't know if I already have mentioned it, but this movie is finally available as US RC1.

Thanks for the heads up! I've been waiting for just that to happen! Ordered the 2 discs special edition! (I can afford it! I'm doing 24 hours overtime this weekend)

[Achim]

I only got that bare bones R3 release

Anyway, it's indeed a great movie. Hope you'll like it too.

[Tom]

Title: Ritana (Returner)
Year: 2002
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Rating: FSK-16
Length: 112 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1 , Japanese: Dolby Digital 5.1 , English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, German, Turkish

Stars:
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Ann Suzuki
Kirin Kiki
Goro Kishitani
Yukiko Okamoto

Plot:
A young woman from the future forces a local gunman to help her stop an impending alien invasion which will wipe out the human race.

Extras:
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

An interesting mix of other well-known movies. This movie has similarities with Matrix, Termintor, IndependenceDay, E.T. and others. It reminded me of the German saying "Besser gut geklaut, als schlecht selbst gemacht", which in this context roughly translates to "It is better to rip off well than do it yourself badly".
I especially liked the ending, which tied up the story and time-travel elements nicely.

Rating:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v4pWshsQ1U

[Najemikon]

I do like the look of that, but just how many movies are they ripping off? The scene on the bike was identical to Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2!

[Tom]

I do like the look of that, but just how many movies are they ripping off? The scene on the bike was identical to Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2!

Yes, MI-2 was also mentioned on the back cover of being an inspiration 

[Achim]

 

Despite them ripping off stuff left and right. that looked AWESOME!

[Tom]

Title: Back to the Future
Year: 1985
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 111 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: DTS 5.1, Commentary: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles: Commentary, English, German, Hebrew, Trivia

Stars:
Michael J. Fox
Christopher Lloyd
Lea Thompson
Crispin Glover
Thomas F. Wilson


Extras:
Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Outtakes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Screen Tests
Storyboard Comparisons
Trailers

My Thoughts:

When I began this marathon, I said, that I was not reviewing BTTF because I had recently watched it. But now over a year has passed and it's time to watch one of my favourite movie trilogies again. These movies are my favorite time-travel movies, followed by "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" (which I watched for the sixth time in two years yesterday ).
I just love all the details which went into making of these three movie. Such things like "Twin Pine Mall" is changing to "Lone Pine Mall". Or changes to the city, like the park in the city center changing to a parking lot.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Back to the Future Part II
Year: 1989
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 104 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English, German, Hebrew

Stars:
Michael J. Fox
Christopher Lloyd
Lea Thompson

Extras:
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Outtakes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Storyboard Comparisons
Trailers

My Thoughts:

It's hard to believe, that this movie trilogy wasn't planned from the beginning as a trilogy. Wouldn't it have been for the change of the actress of Jennifer and the missing return of Crispin Clover, you wouldn't know, that this wasn't planned as a trilogy from day one.
This movie has it all: Travel to the future, an alternative 80s reality and again back to the 50s. I love how the characters crosses paths with themselves from the first movie.
This movie has one of my favorite scene of all three movies. It's the end, where just after the 50s Doc has sent back 80s Marty back to the 80s, Marty is running back to him, with Doc wondering, where he came from, as he just sent him back to the future. And Marty's response, that he came back from the future.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: Back to the Future Part III
Year: 1990
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 113 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English, German, Hebrew

Stars:
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Christopher Lloyd
Mary Steenburgen
Thomas F. Wilson


Extras:
Deleted Scenes
Featurettes
Music Videos
Outtakes
Photo Gallery
Scene Access
Storyboard Comparisons
Trailers

My Thoughts:

Never being a big fan of Western, this movie is my least favorite of the three. But it was just the logical thing to do. We went to the future and the near past. Going to a more distant future would probably result in a bad movie. We saw how wrong they got it with the year 2015 (but interesting, that they assumed much more technological advancement as it really happened. A lot of old movies underestimated techological development when showing a similar distant future). Would would they have done with 2085? So the only good choice left is going 100 years back.
And even though this movie is my least favorite of the three, I still like it very much. Stuff like how the 50s Doc got the clothes wrong for Marty to go back with. Also this movie is the best in regards of showing the friendship between the two main characters. And it is a good conclusion to the trilogy overall.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations
Year: 2009
Director: Seth Grossman
Rating: R
Length: 90 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Chris Carmack
Rachel Miner
Melissa Jones
Kevin Yon
Lynch Travis

Plot:
Sam has an extraordinary talent: the ability to travel throughtime. he can use his gift to help the police solve cases, but he must never intervene with the past as it could alter the present in horrific ways. When a woman from Sam's past begs him to help find her sister's killer, Sam breaks his own rule...and all hell breaks loose.

Extras:
Closed Captioned
Featurettes
Scene Access

My Thoughts:

A slasher movie with a time-travel twist. It's a half-way decent time-travel movie with some explicit slashing going on.
If you enjoy this genre, I think it is worth checking out. Although I knew who the murderer is and how the movie will end half-way through.

Rating:

[Tom]

Title: The Time Machine
Year: 1960
Director: George Pal
Rating: FSK-12
Length: 98 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital Mono, Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles: Croatian, Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish

Stars:
Rod Taylor
Alan Young
Yvette Mimieux
Sebastian Cabot
Tom Helmore

Plot:
Here Today, Gone to tomorrow. When George (Rod Taylor) sits at the controls of his new creation, he has all the time in the world. He's invented a Time Machine that whisks him from 1899 to war ravaged moments of the 20th century and into 802701. In that far off era, passive eloi face a grim future as prey to the glow-eyed subterranean morlocks... unless the time-traveling stranger from the past intervenes.

Awards:

Academy Award	1960	Won	Best Special Effects	Gene Warren, Tim Baar (Visual Effects)
Hugo Award	1961	Nominated	Best Dramatic Presentation

Extras:
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

A classic time-travel movie. I always have enjoyed this one. For its time it had great special effects for the scenes the time-travellor made his journeys.
The one thing I didn't like so much (which has been changed compared to the book) is the fact, that the Elois can talk. In this even in English.

Rating:

[Tom]

Renamed the thread to "Tom's Time-Travel Movie Reviews"

[Tom]

Title: Next
Year: 2007
Director: Lee Tamahori
Rating: FSK-16
Length: 92 Min.
Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1, German: Dolby Digital 5.1
Subtitles: English, German

Stars:
Nicolas Cage
Julianne Moore
Jessica Biel
Thomas Kretschmann
Tory Kittles

Plot:
Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore and Jessica Biel join forces to bring you the heart-pounding thriller that is Next. Cris Johnson (Cage) earns his living in a seedy Las Vegas magic act, but his ability to see a few minutes into the future is authentic. Government agent Callie Ferris (Oscar® nominee Moore) knows this, and relentlessly recruits him to help thwart a terrorist group from detonating a nuclear bomb in the heart of Los Angeles. Will the reluctant hero join the desperate race against the clock by daring to see what is Next? Featuring non-stop action, explosive special effects and adrenaline-charged Special Features, this is an exciting adventure you won't want to miss!

Awards:

Golden Raspberry Awards	2007	Nominated	Worst Actor	Nicolas Cage
Golden Raspberry Awards	2007	Nominated	Worst Supporting Actress	Jessica Biel
Teen Choice Awards	2007	Nominated	Choice Movie Actress: Horror	Jessica Biel

Extras:
Featurettes
Scene Access
Trailers

My Thoughts:

I think the gimmick, that Nic Cage's character can see two minutes into the future, has been executed well in this movie. I am not sure if I like the ending or not.

(click to show/hide)

It resets about half of the movie

.
But it works in the frame of the story.

I hadn't realized that Peter Falk still made an appearence in such a recent movie. Nice to see him again.

Rating:

[Rogmeister]

I was wondering if I'd missed this thread till now   Maybe with "The Time Machine" you should've also included a review of the Big Bang Theory episode where they got their own time machine?