The Time Machine Reviews

• Go Back In Time With An Old Friend.....

  
  By A2ZSC81MXLBELX on 2003-11-08
  This review refers to the Warner Bros. DVD edition of "The Time Machine"(1960)......

  I am so impressed with how this 43 year old classic Sci-Fi film looks and sounds on the DVD, that I am going to start with that this time. I wasn't expecting it to look as great as it did because the editorial review here gives it 3 out of 5 stars on both the picture and the sound. If you are a big fan of this film, or thinking of buying it as a gift for someone who is, you will not be disappointed with this transfer. The picture is presented in the original widescreen format,so you won't miss a bit of the action. To watch it you would think you went back in the time machine to 1960 and were viewing it for the first time. It is clear and sharp with vibrant color.The soundtrack is remastered in Dolby Dig 5.1 and is a welcome enhancement.The DVD also includes a terrific Behind The Scenes documentary called "Time Machine...The Journey Back". The film's star Rod Taylor hosts and fans will love this informative feature. You'll get a good look at how the actual machine was made and the journey that it has taken in the last 40 years as well as other interesting tid bits. This feature has it's own scene selections to choose from or you can just watch it straight through. The film may be viewed in French and has subtitles in English and French.(my only teeny complaint would be that the black bar area is not used for these subtitles, they are at the bottom of the film).

  The story based on the novel by H.G. Wells is as captivating today as it ever was. You know the tale.....
  George(Rod Taylor)has all the time in the world. He tells his friends an incredible story of his adventures traveling through the ages in a time machine that he has built. As his story begins, he starts out slowly traveling through the 20th century. He doesn't like what he sees. War and destruction seem to be the fate of civilaztion.He pushes foward, quickly, and the years fly by. Finally stopping in the year 802701,he comes across what seems to be a paradise on earth. Clean air,fruit growing in abundance, and a society of young beautiful people, the Eloi, who don't seem to have a care in the world. But even in this Utopian like civilazation there's trouble amiss.The Morlocks are running things from underground and they are just as scary today as they ever were.So it's up to our guy George to save this future civilazation from the evil Morlocks,and try to get back home to the year 1900 for an 8pm dinner appointment..whew,what a great story!

  Directed brillantly by George Pal("7 Faces of Dr. Lao"/"Atlantis the Lost Continent"), the film also boasts the great talents of Alan Young, Sebastian Cabot, and the lovely Yvette Mimieux, as "Weena", who adds a little romantic interest to the story. The film was awarded a well deserved Oscar for it's special effects(also discussed in the featurette) for Gene Warren and Tim Barr.The movie is rated G, although the scenes with the Morlocks might be a little scary for very young children.

  A great story, fabulous film and an outstanding DVD. So go back in time, with your old friend "The Time Machine"..enjoy...Laurie
  
  

• "When it comes to time, we are prisoners."

  
  By A25ZVI6RH1KA5L on 2005-05-13
  I wonder how many minds were blown back in the day when George Pal's The Time Machine (1960) was released? I'm not so much speaking of the special effects (which were, and still are amazing), but more so the concepts presented within the film, with regards to traveling in the fourth dimension i.e. moving back and forth through time all while occupying the same space throughout...I know, I know, the ideas had been around for some time as author H.G. Wells had created the work the film was based on way back around the turn of the 20th century, but surely the film reached a large audience, quite a few probably never having read his novel. Produced and directed by George Pal (When Worlds Collide, The War of the Worlds), a pioneer in fantasy and sci-fi cinema, the film stars Rod Taylor (World Without End, The Birds), in what is probably his best-known role as George, a scientist with a hankering to break on through to the other side. Also appearing is Alan Young, whom many may recognize as the voice for Disney's Scrooge McDuck (he also was the only actor from the original film to appear in the recent 2002 remake starring Guy Pearce), Yvette Mimieux (Where the Boys Are, The Black Hole), Tom Helmore (Vertigo), Whit Bissell (Airport, Soylent Green), and Sebastian Cabot (Kismet), whom many may remember as the rotund Mr. French from the late 60's television show `Family Affair'.
  
  The story begins in Victorian England with the arrival of a group of distinguished looking gentlemen to the home of their colleague George, played Rod Taylor. Thing is, George invited them for dinner, but has yet to appear himself, that is until he busts through the door, disheveled and unkempt, with what may be the most fantastic tale any one has ever heard, which takes us back five days prior as George, who's an inventor by the way, is having the same group over to reveal his latest invention, a machine that would allow for one to travel backwards and forwards through time. It's all theoretical as the device has yet to be tested, and George is met with skepticism by all except for one, his friend Filby (Young). Anyway, after the guests leave, George decides it's time to put his machine to the test, and what do you know? It Works! One should know the impetus for George's desire to travel forward in time is based on his dissatisfaction with the current state of human development, specifically out penchant for fighting with each other, and he desires to see a world without conflict, among other things. As he goes forward he stops a few times but that which he wishes to avoid continually presents itself, eventually driving him into the year 800,000 where the world has become an Eden-like paradise populated by people called the Eloi. There is no need to work, no laws, no gooberment, just a carefree lifestyle...with a hideous underbelly in the form of a group called the Morlocks, grotesque underground dwellers who are, well, what they are and share a chilling relationship with the Eloi...
  
  I found this film to be great fun, and one of the best science fictions films I've seen in a long time. As far as its faithfulness to the source material, I couldn't really tell you, but I did get the feel that there was a lot of respect involved towards Wells' vision, especially given the film focused a great deal on the moral aspects and implications of who we are and how they may affect future generations. This, along with superior special effects (which earned the film an Academy Award for 1960) really helped sell the film overall. Some of the effects may seem quaint by today's standards, but back in the day this had to have been cutting edge stuff. The passage of time indicated by all the meticulous stop motion work, among other things, looks amazing. I also really liked the whole `Victorian' feel of the time machine itself, a sense that it was truly created within the time period specified. I thought Taylor did very well presenting a man driven by his desire to find the best in humanity, only to discover the more things change, the more they tend to stay the same. It felt like there was real growth from within the character, growth that stemmed from experiencing so much in so little time. I especially liked the character of Alan Young as Filby as to me he represented sort of the general populous of society, those who live their lives day to day, living within their world, content to make things better through small steps than great strides. I can't remember the specific dialog, but there was a scene that illustrated this well in where Filby tries to convince George to destroy his machine and makes a remark with regards to how we have to live within our time and make the best of it that we can...
  
  Warner Brothers provides an excellent wide screen (1.66:1) transfer on this DVD. The colors are sharp and vibrant, and the picture quality nearly flawless. The audio, available in both English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), comes through clean and clear. There are some special features, including a theatrical trailer and cast and crew bios. Also included is a 47 minute documentary that looks like it was made for television broadcast as there's obvious stopping points for the inclusion of commercials. The piece, titled The Time Machine: The Journey Back, is hosted by the star of the original film Rod Taylor (looking much older), and offers a lot of details about the film, but the main focus seems to be on the machine itself, how it was developed, created, and its long and curious history after production on the original film ceased. This takes up most of the 47 minute running time, with what is left used to create a sort of reunion tale as some of the original actors resume their character roles for a short bit. I found this extra to be really interesting, and it helped me to appreciate the film even more, but I did feel it got a little schmaltzy (even creepy) at times, especially when Taylor would look up in the air and speak like he was talking to producer and director George Pal, who passed away in 1980, and I think this featurette was shot in 1993.
  
  Cookieman108
  
  Oh, in case you're interested, there is no formal seating in the future, only throw pillows, so if you ever get a chance to travel forward in time, BYOC (bring your own chair)...
  
  
  

• The Time Machine DVD Delivers

  
  By A1BWHXTFOVF9CY on 2000-10-09
  Like most people, I had only seen this classic science fiction movie on television. That never detracted from the story, which is one of the best that Wells wrote, but it didn't prepare me for how great this movie looks and sounds. The DVD provides brilliant color and a generally sharp picture with only a little, infrequent softness that I suspect is from the original film. I was surprised at how clean the transfer is. I did not see any scratches, dust or other defects. The movie is presented in its original, widescreen aspect ratio. The sound is also excellent. It has been remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and it is an excellent job for a movie that is forty years old. As you would expect from such an old sound track, most of the action is in the center and front channels, but it uses the rear channels (especially noticable in key scenes, as when Rod Taylor is making echoes in the ruined dome building) and the subwoofer kicked in a few times, also. The disc provides more extras than you would expect from a Warner release of an old movie. It includes a trailer, filmographies for the three lead actors and George Pal, and a very good behind-the-scenes documentary. The documentary was produced by Bob Burns 32 years after the making of the movie and focuses on the important part the time machine prop played in the making of the movie and it's history since, with an interesting account of how Burns found and then restored the original prop. The documentary also features a scene in which Rod Taylor and Alan Young recreate their characters from the movie, acting out a scene that might have appeared in the movie but did not. The scene uses the restored time machine prop to good effect and it was rather touching to see these much older actors slip so comfortably into their roles. You could tell that this movie had been one of the high points of their careers and they remembered it fondly. Likewise, Whit Bissel recreates his character in a short monologue full of a sense of nostalgia. This old documentary was much more informative and interesting than a lot of the publicity puff pieces included on more recent films as extras. I highly recommend this DVD. It delivers far more than I ever expected and does this classic movie justice.
  
  

• George Pal's 1960 Version Is Still The Best

  
  By A2JV8PH4NGQPJ6 on 2004-10-14
  I know it's dated, but that doesn't keep it from being a decent and entertaining film. George Pal's version closely follows H.G. Well's book written in in 1895, except for a few changes. In the movie, the Eloi are normal sized people with blonde hair that can speak, instead of being much smaller and mute. The Morlocks resemble Troll dolls with light bulb eyes that make them seem less sinister than the book does. Weena, the female Eloi that almost drowned, is captured and eaten in the book, but Pal kept her alive so there was a reason for Rod Taylor to return to this time in the future.
  
  

• A classic film of the greatest short story ever written

  
  By on 1999-06-13
  The film version succeeds in retaining much of the charm of the short story. The open scene of a dinner amongst friends in a civilized English gentleman's house is very well done and the time travelling special effects were remarkable for the time. Wells wrote the book in 1895 - and by keeping the setting at that date (and not updating to the decade of films release - 1960s) we can enjoy seeing the reaction of the traveller to events that we know very well - such as the First and Second World War - and the nuclear age. Thus helping to ensure that the fantastic events that are to come are quite believable.

  The film strays a little in the characterisation of Weena (a member of the Eloi people and the travellor's love interest) - but the carnivorous Morlocks are still quite scary and have even been known to frighten a few of todays kids, who have seen most things at the movies.

  A 5 star movie for those who enjoy classic science fiction. Ranks alongside 'Forbidden Planet', and 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' for its ability to provoke thought as well as to entertain.
  
  

• FINALLY! The Time Machine on DVD!
  By on 2000-09-21
  It's finally coming! Even with all the glitz and glam of today's sci-fi movies, some still stand the test of... TIME. Such is the case with The Time Machine! True there are a few things about the movie that date it, but it will forever remain as one of the best sc-fi stories we've ever known. That credit goes to H.G. Wells as much as to George Pal, for presenting this tale to us on the screen as well as on the written page. The Time Machine is certainly a worthy entry into the realm of DVD technology. It's a colorful romp through the eons on a fabulous Machine that, viewing on DVD, would be a virtual treat to the eyes and ears. Not to mention the nifty extras that come with it, like a sort of 'Behind the Scenes' look at the movie in a documentary "Time Machine: The Journey Back". And to me, it's always a little added treat to view the original theatrical trailers, especially as crisp and clean as the DVD technology allows. If you're a fan of Pal's wonderful films, a great companion DVD would be Arnold Leibovit's "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal", which is also now available on DVD. This documentary not only covers The Time Machine, but all of Pal's other marvelous works, including "War of the Worlds", "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao", "Conquest of Space", "Destination Moon", and many, many more. If you had a copy of this documentary on tape, then you're going to want to own it on DVD too! Why? Because Arnold has included almost two hours of extras on the DVD! It's almost like having a whole extra documentary all about George Pal! "The Time Machine" and "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal" go together like bread and butter, in my opinion. My hat's off to the DVD transfer of Time Machine, as well as to Arnold Leibovit, for the DVD transfer of Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal and all the extras he's added!
  
  
• The Time Machine....ahead of its TIME!!!
  By AES0JMK0KYYHI on 2000-10-04
  Just finished watching this sci-fi classic! The picture quality has been masterfully restored as well as the audio content, and The Time Machine has never looked better!!!! The story of a young Victorian Era scientist who succeeds in conquering the most elusive of all man's quests....Time travel! His journey into the Fourth dimension propels the viewer into a fantastic vision of the future of mankind! In the year, 802,701A.D. George, the Time Traveler(portrayed marvelously by Rod Taylor),

  encounters a nuclear-war resulting divison of the human species...the passive, surface-dwelling Eloi race and the subterranean, cannibalistic predators, the Morlocks! In a race to save the human remnants from complete extinction by the creatures of twilight in this strange world, George must use his wits and strength in an all out battle which will decide Mankind's fate! Skillfully directed by George Pal (who also produced), this film stands as one of the most outstanding science-fiction films ever made, paving the way for imitations in the years following its initial release! Full of incredible, Academy Award-winning special effects (Gene Warren and Wah Chang, and the talents of Projects Unlimited), it holds it own against the computer-generated films of today !!! of compelling interest is the Time Machine vehicle itself, one of my favorite movie props!!! With a veteran supporting cast led by Alan Young, Sebastian Cabot and newcomer, Yvette Mimieux, this is one film that is in a word.... timeless! Favorably recommended and considered to be an all-time classic! Great viewing for any sci-fi fan! Based upon H.G. Wells' immortal novel...The Time Machine...his first and best work!
  
  

• An Ageless Enthralling Classic of Sci Fi
  By A1BRXLFWILNICE on 2001-08-20
  As gorgeous as the new time machine is, its hard to imagine it can ever top the beauty of the original. Watching the film again today the elegance and detail in the design astonish me. The machine is unforgetable but its the intelligently crafted story and character filled casting in this version that can still fill young hearts with wonder at the possibilities of time travel. Its amazing how the initial half of the film seems as contemporary a tale as when it was first invented. It is only in the land of the far distant future that the film turns into a traditional pulp heroic adventure. But the evil underground dwellers, the morlocks with their blue skin, white hair and glowing eyes remain quite scary and create wonderful tension and excitement. This is a really fun adventure film that warrants its classic status because it can still be apreciated today.

  Accompanying the film is a sentimental featurette documenting the finding of the original time machine in a thrift shop and its loving restoration. The film is hosted by the original star Rod Taylor who reprises his role with his co-star Alan Young (Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed) at the end of the feature performing a ten minute skit that imagines a scenario where H.George Wells returns in his time machine to convince his friend to time travel with him to prevent his death in a soon to happen WWI plane crash. The affection for this film for everyone connected with it is palpable as they wistfully delight in telling stories of the experience. Oddly enough one of the big reasons I purchased this DVD at this time was the cover art was so beautiful I had to have it. Click on the Amazon.com icon for this film to see a larger version. It must be one of the best movie posters ever made. Good companion pieces to this film are Fantastic Journey and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
  
  

• George Pal Does It RIght!
  By A2W00XKTTF1G0Z on 2002-07-03
  The Time Machine is a Science Fiction classic. George Pal too H.G. Wells�s classic story and made it a reality. From the costumes to the intricately detailed Time Machine itself, the movie is a stand out in special effects, art direction and make-up.

  Rod Taylor was fantastic and played his character with a real sense of amazement. (If you have seen the new version � it lacks a real important element � characters anyone cares about.) This movie has a charm and romance that Yvette Mimoeux could only portray.

  Even George Pal�s visions of what the 80� and 90�s would be like are not far off. Who could forget the classic mannequin in the window sequence � watching fashion styles change before our eyes. The key to most of the special effects in the film was of course � stop motion animation. Whereby, elements and props and sets are shot one frame at a time while slight movements were made between each exposed frame. Thanks to CGI technology these days � this has almost become a lost art form. When it is done well, like in this movie � it really is effective and shines.

  The DVD extras on this one are great. A television retrospective shot in the mid 90�s with some of the original cast is really well done. The behind the scenes and event he history of what happened to the original Time Machine are on this documentary.

  This is a must DVD for Science Fiction fans. A true classic and a very good DVD for anyone's collection.
  
  

• Well Made With Political Overtones
  By A2OVUDBRWGX0LL on 2003-10-31
  An anti-war theme is prominent throughout this classic sci-fi flick. In the lead you have Rod Taylor starring as inventor H.G. Wells, a man seeking relief from, and improvement of, the world in which he lives. Demonstrating a miniature version of his time machine for a trio of friends (including Sebastian Cabot of "Family Affair" fame) on New Year's Eve 1899, he laments that he was born in the wrong time...and that he would like to journey into the future to live among more civilized peoples. He desires the utopia that he thinks technology will inevitably bring, but also cries out at the corruption of technology for other than peaceful purposes.

  His journey, however, leaves him feeling overwhelmed as it is far from what he expects. He initially watches the years go by from his machine as represented by a manequin he observes in a shop window across the street. There, he views what he regards as a harbinger of societal descent into a more liberal way of life. As fashions change dramatically over the decades, he blushingly remarks, "You call that a dress?". He makes three intermediate stops on his way to his ultimate destination--the first in 1917, the second in 1940, and the third in 1964. They all, conveniently, coincide with raging wars (the final one, a ficticious World War III fought with nuclear weapons that lasts for 326 years).

  Embittered and frightened, he moves on, ultimately coming to a stop some 800,000 years in the future. Wells is initially delighted with his new-found utopia and attempts to befriend the native Eloi, a blond-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned Aryan race of humans. He is quickly repulsed as he sees them passively watch as one of their own (Weena, played by the lovely Yvette Mimieux) starts to drown only a few feet from the others. After saving her, he learns that they are nothing more than a race of slow-witted, cowardly do-nothings who rely on the sinister Morlocks for survival.

  The Morlocks, who look like a cross between the Hulk and the gill man on "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," were the humans who chose to continue living underground after the end of the last war. They deevolved physically and morally and, as a result, developed into ravenous cannibals who fattened up the Eloi so as to devour them at a later date (eating the oldest ones first).

  There is no written word within either culture and that lends itself to the theory that cultures tend to stagnate without the written word. Without books there is no learning beyond pure observation and word of mouth and, in this case, both races eventually lost whatever skills and knowledge they once possessed.

  Eventually, the Eloi and Morlocks took on a primitive symbiotic relationship. You have the peace-loving, vegetarian, let-nature-take-its-course Eloi one one side, and the militaristic (they still use air raid sirens to hypnotize the Eloi), meat-eating (of a sort), control-your-own-destiny Morlocks. Despite his appreciation for much of the Eloi philosophy--he initially mistakes them for economic genuises--he quickly realizes the truth about them and grows disgusted with their apathetic attitude towards self-improvement and advancement.
  
  Ironically, circumstances dictate him teaching the Eloi the value of fighting (back), a trait he abhorred. As a result, the Eloi defeat the Morlock in a demonstration that while war may be bad it can also be the LESSER of two evils. Still, after their victory, the Eloi are left to answer the question "How do we fend for ourselves now?". Wells chooses to stay among them, returning to his time only long enough to retrieve three books to help them in their journey. In the final scene of the movie, one of the inventor's friends discusses Well's future with Well's housekeeper. He finally asks her (and the audience), "Which three books would you have chosen?".

  The film confronts the positives and negatives of pacifism vs. militarism and, in an overall generic sense, liberalism vs. conservatism, all with regard to the survival and growth of a society. Eventually, the movie shows that raging examples of either philosophy isn't the solution--that the true solution resides closer to the middle of the spectrum (with the pendulum tilting into conservative territory.

  The story is timeless, the script and acting good, and George Pal's special effects excellent considering the age of the movie. The movie's depth is often overlooked, and it is a worthy addition to any DVD library.
  
  

• Absolutely Awesome!!!
  By A2Z6BXEMDDLJ5Z on 2007-04-08
  George Pal's The Time Machine is one of THE great sci fi films. Forget the dumb remake, which totally botches the story. This is about as good as it gets fellow sci fi fans. In this film, a Victorian gentleman visits a hippy commune in the distant future and teaches them how to be men. (Of course that's not the real synopsis, but it fits!)I will not here start expounding on all that's great about this film. There's too much and the review would be too long. I will however say that this is one of my favorite films, has one of my favorite soundtracks, and has one of my all-time favorite main characters/protagonists. Too many sci fi films focus on a future that is better than the present, assuming a priori that things will only get better. I therefore greatly enjoy the novelty of this film's premise: the main character, who does not entirely like the Victorian era he lives in, launches himself on a trek into the future, only to learn that the Victorian era was about as good as it gets. The further he goes into the future, the worse things are, until about 800,000th year or so when he finds that those who are left who still resemble humans have been reduced to passive, unintelligent cattle. Note that the remake entirely botches this point. The Eloi ARE supposed to be human cattle. The remake took too many liberties with the story and unsurprisingly dropped the ball.
  
  
• H.G. Wells' provocative story becomes a classic film.
  By on 1998-12-30
  George Pal's The Time Machine is one of his classic science fiction films and was given a Hugo for dramatic presentation. When released in 1960, it allowed us to see how technology could or would change our lives. In this telling of H.G. Wells' reknowned tale, Pal has made the Eloi older (they were adolescents in the book) and thrown in some 20th century history. The conflicts between the Eloi and the Morlocks are still here, as is the basic storyline. Pal's difficulties in getting a proper budget show up occasionally, but the overall result is an entertaining and thoughtful film. What most reviewers comment on are the film's look at the future, the love story, or the Oscar-winning special effects. What is often overlooked is the film's score by Russell Garcia (The Glenn Miller Story, Touch of Evil) which is a simple but effective and moving composition. Also overlooked is the story's portrayl of enduring friendship and the things we lose with the passage of time. The friendship that George - The Time Traveler (Rod Taylor) shares with his neighbor and friend David Filby (Alan Young) are compassionately developed through the story. As George moves thru time he learns of Filby's passing from Filby's son and we feel George's loss. Garcia's music punctuates the loss and reminds us it is something that we all will experience in life and in time.
  
  
• An incredible restoration
  By A1T0Z4J5PPLTC7 on 2002-04-18
  Skip the godawful remake that's in theaters right now, and get the original instead. This is one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, and the DVD restoration is great.

  The movie itself has much to recommend it. It follows the book very closely, Rod Taylor was an excellent choice for the lead, and the special effects (which won an Oscar in 1960) have aged surprisingly well.

  It takes place in 1899, and a great deal of effort was taken to ensure historic authenticity. The time machine itself is a beautiful Victorian contraption that wouldn't look out of place in, say, 12 Monkeys. The Eloi of the 800k century look exactly as I would have pictured them, and the Morlocks are suitably creepy.

  Much has been said for the special effects, which use some very effective stop-action photography. They are judiciously used here, and with only a couple of tiny exceptions, do a great job of suspending disbelief.

  The DVD transfer is stunning, rivaling that of North by Northwest. The colors (originally done using Metrocolor) are deeply saturated and vivid, only looking slightly washed out in a couple of places. Artifacts from the original print are present here and there (noticeably in the rotting fruit sequence), but for the most part have been well cleaned up. This certainly doesn't look like a 40-year-old movie.

  The DVD includes a documentary which is really interesting in parts, but really drags in others (the special effects explanations are *exhaustive*), which isn't a problem since it has its own chapter stops. What's really informative is to watch the original movie footage in the documentary and compare it to the restored footage in the movie itself. Night and day. Oh yeah, and Michael J. Fox and Carl Sagan make appearances!

  All in all, a classic movie that's aged well, and a brilliant transfer to match.
  
  

• Despite the obvious sets
  By AAECAHBNP1VD2 on 2004-08-16
  and sometime stilted dialogue, this remains one of the most watchable and entertaining films of the genre ever made. FAR superior to the new version. A definite must-own.
  
  
• A VINTAGE FANTASTIC SCIENCE FICTION FILM THAT STILL INCLUDES CHEMISTRY BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN
  By A26HFSVLAGULIM on 2006-10-14
  IN A NUTSHELL: H.G. WELLS'S 'TIME MACHINE' IS INTERPRETED IN FILM BY GEORGE PAL
  
  Okay, this is an old film and might it look quaint to some of our younger movie-goers, but to those of us that grew up around films like 'The Time Machine', this is pure wonder. This film is quite true to the original literary work penned by H.G. Wells in 1895 and uses a realistic victorian motif combined with a crystal powered time machine to power the film.
  
  GOOD STORY + GOOD ACTING & SPECIAL EFFECTS = TIMELESS CLASSIC
  
  The 'Special Effects' were made the old-fashioned way, but they worked well enough to get Tim Baar and Gene Warren an Oscar nomination for 'Best Visual Effects'. They cleverly illustrated the passage of time as the time machine traveled through the fourth dimension by utilizing a number of clever devices such as; rapidly growing and ripening apples over what appeared to be seconds, shrinking candlesticks as we watched, a mannequin that changed with the fashions as we watched, the sun and moon arcing overhead in a heartbeat, superfast appearing snails, rapidly decomposing morlochs and much more.
  
  Rod Taylor as H.G. Wells did play a rather bare knuckled hero, but he showed conviction and passion in the role that helped to suspend our disbelief. Yvette Mimieux as Weena, a young blond Eloi, was quite a scene stealer without doing anything special in particular. Perhaps she just looked the part of a young eloi woman so well and attractively that it made Rod Taylor's character want to stay in the future an easy sell for both him and the audience. I can recall seeing the film as a youngster and as soon as I saw Weena I thought, "now he's [Rod Taylor] just got to stay".
  
  -----> THE PRINCIPAL PLAYERS <-----
  
  Rod Taylor - George, H. G. Wells
  Alan Young - David Filby/James Filby
  Yvette Mimieux - Weena
  Sebastian Cabot - Dr. Philip Hillyer
  Tom Helmore - Anthony Bridewell
  Whit Bissell - Walter Kemp
  Doris Lloyd - Mrs. Watchett
  Paul H. Frees - Talking Rings [Voice]
  
  -----> THE PRODUCTION CREW <-----
  
  George Pal - Director / Producer
  David Duncan - Screenwriter
  H.G. Wells - Book Author
  Nicolas Vogel - Cinematographer
  Paul Vogel - Cinematographer
  Russell Garcia - Composer (Music Score)
  George Tomasini - Editor
  George W. Davis - Art Director
  William Ferrari - Art Director
  Keogh Gleason - Set Designer
  Henry W. Grace - Set Designer
  Franklin E. Milton - Sound/Sound Designer
  William J. Tuttle - Makeup
  Wah Chang - Special Effects
  Gene Warren - Special Effects
  William Shanks - First Assistant Director
  
  ABOUT THE DVD: A HUGE IMPROVEMENT OVER THE VHS -- HERE'S WHY
  
  I have had the VHS version of this film forever and I am so pleased to have finally gotten this DVD edition and there are some very compelling reasons;
  
  * VERY CLEAN TRANSFER -- LETTERBOXED -- 103 MINUTES [with some longer scenes than VHS]
  
  * Behind-the-scenes Documentary The Time Machine: The Journey Back, hosted by Rod Taylor with Alan Young and Whit Bissell -- about 46 minutes and includes some history of the actual Time Machine used in the film and its restoration. Also, a sort of informal tribute to George Pal.
  
  * Available in English or French audio plus English or French subtitles can be chosen too.
  
  * Dolby Digital Sound - the old VHS edition sounded rather tinny but this DVD's sound is really restored as is the picture quality.
  
  BOTTOM LINE: CHEMISTRY BETWEEN WEENA & GEORGE ADD EMOTION TO THIS FANTASY EVENT
  
  A very interesting and entertaining effort by George Pal includes a wonderful script based on H.G. Wells's novel, a fitting musical score by Russell Garcia, breathtaking cinematography by Paul Vogel and incredible visual effects for 1960 by Gene Warren and Tim Baar. Having said all that, for me, it was the chemistry between Rod Taylor as George and Yvette Mimieux as Weena that make this film a classic that endures. It is surprising just how much Mimieux as Weena gets across without saying very much to the all too loquacious George, and ultimately to the audience.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Fantastic Restoration
  By A14QW3EMN8PBZV on 2000-11-02
  I always loved this movie since the first time I saw it when I was 6 years old. I remember taking a small toy car and sticking a little umbrella in the back to make it look like the Time Machine.

  This DVD is really incredible! What they did to the soundtrack is great. The movie sounds great in 5.1 and remember this movie is a 40 year old movie. FOX should have taken lessons before the did Planet of the Apes in 5.1 (if you can call it that!)

  Picture quality is superb. But I do agree with another reviewer that the DVD cover could have been better, but I do see that another BOX set version of this movie is coming out this month with alot more goodies!
  
  

• Not even a traditional SCI-FI fan
  By A92LD431P843F on 2002-02-26
  Star Trek bores me, and Star Wars doesn't do much for me either. So that disqualifies me from being a Sci-Fi geek. That being said, I've reviewed a handful of movies on Amazon, but I've never reviewed my favorite of all time. Year after year, this one stands out: The Time Machine, first viewed during my junior year of high school, is my favorite movie of all time.

  The movie is very easy to get interested in. It brings up the What If questions about the world you ask yourself and your dearest friends. The dialogue is clever and enjoyable. And Rod Taylor is the perfect gentleman time traveler.

  Some people can't handle the 1960 special effects... Appreciate the nostalgia.
  Romance. Action. Intruige. Suspense. Emotion. Watch this thrilling movie about much more than TIME TRAVEL, and you'll find yourself loving it, too.

  And when you're finished watching the movie, you'll be taking a few minutes to think about starting your own civilization...and what three books you would take to help you build THE FUTURE!

  And then you'll stop thinking and look for something else to watch on TV.
  
  

• Science fiction with a heart
  By AYPCUQS6ARWFH on 2002-10-23
  The sci-fi and special effex aspects of this film has been discussed, but what's often overlooked is the film's underlying message about friendship. While Rod Taylor's off into his time travel sprees, Alan Young (unfortunately best remembered as "Wilbur" from the ..."Mr. Ed") sees to it that nobody buys Taylor's house. Most touching is wheh Taylor goes to 1966 London in the midst of a nuclear holocaust, he stops by a park which Alan Young's son has dedicated to his father's friendship to Taylor. Pretty moving stuff, especially the poignant scene where Taylor goes nearly 20 years into the future in 1917 and learns that Young's son had told him the story of his friendship with Taylor.

  Science fiction with a heart. The epilogue, filmed 30 years after the original film with Taylor and Young's characters reuniting is not that necessary, which is why this gets a 4 instead of a 5 from me.
  
  

• Stunning Film Treatment Of The Famous H. G Wells Sci Fi Story
  By A2TOU0N8XE68W4 on 2006-09-09
  The 1960 film version of "The Time Machine", was always one of my absolute favourites growing up and rewatching it now as an adult I appreciate now even more the great effort put in by the legendary George Pal and his talented cast and technical crew in bringing this story vividly to life. Their attention to detail, and creation of what are still awe inspiring special effects were of course created using their collective imaginations without the help of today's computers. I'm not going into exclamations as others have about the effects appearing "dated", by today's standards as that is a pointless exercise and really why is there a need to compare efforts such as this made in 1960 with the technology available to movie makers today? I look at the film in the context of the time it was made in and in this way it can be seen that "The Time Machine", was very state of the art entertainment upon its release. Using the excellent literary source in the famous novel by H.G. Wells, MGM studios in a last gasp of its famous move making finesse fashioned an exciting, thought provoking, and above all else spectacular story here that looks as fresh today as it did over 45 years ago. What is so totally impressive about this film version still for me is the marvellous depiction of the passage of time once the story gets under way and this progression by Rod Taylor on his time machine from New Years Eve 1899 through many thousands of years into Earth's future is still one of the greatest science fiction sequences ever filmed in any decade. George Pal's brilliance in visual design is wonderfully evident in every frame of these scenes where he shows the passing of time by the continual speeded up rising and setting of the sun and moon and best of all by a wonderful idea of continually showing the clothes on a mannequin standing in a neighboring shop window continually changing as the fashions progress over many decades. The time machine itself is a wonderful piece of movie making design and in the decades since the film's release has really taken on a whole life of its own as probably one of the most famous movie props ever created. For all sci fi film lovers like myself this wonderful piece of imaginative construction along with the whole classic movie to which it belongs has assumed an appropriately timeless quality and illustrates yet again the genius that was movie maker George Pal.
  
  
• Time-less classic sci-fi that bears up to repeated viewing.
  By A1Y6LC4JFBCGZN on 1999-04-20
  Although quite different in tone and content from the original novel by H.G. Wells, George Pal's Oscar winner for Special Effects,The Time Machine convincingly conveys the wonder and mystery of time travel. Rod Taylor's highly believable and intense portrayal of the time traveler is a major strength of the film. Even though the special effects are "dated" and reveal at times the "effects" of low budget, they manage to hold up over repeated viewings much like Pal's The War of the Worlds. The Victorian atmosphere of The Time Machine is as vivid as the strangeness of the world in 802,701AD. In spite of its genre', the film manages to effectively portray the need for preserving our human-ness throughout time. If the obvious adherence to Hollywood comic book rescue/adventure and romance are given poetic license, the film is still very unique, entertaining, and worth having in one's film library.
  
  
• It is stunning!
  By A2KFUFXQ1YTWNT on 2000-10-21
  Since I saw this movie as a kid, it has always been one of my all-time favorites. The story has a charm, that transcends time and it still remains thoroughly entertaining. The only video copy I had in my personal library was one that I taped from tv. Boy, was I in for a surprise when I viewed my new DVD version. It is stunning! I must commend those who worked on the restoration...it is gorgeous. It makes some newer movies that have been transferred to DVD, look sick. At times, I forgot I was looking at a movie that is over 40 years old. I found myself noticing details of the sets that I never saw before. If there is any drawback, it would be that the clarity of the picture brings attention to some matte paintings that were less than convicing. I love this movie and this DVD version has renewed my enthusiasm and made me realize that it really is one of my favorite movies.
  
  
• Totally screws up the book
  By A13PAFCVMB1DV8 on 2004-03-30
  A lot of people don't know this is a book that was published in 1895, well before nuclear weapons had even been conceived.

  I give it three stars because as told, it's a decent movie. Of course, you have to forget that it was made in the 60s, otherwise you'd expect better special effects. In any case, it's a decent movie with a few minor caveats.

  First, in the book, there is no nuclear war. The Time Traveler doesn't have a name, and his *first* stop is with the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi are small, like children, and so are the Morlocks. His relationship with Weena is one of a man and his pet, not a romantic relationship at all. He speculates that as society is progressing in the 1890s, it would evolve into this Master-Slave relationship between the Morlocks and the Eloi.

  In the movie, this whole theme is completely warped to suit the movie-makers own political agenda, making a statement about nuclear war. I'm not saying making a statement about nuclear war is bad or anything, but they completely warped a book that was a commentary on 1890 English society in order to fill their own agenda. This is not acceptable behavior.

  Second, in the book, the Time Traveler goes much farther forward in time than just the Eloi and the Morlocks. In the movies, that's always his destination, but in the book it was his first stop. He explored mankind's future all the way until earth couldn't support life anymore and the moon had finally spun out of orbit, the sun wasn't shining so brightly anymore, and so forth. There is a great deal of excellent philosophizing on the basic question of "What the hell are we supposed to be doing?"

  In the movie, nothing.

  Finally, in the book he returns to prove his adventures to his colleagues, and they don't believe him. So he takes off and never returns. Philby (although I don't recall if the author was named that) is the one who tells the story.

  The movie does take advantage of this aspect of the book, and does it much better than the one Dreamscape made. They did add some to it and embellish it, and ask a very interesting question about which three books you would take to rebuild society. The reason this is a caveat is because 99% of the substance of the book is drained at this point. Only a few plot points are kept, and it is actually an extremely poor interpretation of the book.

  It's another case of "Hollywood screwed up another book." I'd recommend watching it, knock yourself out. I grew up on this movie. But READ THE BOOK. If this movie affects you in any way, the book will knock you over. HG Wells was brilliant, hollywood is not.
  
  

• sci-fi classic
  By on 2000-04-03
  This movie tries to be true to H.G. Wells's vision. It still triumphs over its main handicaps, dated special effects and an anti-communist, anti-nuclear paranoia that was unknown to its writer. The movie triumphs, because it has wonderful sentiment. At its heart is a scientist hero who's loneliness and isolation are palpable. He is lost in his own time,saddened by a world dedicated to industry and war, so reclusive that he shuns genuine friends and locks himself alone on his home on the last night of the nineteenth century. Alone with a machine of his own frightening design, one that tranports him into a future that is both horrific and filled with hope. I saw this movie, when I was ten. I loved it then and still do. Don't look for impressive special effects or ground breaking concepts. Just enjoy the human side of the story.
  
  
• Victorian Sci-fi at its best
  By A2AML5BI49ST3F on 2000-10-03
  In the 1950s, director George Pal was best known for producing the film version of "The War of the Worlds" and for creating his numerous "Puppetoons" a decade earlier. Pal would go on to make "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao" in 1964, but his most thoughtful film (in my opinion) will forever be "The Time Machine".

  Going back to H.G. Wells, Pal insures a Victorian sentimentality that would've been present if the film had been made during the era in which it was written. Taking place on the literal eve of the new (20th) century, inventor George (Rod Taylor) invites a group of his friends to witness a demonstration of his new invention. When they arrive, they don't believe in the Time Machine that he has created. Even his best friend, Filby (delightfully played by Alan Young) has his doubts. Uninterested, they leave him to celebrate the new era.

  Determined to travel through time, George uses the machine himself to find what's left of human civilization in the far future. (After fleeing World Wars and puzzling fashons.) He expects to find a Utopia, and he finds one of sorts - but it is not the paradise he expected. George discovers he must defend and teach these valueless humans (including the beautiful Weena played by Yvette Mimieux), lest they die out forever.

  The film is an allegory for the rapidly diminishing Victorian mentality at the turn of the century, and George finds that his imagination and spirit of adventure are outdated within his own lifetime. "The Time Machine" not only reflects the spirit of Wells' own work but the swashbuckling fiction of the time, made whole with a sense of hope and empathy representing the perfect Victorian gentleman hero. This really is 19th Century science fiction at its best: filled with adventure, romance and in the end - depth.

  (This review refers to the BOX SET COLLECTORS EDITION which features a 35mm film clip, a Senitype image from the film, lobby cards and black & white stills, a 27" x 40" original one-sheet and the original H.G. Wells story narrated by Alan Young on CD-ROM. The box set, of course, also includes the film on DVD with all the features that came on the DVD-only release.)
  
  

• Taking the leap forward in the Time Machine by George Pal.
  By A16VWWB8G00EPV on 2000-10-04
  Back in the mid 1960's we were given a glimpse into the future courtesy of George Pal. The oscar winning film still manages to stir the imaginaion after all these years. For fans of the movie it doesnt get better than this. The film transfer is shown in its theatrical widescreen version and is digitally mastered from the original print. Included is a making of documentary hosted by Rod Taylor and can also be heard in 5.1 surround sound. I would have given this DVD a 5 star rating had they included some deleted scenes, and possibly an isolated music score. Sure its no Terminator 2 as far as special effects, but as far as story goes it still manages to keep me wanting to go up to the attic and get out my legos and erector sets and build a time machine of my own.
  
  
• The One, Only, and Future 'Time Machine'
  By A2YD21XOPJ966C on 2002-03-08
  I've become a bit of a skeptic, and even more of a cynic over the years whenever I hear of a major production company doing a remake of an original movie. I've come to realize that 'remakes' rarely live up to the original, except perhaps in special effects (which they often surpass). But special effects does not a classic make, unless that's all you look for in a movie. I have no doubt that the 2002 release of 'The Time Machine' will trounce the original in this department, but everything else being equal, I doubt it will become a classic, as this movie has.

  Having said that I must say the original 'Time Machine' is perhaps one of my favorite Sci-Fi movies of all time. What makes this movie special is the great attention to plot and characterization, as well as keeping scrupulously to the H.G. Wells novel, both in content and in characterization. By contrast I've heard that the remake was quite revisionary.

  Rod Taylor does a splendid job in portraying the inventor with a consciense, the man who must wrestle with questions that have no easy answers. The viewer can sympathize with his predicament of using his invention for the betterment - or detriment - of mankind, no easy task since he is surrounded by friends who can only think in terms of the material.

  At the core of this movie is his friendship with David, played splendidly by Alan Young (Mr. Ed). One of the most noticeable things about this film is the commaraderie between these two men, as well as their differences: George, the idealist, and David, the pragmatic. Yet in SPITE of the differences, their friendship endures. This is especially seen in 'Time Machine: The Journey Back' a sequel (or followup) to the original movie and which is featured on the DVD.

  The music score by Russell Garcia is another factor that makes this movie so special. It fits perfectly into each scene so seamlessly that you can't imagine another music score for this film.

  In closing, the remake my be more exciting to watch, but I doubt if it will be as thought-provoking as the original, which in my opinion is the one, only, and future 'Time Machine'.
  
  

• Take me back!
  By A25JH6CO4DVINS on 2002-04-03
  The sight of Jeremy Irons as the Morlock leader was enough to drive me to the local video store to buy this mid-priced selection.

  While the new version of the H. G. Wells novel plays to the contemporary youth market with the emphasis on the special effects to create the Wellsian idyll and the deformities of the Warlocks, it does miss the point a little.

  This, the original, won an Oscar for the special effects and given the technology of the day it was clearly well deserved. The movie itself set the tone for science fiction movies too with it's original setting and the ability to show the passage of time through several devices such as the circulating sun and the tailors dummy.

  It is the conception of the novel however, which for me emphasises the differences between this movie and the newer version. The central difference lies in the somewhat ordinariness of the society of the Eloi. They are living a simple, almost idyllic lifestyle, knowing nothing much about the world around them except what they need to know. They live in ruins with food and clothing provided for them. In the newer version there is some complex structures which do not make a whole lot of sense as they are still susceptible to raids from the Morlocks.

  The Eloi suggest a socialist society where each according to ability each according to need whereas the Morlocks represent the evils of the capitalist machine. In the end of course, the victory over the Morlocks is achieved with the aid of our hero who's single minded devotion to rescuing the heroine culminates in defeat of the capitalist machine.

  Thus the original time machine remains as true to the concept of the novel as perhaps it can be whereas the message of the new is obscured.

  Certainly the original Time Machine is a little dated but it is worth it.
  
  

• One of the greatest films ever
  By A3P121GNV5QYIN on 2002-08-06
  My title says it all.I don't care if I'm from The Matrix and Star Wars generation,I loved this movie alot more then the 2002 remake.I think George Pal was the Steven Spielberg of his time.It's a great masterpiece,Rod Taylor was perfect as the time travller and it was a total blast watching him go forward in time.In the remake it was a total of 10 minutes of him going though time and in the orgainal,it's about half and hour.So to the people of my generation,skip the remake and watch the Pal classic instead.
  ***** out of *****
  
  
• Warners has done it again!!! Unfortunately!!!
  By A2RD0B8LLOSMCQ on 2002-10-03
  I can understand if a viewer has only seen a VHS release of this film, worse still a rental copy, that this DVD would probably exceed expectations. Some of us though have seen the Laserdisc as well so our expectations of the DVD were a little higher. Frankly, I think Warner has given "The Time Machine" a better than average transfer for Warner. I also don't think that is saying much either. The aspect ratio is off, details at Amazon.com give it 1:66:1, but Widescreen review is giving it as 1:78:1, which is closer to what you see on the screen. So little is made of the widescreen field however, that a fullscreen editon would probably enhance details in the center, especially Yvette Mimieux and Rod Taylor who give wonderful performances in this film. This is probably why I enjoyed the film on television so much over the years. I found the sound passable but the dialogue too soft at times. The picture succumbed to grain a little to often, but it's certainly better than it has looked in years. The lack of any running commentary is probably what is really missing on this otherwise decent DVD edition. It would have been better still if they had issued the Pan and Scan edition on the second layer or flip side with this Widescreen editon. Instead, we get as a supplemental a nearly decade old 45 minute TV program, much of its footage is far older, fuzzy and faded, hosted by Rod Taylor. He had changed so much that I didn't recognise him at first. I understand this is yet another MGM title which Warners is issuing on DVD after getting the rights from Turner. I think MGM makes better DVD's for the same or even less money than Warner from what I have seen so far. I hope to be pleasantly surprised otherwise in the future, but we will see. I give the movie an A, but the DVD gets B+ for Video, B- for Audio, C for extras, overall grade of B-, best wishes CAL
  
  
• The best work of sci-fi pioneer George Pal
  By on 1999-10-30
  An action-packed and entertaining version of the H. G. Wells classic novel; even though we now know there were no nuclear explosions or volcano eruptions in London in 1966 (Thank God!). This is a movie just about any sci-fi fan should see and enjoy.
  
  

• Journey to the Center of the Earth
• The War of the Worlds (Special Collector's Edition)
• The Day the Earth Stood Still
• Forbidden Planet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
• 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Special Edition)