Some months ago I reviewed a copy of Timeline's script. To say I didn't like is to be very kind. I ended the review with the statement, "I find little in this script to recommend or praise." Now I've seen the finished product and you know what? That statement still holds.
Actually I can come up with one compliment for the finished film. It is better than the script I read. That means I would raise the grade from F to D. An improvement for certain, but not one to be proud of.
The story is of a group of archeologists digging up a place called Castlegard in France. It was the site of a major battle between the French and English in 1357. The head of the dig, Professor Johnston (Billy Connolly), heads to America because he wants to talk to their financier who seems to be providing entirely too accurate suggestions on digging. Meanwhile, his crew finds a new chamber at the dig and discover the oddest thing: a bifocal lense and a note from the Professor that dates back 600 years. Either the Professor has pulled off a huge prank or something very strange is going on. They go to see Doniger, the man with the money, to find out where the Professor is.
He confesses that his company has accidently discover time travel while trying to invent a fax machine for three dimensional objects. Eventually a crew is assembled to go back in time and retrieve the Professor, who got lost on the last expedition. Going along is the Professor's son Chris (Paul Walker), the two people in charge of the dig Kate (Frances O'Connor) and Marek (Gerard Butler), a French speaking student, and a handful of military guys for protection. They jump in the machine, make faces and next thing you know, they're in the past. Basically they just skipped on special effects for this sequence.
I'd try to explain the rest of the story to you but frankly there's barely a coherent thread to follow to talk about. The movie comes completely unglued after our heroes hit the past and from there on it's just a bunch of running around trying not to get killed. Seriously. They all run from point A to point B, do something and then run to point C. Rinse, lather, repeat. It gets old really fast.
Thankfully we have a great actor like Paul Walker to keep us amused. Um... Yeah. Never mind. Walker manages to find new heights of wooden that the Fast and the Furious movies only hinted at. Well at least we have Gerard Butler for excitement. You know, the guy from Dracula 2000 and Tomb Raider 2. Ooh. Bad examples. Ummm... Billy Connolly? No, career worst performance. Let's see... Frances O'Connor? Still cute, still can't find her way into a hit movie to save her life. Okay, so quality acting isn't the movie's strong point. Okay, so it doesn't have a strong point. At least it has a big battle with medieval weapons at the end. Of course it's a poorly filmed battle featuring characters I don't give a rat's ass about. You know, what? I said all I needed to back in that script review.
I find little in this script to recommend or praise.
- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Timeline
Directed by: Richard Donnor
Written by: Jeff Maguire, George Nolfi and Michael Crichton (novel)
Starring: Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly
