Timeline (2003)

• Review: * (out of ****)
• Starring: Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler, Billy Connolly, David Thewlis, Anna Friel, Neal McDonough, Matt Craven, Ethan Embry, Michael Sheen, Lambert Wilson, Marton Csokas, Rossif Sutherland
• Director: Richard Donner
• Screenplay: Jeff Maguire, George Nolfi (Novel: Michael Crichton)
• Length: 116 min.
• MPAA Rating: PG-13 (For intense battle sequences and brief language)

An archaeological dig provides the clues to solving a centuries-old mystery caused by a modern day temporal mishap.

A research company in NewMexico has created a device that would normally be used to "fax"objects across the country but after an unexplained programming glitch,the apparatus is in essence a time machine. Conventional use isn'tapplicable as it is only linked to one point in history, the battle forCastlegard in France. The film's first glimpse of its stars is at a digwhere Castlegard once stood. The head archaeologist, Professor Johnston(Billy Connolly), tells the tale that the French were severelyoutnumbered and the British had taken control. The French were about tolay siege to the fortress at Castlegard but the British had a plan.They would kill the sister of a noted general and her death, it wasthought, would demoralize the troops. Instead, it worked against theBritish, inspiring the French legions to capture the castle. Johnstonis asked to travel back in time to locate a missing operative that wentto investigate his surroundings but never returned.

The class, consideredexperts in the field, plus Johnston's son Chris (Paul Walker), are sentback to locate the professor and bring him back. Along for theparadox-ridden ride are Chris' soon-to-be-girlfriend Kate (FrancesO'Connor), fellow professor André Marek (Gerard Butler), theirFrench-speaking compatriot François (Rossif Sutherland) and companyrepresentative Frank Gordon (Neal McDonough). Remaining behind torepair the gadget when it unexpectedly breaks down after transportingthe rescue party back in time are the ambitious and contemptable RobertDoniger (David Thewlis), head programmer/designer Steven Kramer (MattCraven) and fellow archaeology student Josh Stern (Ethan Embry), who stays behindbecause he's afraid to have his particles separated and recombined.

If these aren't enoughcharacters to pay attention to, the group meets several importantfigures to the events they were studying. Lady Claire (Anne Friel) isthe woman who died and inspired the French to victory. Her brother isSir Oliver de Vannes (Michael Sheen). These actors make an unwieldyensemble whose performances range from bad (like Sutherland and Sheen)to horrible (Walker and McDonough). Connelly is the only one whoappears to be trying but with such talent around him, he gets lost andultimately gives up.

Director Richard Donnerhasn't had the best of track records. His films have been decent butwith many weak elements (Superman , The Goonies and the LethalWeapon series). Screenwriters Jeff Maguire and George Nolfi haveadapted Michael Crichton's novel to the screen and didn't succeed atlifting the Crichton curse. With the exception of the originalJurassic Park , films based on Crichton's novels have been not onlyunsuccessful but horrendously awful. Congo and Sphere wereatrocious movies that certainly didn't live up to the source material.Here we run across the same situation and are forced to believe that wemay never see a good adaptation of one of his novels again.

Timeline takes plotinconsistencies, unreasonable paradoxes and terrible acting to a newlevel. Archaeology students will find some of the precepts discussedherein entertaining but the average audience will likely look away fromthe faux sentiment and questionable accuracy and leave with a mentalvoid wondering what the purpose of the film was.

-Wesley Lovell (April 4, 2004)