Rating: 
Summary: An incredible restoration
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: George Pal Does It RIght!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Totally screws up the book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Time-less classic sci-fi that bears up to repeated viewing.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Not even a traditional SCI-FI fan
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: H.G. Wells Classic story is done Proud!!!!!
Review: I cannot say how faithful this movie is to the book, however it is an outstanding science fiction movie. The cinematic techniques available for this movie are not as garish as you might see today, but are nonetheless very effective in supporting the cracking screenplay. Rod Taylor's potrayal of Wells is spot on and deserving of special note. The sets are also exceptional with the period furniture and architecture very well done. It is a classic story well adapted to the screen. I recommend this movie to all true science fiction and Time travel fans.
Rating:
Summary: An Ageless Enthralling Classic of Sci Fi
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: George Pal will be most remembered for The Time Machine
Review: It was 1959 and I was 9 when I witnessed the now classic Time Machine by George Pal unfold on the movie screen. That was some memory for a kid - but from then on I was hooked on this movie and the works of George Pal. Who could forget that marvelous Victorian era of clocks and carriages of turn of the century London. That incredible Time Machine design by George Pal and Wah Chang. This machine really looked like it could do fantastic things! I was so impressed by the way Pal took us on his adapation of the H.G. Wells journey in ways that were so believable and heartfelt that over time seems to have out distanced the original source material. The wonderful commaderie between Filby (Alan Young) and The Time Traveller (Rod Taylor), that terrific little Time Machine miniature, the "Talking Rings" (voiced by Paul Frees), the mannequin clothes changing in the shop window, the time lapse stop motion animation photography, the beautiful Eloi Weena (Yvette Mimieux), the three books and those frightening cannibilistic Morlocks. And of course the inspired and magnificent Russell Garcia musical score - certainly one of the best ever written for a motion picture! Who could ever forget all it back in 1959 or even better now in 2000! Some 40 years after the original movie was released The Time Machine on DVD has stood the test of time and viewer interest has not abated one single iota. Even a now a new Dreamworks Warner Bros. remake is in production for a 2001 release by none other than Steven Spielberg (admitted to be inspired by George Pal in his formative years). But we must all remember it all started with a little Hungarian genious named George Pal. His films were big films with big ideas and authentic good stories grounded in real emotion, effects that enhanced the story not envelope it and his mesages were moving sociological what if studies - as The Time Machine so perfectly examples. Some of Pal's stories were fanciful - even far-fetched - but still believable, emotional. memorable and enigmatic. The hopeful optismism of Pal's message in The Time Machine that even at the ends of time man will endure is prevalent in many of his films. Pal should never be forgotten and The Time Machine is a wonderful way to remember him. Incidentally, to get a terrific overview of The Time Machine and George Pal - don't forget to get your hands on the new director's cut DVD of "The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal" by director Arnold Leibovit (who by the way is Executive Producing the remake of The Time Machine with Dreamworks). Leibovit's love letter film tribute to George Pal contains a stable of stars like Rod Taylor, Alan Young, Gene Roddenberry, Ray Bradbury and countless others. A treat for anyone interested in "The Time Machine" and all of the George Pal films. We think the sequence of The Time Machine is one of the best done! The expanded edition has two hours of new material. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Very good film
Review: Excellent acting by Taylor, Young, Cabot, and Mimieux (sp?). Good sets and fine (if now outdated story). To reviewer Michael Butts. Giant was directed by George Stevens, not George Pal.
Rating:
Summary: Review for "The Time Machine"
Review: The Time Machine had a great effect on me. I found it to be enjoyable and it had very fascinating theories throughout. What I liked most in the book was the interesting characters, H.G. Wells' style of writing, the parallel of Eloi and Morlocks to society now, how the book always kept my attention, and finally I liked how the narrator left us questioning the conclusion of the novel.
First, I liked how interesting the characters were simply because that is a vital aspect to a good novel. I was impressed by the Time Traveller, and how he was determined to prove his machine to be a success. The characters whom attended his dinners always seemed a little skeptical of his ideas and theories. The Time Traveller explains his discovery of the fourth-dimension and the Psychologist interrupts stating,"You can move about in all directions of space, but you cannot move about in Time" (III.13.16).
The second thing I liked about the novel was the authors' style of writing. Wells remained descriptive throughout the book. For a novel based on imagination and theories, I found it important that Wells had kept some reality in it. (Reality being the descriptive details in the novel.) With all these crazy ideas going on in the book, Wells had to keep our minds somewhat intact to what his visions were. The Time Traveller describes the Eloi's as being "very beautiful and graceful creatures, but indescribably frail. His flushed face reminded me of the more beautiful kind of consumptive-that hectic beauty of which we used to hear so much"(III.34.33.)
Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed, was the parallel of the Eloi and Morlocks to society now. We begin to understand that the Eloi and Morlocks are humans after great evolution and time. It amazed me to see how society completely divided itself between graceful creatures and creatures of the underworld.
The fourth thing I liked was how the book kept my attention the whole way through. I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next or how the Time Traveller was going to escape the Morlocks and get back to his machine.
Finally, I really enjoyed how the narrator concludes the Time Travellers disappearance. The narrator says,"The Time Traveller vanished three years ago. And, as everybody knows now, he has never returned"(XII.124.18). I liked this because it made you question whether the Time Traveller had vanished into the future forever, whether he had always been from a past time and had gone back, or what was to come of him? So, as it began with one mans' imagination, it ends with your own.
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