Timeline (PG-13)

Weakly entertaining Middle Ages fantasy.

(Flash is loading. If this text does not disappear you need to install the latest flash version)

About Our Ratings
Common Sense rates it
2
Seen the movie? Review it
1843_orig.jpg
Movie details
  • Studio: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Pictures
  • Directed By: Richard Donner
  • Cast: Paul Walker
  • Running Time: 116 minutes
  • Release Date: 11/26/2003
  • Video/DVD Release Date: 04/13/2004
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • MPAA Rating: PG-13
  • MPAA Explanation: intense battle sequences and brief language

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is exactly what parents would expect of a Hollywood medieval movie, featuring swordfights and siege warfare, including burning arrows and trebuchets. Several unarmed characters are killed with swords, bow and arrow, and other weapons of the time. What is especially alarming is the casual ease with which the students take the lives of the 14th century soldiers, showing -- with one exception -- no remorse. Although this war is shown to take place at a time when violent death is all but the norm, there is little explanation of why these modern young historians embrace their role as soldiers or their side of the battlefield so easily.

Families can talk about the theme of making one's own history and how they would want their own lives remembered.

Message

Social Behavior:

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Violence

Frequent battles with many injuries and deaths, characters killed. Some intense scenes.

Sex

Language

Brief strong language.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

Based on Michael Crichton's uneven but entertaining book of the same name, TIMELINE launches with a secretive company in the midst of a cover-up after one of its employees dies of sword-inflicted injuries. Apparently, International Technology Corporation (ITC) has discovered a wormhole through time and space, which allows its employees to "fax" themselves back in time to 1357 onto a battlefield between the English (bad) and the French (good) for control of an impenetrable fortress on a hill. To better understand the era, ITC sends back Professor Johnson (Billy Connolly), the top historian specializing in that particular battle. Fellow Scot and assistant professor Andre Marek (Gerard Butler), Johnson's supremely American son Chris (Paul Walker), his love-interest, Kate (Frances O'Connor), and a few others follow Johnson back in time. Once there they are swept up in the intrigue and battle, not realizing that they may never make it back to the future.

Is it any good?

2
Timeline is yet another time travel movie, but since it's unspectacular we can relax, letting this one pass unobserved while knowing that another one will not be far off in the future. For the dedicated genre fans, this movie is barely entertaining enough to stay well above the nadir of truly bad movies but it lacks any force or energy to release it from the pull of total mediocrity.

The six hours that the team is supposed to spend in 1357 is filled with pre-battle maneuverings and hustling in and out of captivity since the English take them as spies for the French and the Scots side with anyone against the English. Despite much scurrying about the ramparts, the battle scenes are a pale repetition of any movie where a castle is stormed. In fact the one distinguishing feature about Timeline is a generally hurried feel as if all those involved wanted to wrap up the flick and head home. For those seeking familiar themes in an ever-popular genre, this movie is weakly entertaining enough to fill the space, but those seeking something new under the sun should peek down another wormhole.

Other choices

Support Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is a non-profit and will receive a portion of your purchase from Pricegrabber. Learn more.

Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 8 reviews.

Age 17+
2


Posted on 06/15/08 by Spud Adult contributor

Not family-friendly, and not for most sci-fi fans

This movie is technically a sci-fi film, but it was written to appeal to Middle-Ages history buffs more then sci-fi fans. If you're the kind of person who liked Robin Hood and hated Star Trek, you'll enjoy this movie a lot more then I did. The language was extremely strong for a PG-13 movie, pretty much every expletive that is allowed in a PG-13 movie was used multiple times. The "S" word and the 5-letter "B" word seemed to be the most common. The movie's violent scenes could get pretty brutal at times, especially one scene which showed a very frightened character getting run through. The swordplay in this movie was a lot more realistically graphic then in most medieval movies, and that particular scene was way over the top.
4


Posted on 12/30/07 by Nina Myers Kid contributor, age 14

5


Posted on 07/26/07 by moviegeek Kid contributor, age 15

3


Posted on 01/29/07 by islandgal Kid contributor, age 12

good.

i really liked it. it was cool.i would reccomend seeing it. but it wasnt the best movie ever.
Age 2+
5

Posted on 10/23/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

3


Posted on 07/14/06 by moviemogul 2.0; also fomerly moviemogul Kid contributor, age 15

If only it were as good as the book

Age 13+
2


Posted on 02/24/05 by fritzsky Adult contributor

Age 17+
4


Posted on 04/28/04 by Panya Adult contributor

Enjoyable

Way too much violence for kids -- an adults only film.

See all 8 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 4 reviews.

Age 17+
2


Posted on 06/15/08 by Spud Adult contributor

Not family-friendly, and not for most sci-fi fans

This movie is technically a sci-fi film, but it was written to appeal to Middle-Ages history buffs more then sci-fi fans. If you're the kind of person who liked Robin Hood and hated Star Trek, you'll enjoy this movie a lot more then I did. The language was extremely strong for a PG-13 movie, pretty much every expletive that is allowed in a PG-13 movie was used multiple times. The "S" word and the 5-letter "B" word seemed to be the most common. The movie's violent scenes could get pretty brutal at times, especially one scene which showed a very frightened character getting run through. The swordplay in this movie was a lot more realistically graphic then in most medieval movies, and that particular scene was way over the top.
Age 2+
5

Posted on 10/23/06 by Anonymous Adult contributor

Age 13+
2


Posted on 02/24/05 by fritzsky Adult contributor

Age 17+
4


Posted on 04/28/04 by Panya Adult contributor

Enjoyable

Way too much violence for kids -- an adults only film.

Kids Reviews

There are 4 reviews.

4


Posted on 12/30/07 by Nina Myers Kid contributor, age 14

5


Posted on 07/26/07 by moviegeek Kid contributor, age 15

3


Posted on 01/29/07 by islandgal Kid contributor, age 12

good.

i really liked it. it was cool.i would reccomend seeing it. but it wasnt the best movie ever.
3


Posted on 07/14/06 by moviemogul 2.0; also fomerly moviemogul Kid contributor, age 15

If only it were as good as the book

Review It
more
What do your kids do online?
Surf
34%
Homework and research
19%
Download music
10%
Chat with friends
37%
132 votes