 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Timeline
- Review Date: May 3, 2004
- PG-13
- Genre: Science Fiction
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Weakly entertaining Middle Ages fantasy.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What 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.
What's the story?
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?
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.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the theme of making one's own history and how they would want their own lives remembered.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
Entertaining, but that's about it.
It's an abomination to Michael Crichton's novel, but it's ok on it's own.
Was this review useful?
|
|
Kid, 3 years old
September 3, 2009
AGE
Free Rapidshare Accounts
Get Rapidshare Premium Account For Free (expires after 6 month from today)
Tak Your Free Rapidshare Premium Account Now
Get Free Rapidshare Account
Hurry ! Wy Have Limited 100 Free Accounts!
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
good.
i really liked it. it was cool.i would reccomend seeing it. but it wasnt the best
movie ever.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
Enjoyable
Way too much violence for kids -- an adults only film.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
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.
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Director: | Richard Donner |
| Cast: | Frances O'Connor, Gerard Butler, Paul Walker |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Run time: | 116 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 26, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | April 13, 2004 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense battle sequences and brief language |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
