"Timeline" - Medieval Science Fiction
As a reviewer, you watch a film like "Timeline" and you think to yourself two things.
1) This could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a few new Hollywood faces to make, perhaps, their only appearance on the big screen. After all, this is the kind of film that requires an ensemble cast, but it oddly makes every player more or less dispensable.
2) To get people to pay to see it, you need at least one pseudo-known pretty-face to give it some credibility and glamour. Paul Walker, the only recognizable name, is certainly more deserving of a better-conceived project. He's got good ol' country boy looks and charm. But he really doesn't have any opportunities to leverage any of it here. Too bad.
Anyway, that's what a reviewer might notice. The average moviegoer will watch this film and will feel that they just saw a clunky episode of Start Trek. Or, they'll feel that they saw an ersatz Robin Hood adventure. Well, maybe you'll feel a mix of both.
The premise, which involves a group of archeologists and time travel, is so eager to try to justify itself that it feels like the film is about to unravel before it starts. You might as well dispense with the physics mumbo jumbo because once all the explaining is done, the machinery that makes time travel possible looks suspiciously like a Transporter. "Beam me up through time, Scotty." The next destination is the mid-14th century.
And then there are other brain-dead elements that make you wonder if anyone applied he common sense test. Why would you bring a grenade back through time? Why are weakling archeologists hastily sent back instead of a better-prepared mercenary group? Why is Paul Walker's character so unbelievably useless?. The entire first third requires so much suspension of disbelief that they were better off just telling us, "ok, here's the time transporter. Now everybody, get in!"
Once they all go back to the past, the film starts to gather a little steam. The group finds themselves in the crosshairs of an impending epic battle. Their sudden appearance makes them look like spies. They find themselves being hunted, rescuing important historical figures, and turning the tide of war.
Sadly, they are so bereft of any useful skills that for much of the time, they are just frantically running around, looking for places to hide. It's amazing how these intelligent folks have 650 years on the local people, but can't find a way to outsmart them.
One of the notable points involves a hero-in-the-making (Gerard Butler). Despite being an archeologist, this chap can ably ride a horse, shoot a bow and arrow, defend himself with a sword, and rescue the damsel in distress (Anna Friel). Although his story is diluted by all of his friends running around for cover, it is a pleasing tale of heroism.
Also worthy is the final battle as the two opposing forces clash. It features flaming arrows, giant catapults, scores of troops, and the full throttle sequence in which hundreds storm a fortress wall. It's actually well-choreographed and makes for an enjoyable finale.
If you can name all of the main crewmembers of the USS Enterprise and if you're vacation plans include a trip to the annual Renaissance Festival, then you'll probably enjoy the film's presentation. But the other 97% of us will find it only mildly amusing.
Grade: C
S: 0 out of 3 L: 1 out of 3 V: 2 out of 3
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