I went to see this movie even though I had just read a scathing review on it in the L.A. Times. Whoever wrote the review had little or nothing good to say about not only the movie but the actors involved with its production. I walked out of this movie feeling like the $7 I spent on my ticket was worth the entertainment that I received from Timeline.
Timeline opens on a lonely stretch of New Mexico road as the audience follows an unknown driver over twists and turns of the highway. Interspaced with shots of him, or his car, we see a man apparently wounded alternately running through the desert and a forest being chased by enemies unknown. Our unknown driver ultimately swerves to avoid the running man, now standing in the middle of the road, stopping to offer his assistance to the injured man.
The Hospital
After unsuccessfully trying to save the injured mans life, Doctors at the hospital discover something very strange about the man. As one Dr. puts it, “This guy looks like a paper doll cut up and pasted back together again.” At the hospital a man comes to recover the body, the audience witnesses an exchange between him and two others where the man is told to retrieve everything from the hospital that involves the dead man.
Everything! Police there have one question for the man on a mission, “What is Castelgard?”
Castelgardthe present
On an archeological dig, the audience sees and hears Professor Edward Johnston (Billy Connolly) telling his young students about the battle for castle La Roque and the surrounding village of Castelgard between the French and English armies in 14th century Europe.
It is here that we meet most of the rest of the cast. Professor Johnston’s son Chris (played by Paul Walker of Fast and Furious fame), Andre Merack (played by Gerard Butler, last seen in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life), and Kate Erickson (played by Frances O’Connor, last seen in Windtalkers with Nicholas Cage). Although there are a few more characters that have significant roles, these are the main players.
The Professor is a little curious how the financiers of the dig have so much information about Castelgard and decides to return to ITC to get answers. This leaves Chris and the rest of the Professors students to find a few interesting things on their own. This includes a message from Chris’s Dad that seemingly was written on 4/2/1357. “But that’s impossible, your dad’s only been gone for two day’s Chris.”
ITC Labthe present
While I could go into incredible detail about what happens here I won’t. Instead I am going to give you some words to think about.
Quantum Wormhole, and Human Fax.
Castelgardthe past
If you can imagine being transported from where you are at this precise moment to the exact same spot 650 years ago I suppose you can imagine what our cast of merry time travelers feel when they hit the ground in 1357 Europe. I for one would think, EXTREME AWE.
The Rest of the Movie
For the remaining portion of this movie you will be witness to history in the making and in some cases history in the unmaking. There are more than a few flaws that this movie has as far as time travel is concerned but none that have not been seen in time travel movies before. I would really love to explain a few from this movie but once again, I won’t. To tell you more is to tell you the movie.
I hope that I have told you enough to pique your curiosity and make you want to see Timeline. I found it to be enjoyable and more exciting than a few movies that I have seen lately.(read that as Master and Commander, another movie opinion to be found in my list of reviews)
I enjoyed the movie and found the diamond in the rough to be young actress Anna Friel who plays Lady Claire. Her role is not as large as the other members of this cast but her simple charm and country beauty brings another dimension to the movie.
I would like to be able to write that there is some sort of significant historical tie-in with this movies storyline but apparently there is not. Online searches for Castelgard and Castle La Roque only bring up websites about the movie.
Popular action star Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) leads an ensemble cast as a group of young archaeologists who confront the intrigue--and pe...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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