Customer Reviews
Mushrooms will sprout - By: L. Davidson, 30 Jul 2008 
"The Time Machine" remains a timeless film although the special effects in this 50 year old film are now somewhat dated. Rod Taylor plays the time traveller who travels forward in time by tens of thousands of years to find humanity divided into two; living on the Earth's surface are the Eloi, a passive,stupid but beautiful people who are preyed upon by the subterranean cannibalistic Morlocks.The hideous Morlocks do alll the work while the Eloi live lives of idle leisure.Clearly the film is making inferences about the class system on Earth in the current age, perhaps taking things to extremes to make a point.When I was younger I found the scenes where Taylor fought the Morlocks in their cave terrifying , but the passage of time has dimmed their impact somewhat. However "The Time Machine" is still a memorable film & is well worth a watch.
Fascinating and timeless classic! - By: FAMOUS NAME, 17 Dec 2007 'The Time Machine' was one of the most exciting films ever made in the 1960s for me - partly because I have always had a fascination with time & have a house full of clocks myself! This had some pretty neat special effects - especiallly the 'talking discs' & the Morlocks! Some very intricate details with regard to aspects of time travel here that are often ignored or get left behind in other stories on this subject.
Stars a very 'dishy' Rod Taylor, who at thirty years of age in 1960 was not so young. Yvette Mimieux is excellent as the rather fey 'Weena' - a member of the 'Eloi' race from the future. This movie will keep you hooked until the very end!
As one of the 'special' features included on this DVD, there is an interesting documentary hosted by Rod Taylor on the survival of the actual 'Time Machine' used in the film!
very much ahead of it's time - By: Mrs. I. Blackwell, 26 Sep 2007 I absolutely love this film.
I first saw it when I was a teenager & appreciate it more & more the more often I watch it. Considering it is from 1960 the special effects are great. But it is more about the story. These days films are alll about special effects & get spoiled. It is great to see how things actuallly happen in faster time rather than just instantly go to the new place in time.
Excellent film indeed.
"He has all the time in the world" - By: Sheryl Podlesak, 19 Sep 2006 George Pal made many science fiction movies during his career, but this, I think, is one of his best. Filmed in sumptuous Metrocolor, the movie tells the story of George Wells, an inventor who creates a wonderful time machine. Disillusioned with the violence of his time, he sets off into the future, only to discover that mankind's struggle for knowledge & progress is doomed to end after a devastating third world war. Finallly, in the year 802701 he saves a beautiful girl, Weena, from drowning & is introduced to the Eloi, a race of peaceful, almost childlike, innocents. But then his time machine is stolen by the Morlocks, & he discovers that the Eloi's idyllic existance isn't alll that it seems to be .....
The Time Machine is a veritable feast for the eyes. The Victorian era scenes are filmed with an unerring eye for detail, & the film won an Oscar for its time lapse photography depicting the time machine's forward travel. But it's with the future scenes that the movie reallly comes into its own, with vibrant colour & simple yet extremely effective sets. It's true that the acting is a little stilted in places, but I think this just adds to the movie's charm, & I've always thought that Rod Taylor made a very creditable & handsome hero!
But, for me, the star of the movie always has been, & always shalll be, the time machine itself. Introduced with virtuallly no build up or fanfare whatsoever, the time machine is, in my opinion, one of the finest props ever produced in movie history. It simply exudes Victorian charm and, while I admit it doesn't look remotely functional as a time travelling vehicle, it's the attention to detail that is so outstanding - the red plush seat, the beautiful stud work on the machine's revolving disc, & even the manufacturer's plate set into the control panel - alll show the love & hard work that went into this amazing piece of movie history. I would give my eye-teeth for a scale model. Any model companies out there, please take note!
So, in conclusion, The Time Machine may have been updated with a new & flashy remake, but it will never be able to capture the charm & quality of the original. If you buy only one film this week, make it The Time Machine!
Excellent film - By: David C. Parkinson, 17 Jul 2006 I loved this film from the first time i watched it. At the time i was 7 or 8. I think the story is interesting & the nuclear war makes sense. Back when the film was made we were extremely close to nuclear war. It's sort of like an insight to how thing's would be if it did happen. But living underground for 800 000 years? Horrible life for the human race. I would never even had seen daylight. Actuallly i wouldn't exist. I thought it was clever how the human race divided into two seperate races: the Morlok & the Eloi. Personallly i prefer the Morloks. At least they work. What do the Eloi do? Play & eat. Those lazy gits. There are some creepy things in this film, though they're not scary. like the sphynx. Creepy face it has & the noise youj hear when he stops in the future. Imagine living in a world where you hear that every five seconds? One thing that made no sense. Usuallly in a nuclear war, if somebody is outside at the time, they'd die & the time machine would be destroyed. Anyway it's an excellent film & some funny bits in the film & you have to laugh at the Eloi sometimes. I've never heard of anyone who ignores someone screaming for their lives or anyone who walks of & doesn't so much as say thank you to the person who saved their life. So rude.
