Genre Grandeur – Time After Time (1979) – Encore Review

For this month’s next review for Genre Grandeur – Classic Fantasy films (thru the 1970’s) here’s a review of Time After Time (1979) by me.

Thanks again to Kristen of KN Winiarski Writes for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s genre has been chosen by Chris ‘Tank’ Tanski of Fright Rags and we will be reviewing our favorite Alternative Christmas movies.

Please get me your submissions by the 25th of Dec by sending them to alternativetank@movierob.net

Try to think out of the box! Great choice Tank!

Let’s see what I thought of this movie:

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“We don’t belong here? On the contrary, Herbert. I belong here completely and utterly. I’m home. ” – Jack the Ripper

Number of Times Seen – at least three times (2 Mar 2008, 7 Nov 2017 and 29 Nov 2020)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – H.G. Wells uses his time machine to travel to modern times in order to try and stop Jack the Ripper.

My Take on it – This is a film that I’ve loved every since I first saw it years ago.

They are able to find an amazing way of blending together fact and fiction that helps make the story feel so much more realistic in all that it does.

The story stays thrilling throughout and the added element of time travel enhances things so much along the way.

The cast is super with Malcolm McDowell, Mary Steenburgen and David Warner all giving great performances.

The way that the story depicts anachronistic characters and how they acclimate to their new “time” is done effectively and helps make things even more engaging and even humorous in certain instances.

The mystery of things works really well and they find some clever ways to keep the suspense level quite high throughout.

The story’s use of real historical characters in a fictional setting is great and adds to the realistic feel of it all.

The choice to not spend too much time on the science is great because it allows us to thoroughly accept the time travel aspects without much thought.

The film’s fantasy elements are enhanced by the love story within which is helped along by the real off-screen love of both McDowell and Steenburgen who met while making this film thus creating amazing chemistry for their characters.

Bottom Line – Amazing thriller that is able to mix in time travel which makes things so enjoyable to watch. McDowell, Steenburgen and Warner are all perfect in their roles and help make this so much more suspenseful with their performances. The way that the movie shows these anachronistic characters learning about their new place is time is done quite cleverly and helps make things even more fun to watch. The mystery of it all works well and the added fact that they use now literary and real characters adds so much realism to it all. Love the way that they don’t spend too much time on the science of it all and just let the time travel aspects flow throughout. The fantasy elements of the story are more grounded by the romance aspects which come across so well especially given the true off screen romance of Steenburgen and McDowell at the time. Highly Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – H.G. Wells arrives in the present on November 5, 1979. The same “time travel arrival date” was used in Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann (1982) (November 5, 1877), and Back to the Future (1985) (November 5, 1955). (From IMDB)

Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)