Timeline
If you were to ask me about director Richard Donner, I would smile. Smile because he’s a filmmaker of unlimited technical gifts. Smile because when it comes to action filmmaking, he’s a man among boys, a director of the old-school of contemporary action films, who isn’t afraid to admit he just wants to entertain, and doesn’t take himself too seriously. Smile because he appreciates the necessity in action films of stunt choreography over CG trickery, realizes the importance of action geography and character investment, and understands that fluid, focused editing and cinematography is always more desirable than the stylized, frantic editing and cinematography- crossed-over from music videos- that dominates modern action movies (though the latter- when well-honed- can be equally thrilling). Smile because he understands the audiences’ desire to see a good story told onscreen, even if the story’s not that good.
But most importantly, I smile because he’s given me such memorable movies over the years, and not just the same movie over and over. 1985’s “The Goonies” is one of my most loved movies from my youth, and one that appeals to the kid in me to this day. 1994’s “Maverick” was an enjoyable romp of a Western that may have been overplotted, but had charm and adventure to spare to make up for it in spades (it’s also the second movie- after “E.T.”- I saw 10 or more times in theatres). The “Lethal Weapon” series (1987, ’89, ’92, and ’98) is that rare movie series that avoided repetition, dared overkill, and welcomed illogic, and provided thrills and feeling thanks to irresistible characters and well-developed action scenes. And 1997’s “Conspiracy Theory”- possibly his best film with long-time collaborators Mel Gibson and producer Joel Silver- is a wonderfully scripted- and slyly directed- suspense thriller in the vein of the best Hitchcock. If I’m forgetting a few, forgive me: 1978’s “Superman” (still considered the best superhero movie every after 25 years), 1976’s “The Omen” (a genuinely creepy horror classic that set Donner on his path to popularity), and 1995’s “Assassins” (his underrated, underseen action thriller with Sly Stallone and Antonio Banderas) don’t hold the same fondness for me- just increase my admiration for Donner’s ability to do something besides “Lethal Weapon” movies.
Somehow, this leads me to “Timeline,” Donner’s latest. First things first- this is as absurd and predictable as “Bad Boys II” and as ridiculous as “The Core.” Don’t think for a second it’s one of Donner’s better films- it isn’t. In fact, with all the above films considered, it’s his worst. That said- don’t mistake it for crap either; “Timeline’s” too well made for that. But don’t mistake it for “Lord of the Rings” either. Based on a Michael Crichton novel, “Timeline” stars Paul “Fast and the Furious” Walker as the son of an archeology professor on a dig with some students in France when his father disappears, and the son and some of the students (including “A.I.’s” Frances O’Connor) have to go looking for him. The thing is…the professor is trapped in 14th Century France, during one of the most turbulent times in the country’s history, as the result of a 3-dimensional fax machine being developed by a major corporation. And so the rescue party must travel through time and space to find the professor, and hope to get back alive.
OK, so the story’s not exactly as enthralling as “Jurassic Park” or Crichton’s novel of “Congo” (mangled on the big screen), but propelled by an exciting orchestral score by Brian Tyler (“Bubba ho-Tep,” “Frailty”), likeable characters, and fine pacing and well-constructed action scenes by Donner and his team (including cinematographer Caleb “The Patriot” Deschaniel and editor Richard Marks), “Timeline”- though it can’t help but be cheesy at times with love stories that defy time, an maniacal corporate exec back on the other side (hammed to the hilt by David Thewis), and thuddingly anachronistic dialogue when it hits the Middle Ages- was another example of Donner putting a smile on my face. I enjoyed the old-fashioned adventure of the whole thing. I was intrigued to possibly read the book at some point to see what Crichton came up with (as soon as I read the 4 or 5 other book-to-movie novels on my list). I was immersed in the final action sequence, which was all the more impressive for being done by mostly practical terms as opposed to CG, and got hooked in by the beautifully-corny love stories the film has in store. Finally, I was just glad to see one of my favorite directors show there’s still some pep in his directorial step on the big screen, and love for his craft, even at the age of 73 (same as Eastwood). I hope Donner’s able to give me that feeling again, before another five years- the time between “Timeline” and his last theatrical effort, “Lethal Weapon 4”- passes by, and we could lose him forever. That will indeed be a sad day for old-fashioned Hollywood filmmaking that I hope is staved off a little while longer.
