In a thrilling play on history, Nicholas Meyer's H.G. Wells not only wrote about time travel, but also built his own time machine. When one of his dinner guests - the infamous Jack the Ripper (David Warner) - steals away in the device, Wells (Malcolm McDowell) valiantly pursues the serial killer to 1979 San Francisco. Once there, he falls in love with a young bank teller (Mary Steenburgen), and faces a race against the clock when his newfound love is to be the killer's next victim.
As a bulletproof time-travel story, the script has more than its fair share of plot holes and inconsistencies. But as a lighthearted fantasy/romance, it excels, mostly due in large part to the chemistry between McDowell and Steenburgen (an authentic chemistry, as they fell in love behind the scenes, as well). And Warner is perfectly cast as the calculating cold-blooded murderer. And anyone familiar with the real H.G. Wells will smile at the jokes on women's lib, socialism, and his idea of a modern utopia (which doesn't come to pass in '79).
It's a fun time-travel story, and for a director's first time out, it's a solid effort.
7/10
As a bulletproof time-travel story, the script has more than its fair share of plot holes and inconsistencies. But as a lighthearted fantasy/romance, it excels, mostly due in large part to the chemistry between McDowell and Steenburgen (an authentic chemistry, as they fell in love behind the scenes, as well). And Warner is perfectly cast as the calculating cold-blooded murderer. And anyone familiar with the real H.G. Wells will smile at the jokes on women's lib, socialism, and his idea of a modern utopia (which doesn't come to pass in '79).
It's a fun time-travel story, and for a director's first time out, it's a solid effort.
7/10