By Rob Bricken in
Daily Lists, Movies
Thursday, Sep. 17 2009 @ 8:05AM
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Make no mistake about it: we here at Topless Robot know the treacherous path we're marching down in even attempting to make a list like this. Considering how important these movies are to the geeksphere, one wrong choice could create a rift in the space-time continuum large enough to fit two displaced Tyrannosauruses through and doom us to an endless eternity spent watching Keanu Reeves seduce Sandra Bullock by time traveling mail in The Lake House. But let's be honest here--we know we can't please everyone. So, since this is a list of 10, we think it's important to lay down one major ground rule: because most trilogies or film series are typically extensions of a singular idea, we're only allowing one entry per series to keep things fair. Of course, we hope this list breeds discussion and discovery of more time travel goodness (Je T'aime, Je T'aime anyone?) Which time trekking adventures made the cut? To find out, simply click Read More to initiate time warp -- and beware, there are potential spoilers ahead.
10) Flight of the Navigator
While at first glance the story of Disney's Flight of the Navigator seems to be about a boy and his super awesome robot/ship hybrid, there's thankfully a lot more to the movie than the trailer might lead the uninitiated viewer to believe. The film's story centers around a 12 year old boy named David Freeman who despite receiving what might be some of the worst/most irresponsible parental advice on girls ever ( David's Dad: "You know, if you're gonna learn to swim you just gotta jump in the water." Yeah, just jump right in there David, 12's a great time to start a family!) lives happily with his Mother, Father, and younger bro in Florida. After falling into a ditch while looking for his brother on the evening of July 4th, 1978, David awakens to find that 8 years have passed, and he hasn't aged a day. Indeed, it's how time travel is presented in FotN that makes it so memorable--imagine waking from a dream only to find yourself to be the centerpiece of a seemingly impossible puzzle and surrounded by people you once knew who all thought you were dead...pretty remarkable stuff, especially for a kids movie. While the movie clearly takes a healthy sum of its aesthetic and storytelling cues from E.T., the world polo-clad David enters into is both frightening and charming and the movie does manage to stand (hover?) on its own two feet at the end of the day.
9) Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact begins by throwing audiences, along with the unfortunate crew of the Starship Enterprise-E, into a tense Romeroesque Borg-induced claustrophobic nightmare, and culminates with an action packed finale between Captain Picard and the Borg Queen, only stopping the action to inspire would be fan fiction wordsmiths with a little cyborg on cyborg titillation along the way. While other Star Trek features like The Voyage Home and J.J. Abrams' 09 relaunch have made good use of time travel, ST:FC is the most complete full length Trek adventure that uses time travel as its plot centerpiece. While it's fun to watch Kirk and crew's goofy whale-searching hijinks in modern day San Francisco in STIV:TVH, the many watercooler moments ST:FC offers make it a lock here, be it Captain Picard blowing away a team of Borg with a Tommy gun on the holodeck, Counselor Troi getting drunk while visiting the past or Worf's utterance of the phrase "Assimilate this!" before doling out some extreme Klingon justice, Star Trek: First Contact is sure to satisfy both people who like their film chronology jumbled and Trek junkies alike by mixing in just the right combination of engaging action, lucid pacing and time travel goodness.
8) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
While staring down the business end of a horrible train accident waiting to happen, high school student Makoto Konno inadvertently discovers that she can return to the past or "time-leap" at will and is able to avoid her near-certain death. Having escaped the train debacle, Makoto immediately begins using her abilities for pithy personal gains-such as extending Karaoke time- eventually learning that the rabbit hole behind her powers is deep--very deep. Far separated from the more traditional time travel methodology that most may associate with, the time travel in The Girl Who Leapt Through Time doesn't seem to involve any technology at all; to the contrary, it appears to be a more mystical superpower than a feat of technology, or perhaps a fusion of psyche and man made achievement, as Makoto does see red countdown numbers whenever she time leaps and has a numbered tattoo on her arm that decreases by one each time she uses her new ability. Of course, at the heart of all of this time-sliding around is a rewarding coming of age tale coupled with memorable visuals and characters, making it one time adventure worth checking out.
7) 12 Monkeys
This haunting, heartbreaking and unforgettable film by notoriously hard-luck director Terry Gilliam, (director of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, popular time travel flick Time Bandits, and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) always seems to leave an impression with audiences, and makes for good time travel discussion fodder. Inspired by the French short film La Jetée, 12 Monkeys, like a few of the other movies on this list, examines the relentless omnipresence and cruel persistence of time. Bruce Willis plays James Cole, a survivor and convicted criminal in a nightmarish future where 5 billion people have been wiped out by a plague and humans have been forced underground, leaving the surface to be taken back by animals. He is chosen by the powers that be to travel back in time to attempt to learn enough about the plague in order to find a cure. Along the way he encounters Brad Pitt's deranged Jeffrey Goines and Dr. Kathryn Railly who eventually becomes convinced that he is telling the truth about the plague. To sum it all up, the movie's performances, imagery and score make it a trip that any time jockey should consider taking.
6) Timecrimes
If you haven't seen Nacho Vigalondo's Timecrimes, we implore you: take in the least pub on this movie as possible and watch it for yourselves. Skip the trailer above, avoid the reviews and see it first--trust us, it's the kind of movie that warrants that degree of spoiler avoidance. Keeping with the theme of nondisclosure, we're not going to go into much detail here -- suffice to say, it's a solid piece of chrono-craziness that's low on budget but high on quality.
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135 comments
Comments
IisAwesomecakes said:
BAH! BACK TO THE FUTURE PART 1 SHOULD HAVE BEEN NUMBER ONE! WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS? I WANNA NO RITE NOAW,YOIU AIRE ARLL IN TRUBEL ADN...sorry, I couldn't resist.
JaywhY said:
Time Cop, anyone?
budious said:
Where did Bill&Ted get lost in all this awesomeness of bad thread?
ZADL said:
The Navigator - medieval plague ridden village sends some guys into a cave so that they can mine metal to make a new cross of the church, and they end up in modern times. Then they find people here to help forge the cross, return to their crappy past and are spared the plague only to have the Navigator who led them die of the disease.
tphantom1 said:
they should string the inter-mission videos from the Red Alert games into a movie.
come on, they had Udo Kier!
ACS said:
What about Time Bandits?
Evan said:
I would argue that BTTF II definitely belongs on this list. Actually, many of the time travel movies that follow it owe it a major debt of exposition. Many sci/fi film fans probably don’t notice, but average movie goers need fake plot devices like time travel practically spoon fed to them. Knowledge of how a previously viewed story deals with a challenge like specific survival issues in outer space (air, warmth, re-entry) or defending against an invisible alien attacker (cover the bastard in custard) establishes seemingly unexplained details for follow up films of a similar kind.
Despite a long run of movies where people go back or forwards in time to explore and have adventures, I submit that the idea of changing a detail of the past (more powerful than leaving a locket for you to find in the future…or some damn thing) and then creating a totally alternate now is a notion that was still hazy for most viewers before Doc Brown’s chalkboard timeline scene. Audiences get take that general understanding of “Time Travel Cause and Effect” and apply it to future films (T2, Frequency, Lake House, 12 Monkeys).
I would argue that more interesting time travel movies get to be made when they stand on the narrow shoulders of BTTF II. It is my least favorite, though.
telezombie said:
ARMY OF DARKNESS?!? EVIL DEAD 2?!? Ash = Greatest Time traveler of all time.
Kenny said:
How about FAQ About Time Travel? Brilliant film! Better than half the films on that list!
Lando Da Pimp said:
Back to the Future isn't number 1? Lame
Pudge said:
Some Indie film is number one? BLASPHEMY! WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS?!
korg20000bc said:
ZADL,
You beat mke to the punch.
Excellent New Zealand made movie.
Abraxas said:
I agree, Back to The Future 1 should be on it, also - how about 'Somewhere In Time'?
Anonymous said:
What, no Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? Or the most obvious one, The Time Machine from 1960?
Otherwise a good list. Fun read. But I am a little stumped over the choice of BTTF2 over BTTF1.
cn0byt3 said:
What about Time bandits?!
Simon said:
What, no Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? Or the most obvious one, The Time Machine from 1960?
Otherwise a good list. Fun read. But I am a little stumped over the choice of BTTF2 over BTTF1.
cummins said:
It's wonderful to see Primer on this list. That movie features some amazing WTF moments.
sohei said:
Whose responsible this crappy list? Where are Bill & Ted (best time travel movie evar), Army of Darkness, Time Bandits (c'mon!), and Star Trek IV (I know the rule is one movie per series, but TNG is technically a different series).
False Moustache said:
I will also back up BTTF II as the right choice. BTTF I may be a more classic film, but it's more a Connecticut Yankee-ish, fish out of water,Oedipal conflicts movie than a time travel movie, which BTTF II is, showing not only the future and the past, but how time travel can disrupt the present. Though II does suffer from a lack of Crispin Glover.
Also, Flight of the Navigator is such a terrific movie, I'm glad it made the list.
Colin said:
When I saw this I thought of Primer straight away, nice to see other have heard of it. Thought it was just me and the 6 other people i've lent it too.
Its a brilliant film but make sure your not sleepy when watching it
Skirkster said:
God, Primer is so amazing.
I keep meaning to watch it again, because it's nearly impossible to understand.
http://www.freeweb.hu/neuwanstein/primer_timeline.html
That's an example of how insanely convoluted it is. Highest of recommendations.
GQ said:
I adore Flight of the Navigator so all is well.
ryan said:
I would argue AGAINST Terminator 2's inclusion in this list, or it's high ranking on the list, because, in my opinion, over the top action and special effects are central to the film moreso than time travel. I'm not saying that it is a bad film at all. In fact, T2 is one of those seminal films that, much like Star Wars, changed the face of genre movies. I just don't think that it's time travel storyline is as complex or as thought provoking as, say, 12 Monkeys. Perhaps my view is shrouded by the fact that later Terminator films have further muddied the time travel aspects of the T2 mythology.
Patrick said:
What? No Bill & Ted? BOGUS!!!!!
On the other hand, it's nice to see the crew of the Next Generation get some love over the original Trek crew. I totally agree that First Contact is a much better time travel movie than The Voyage Home.
Sadly, most people do not agree with this opinion.
The Contrarian said:
WTF? Time Travelers Wife FTW Bitch!
Prodijy said:
I agree, where is timecop.....
Van Damme got screwed
Mitch Harden said:
Glad Primer made #1. This might help you when you watch it:
Bill said:
No "The Time Machine"??? That's based on the book that started this all!
WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS!!!
Hachiko said:
No Bill & Ted?
No Final Countdown????
EPIC FAIL! WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS! RE-DO!!!!!1!!1!
Portion of Foxes said:
WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS!?
no BTF1 but 2!?
why not put 3 up there
demoncat said:
can see why making this list was hard to do but groundhogs day instead of classics like time bandits or evil dead. and both terminator and back to the future were part of serieswould they have been dqued by the rule.as for primer nice to see it make the list even though one has to watch it a few times to understand it if one has not seen it before
Clint said:
Black Knight anyone?
awesome-O 5000 said:
Primer! Wow. Great pick for number one. For those of you have not watched Primer and doubt its number one spot seriously take a look at it. You might still feel that it shouldn't be number one, but I think it will at least make a very good argument for itself.
GREAT LIST!
Captain Flunky said:
Agree about Time Bandits. WRT?
Wonder Pigeon said:
Sorry, but no Bill and Ted and Back to the Future part 2 instead of part 1 invalidates the list for me.
Andy said:
Bill and Ted
Butterfly Effect
Hmmm.....
I would also shove 12 Monkeys a lot higher up the list.
davelog said:
Dude. No Time After Time? Malcolm McDowell as H.G. Wells chasing David Warner as Jack the Ripper through time to end up squaring off in 80's America? That's just about as awesome as it gets, man!
Baltimoron said:
No love for Turtles in Time?
Cobra Commander said:
Davelog took the words right outta my mouth.
Sci-Fi Gene said:
I'm actually surprised by how many of the above I do agree with! Primer should definitely stay on the list, although perhaps a little lower - most of the WTF moments are actually "WTF are they saying?" moments. I would personally have given 12 Monkeys the number one spot and included Bill and Ted but hey.
BorgQueen said:
Yeah I wish 12 Monkeys was higher up too. Besides being a great time travel movie it is just a great movie.
ST: FC was a better movie than Voyage Home overall, although Voyage Home was funnier (He did a lot of LDS).
But... no love for The Time Machine? The original of course. That should be #1
davelog said:
Davelog took the words right outta my mouth.
Coupla teeth, too.
Paul - can't bring himself to write FF involving Topless Robot said:
Why BttF 2 over 1?
Because Biff gets access to the DeLorean and hoses the past.
Because Marty has to go back to the prom again, and set up the circumstances that occurred the first time through.
Additionally, I just want to say, I can't stand Sandra Bullock or Keanu Reeves as actors, but I went and saw The Lake House just for the gimmick.
rubyrose said:
the list obviously could have been longer bill & ted needed some love.
turnerkick said:
I'm a fan of a time travel movie called 12:01. It's basically a similar premise to Groundhog Day, only without Bill Murray playing an asshole, which to me is a big plus. It doesn't have as big of a budget (it was a TV movie), but it's got charm and some good laughs along the way.
What the donkey said:
NO TIME BANDITS WTF IVE LOST ALL FAITH IN THIS SITE.
Ryan Aston said:
Primer is definitely exhibit A for why movies should value the journey over the grand finale or twist endings
Yes, because it makes no sense and you're an idiot. Primer is 100% A-grade garbage and has no place on this list - ditto The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Law Dog said:
Time Rider. Remo Williams on a motorcycle in the old west. Nuff said.
Skirkster said:
Is there an echo in here?
Skirkster said:
Hey, Ryan Aston,
You're a genius! Your point that if someone disagrees with you they're an idiot is brilliant!
Learn to argue your point like a grown-up, then you can sit at the adults' table, ok?
Chew Chew said:
Utter fail!!!
BTTF should be #1.
12 Monkeys should be #2.
Bah. Nerd rage in the morning makes me happy.
Dr. Communism said:
I'm just glad to see someone else praising Time Crimes. I've been shoving that movie down people's throats for the last 6 months.
I love bill & ted, but they are dumb as hell. Seriously, did they even consider the ramifications of feeding Genghis Khan that many twinkies?!
Lynnie said:
The internet has already convinced me to watch Primer, I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
JPyke said:
Great call on Time Crimes. That movie was surprisingly amazing! The plot and theme is so simple, but the execution is masterful. Fuck all these whining nerds complaining about what's NOT on the list (Or the order of the list). You get mad props for including Time Crimes!
Hachiko said:
In a sense, Scrooged is a time travel movie. It is another true Murray classic, and should get a nod here.
cap'n crunch said:
agreed on Time after Time. that movie's awesome. netflix it if you've never seen it, especially if you're a trek movie fan.
THE PR0F3550R said:
No "The Time Machine"! (1960)
No Back to the Future!
No Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure!
No Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home!
WHOSE RESPONSIBLE THIS!
Kench said:
Man, I'm glad to see Primer got #1. That one still ranks as one of my favorite movies.
I have to agree that not having Bill & Ted on this list is a sad thing, though...
Andy said:
Why is no one else screaming for Butterfly Effect.... superb movie based around the idea of time travel!
Skeeter said:
I was about to freak out that "Primer" wasn't going to be included on this list until I got to number one. Good show.
Overall, pretty good list. Would have been nice to see some other movies on this list, but it's a pretty good mix of genres.
As for nobody "screaming for Butterfly Effect," that's mainly because it was fucking awful.
Davie Wavie said:
OH MY GOD!
How can you leave off the following films?
Millenium - awesome effing flick
Disaster in time
Bill and Ted
ALL star trek should be excluded from that list as EVERY FRAKKIN STAR TREK EPISODE/MOVIE is about time travel! lol
dude, YOU need to travel back in time and fix that list.
JOHN TOMES said:
While I watched and liked The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I don't agree with the rest of the list. As someone already wrote above, I think there are a few of really important movies missing.
JOHN TOMES said:
While I watched and liked The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, I don't agree with the rest of the list. As someone already wrote above, I think there are a few of really important movies missing.
Johnny C said:
The original 'The Time Machine' wasn't mentioned? It was awesome for its day.
Mina said:
BACK TO THE FUTURE??? HELLLOOOOO people! No digg-able! Im very dissapointed! :)
Shulkie said:
What about Somewhere in Time? Romance-time travel! "RICHAAAAAAAAAARD!" that scream haunts me. Plus, it's got the goddamned Superman!
And no BILL AND TED?
jaszczesniak said:
The first thing I thought of when I read the title to this article was "Primer had better be number one!" and when I saw it was I literally yelled "YES!"
DNA said:
Primer, FUCK YEAH! This is how time travel will really go down once we figure it out.
CChaos said:
I think the list is good and I particularly like how none of these movies are particularly new, all in all. New time travel movies are utter crap in comparison for the simple reason that Hollywood writers are getting to be the laziest idiots in existence. Time travel becomes a cheap and easy plot device so they don't have to think things through.
It's for that reason that if I so much as get a hint of time travel in movies now, I avoid them like the plague. But there were some interesting ones previously.
joelcrowservo said:
OK, so I get that most folk wouldnt put "Somewhere in Time" on the list. Because theyre cynical jackasses. But to not have "Time After Time" or "The Final Countdown" in the list is a shame. Great time travel films should have at least one awesome anachronistic scene and "TFC" has it: (then)Modern fighter jets vs. 1941 Japanese Zeros. And Spartacus commanding them! OK, so Kirk Douglas doesnt play Spartacus in the movie...
erik said:
Time Crimes has a cool idea and a great method of revealing the story (I don't want to spoil anything with my bitching, so I'll be vague), but if you think about it from a characters point of view a lot of his actions don't make any sense. It's worth seeing, but I wouldn't put it higher than 12 Monkeys.
Iqbal Gomar said:
Something I noticed last time I watched Groundhog Day: on one of the repetitions of the day in which Bill Murray's character tries to escape the time loop by killing himself, they show a scene where he's dead, lying in the morgue as his friends identify his body. This scene implies that the whole day doesn't reset each time it loops, it actually continues without Bill's awareness. i.e.: Every repetition of the day spawns a parallel universe. Bill thinks his actions don't have consequences, but they do! He's spawning countless parallel universes in which he's wreaking all kinds of havoc with peoples' lives! This made me realize that that movie is way more messed up than I had previously believed.
fds said:
The girl who leapt through time is actually about a time travelling con-artist who fools women into loving him so that they'll take care of this painting he wants in the future.
emerson999 said:
@Kenny
YES! Given how little buzz frequently asked questions about time travel had, I'm not surprised more people haven't seen it. But everyone with even a slight sense of humor and appreciation for time travel movies owes it to themselves to watch it. Funny movie, and damn well done time travel.
Primer said:
The time-lines that people are posting for Primer are HUGE spoilers. Watch the movie first before reading any attempted explanations.
hawkins said:
Primer was a terrible movie. The writer of this article is a moron.
Mkorry said:
To have include a mediocre film like Flight of The Navigator and not even mention:
The Time Machine (1960)
Time After Time (1979)
Frequency (1999)
is just plain ridiculous. I guess any film made before the advent of digital effects just doesn't count. Even "Somewhere In Time" (1979) is a better time travel movie than many of the titles you mention.
Harlan Ellison is right - history for many is what they had for breakfast.
Shrimphead said:
I second the vote for "The Navigator: A Mediaeval Odyssey" (1988), This Aussie movie is truly one of my favorite time-travel movies.
LINK = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095709/
Thanks for the list.
Anonymous said:
primer deserves number 1
all you idiots bitching about bill and ted are idiots and have no taste
Equimanthorn said:
Time after Time starring Malcolm McDowell and David Warner (who also starred in Time Bandits) certainly should be included in this list. There's no excuse for it not to be.
Primer is a wet fart. Yes I got it, yes, the plot is thick, yes, it's tech-heady, blah, blah- I still bloody hated it.
This "top 10" list is an f***ing inexorable FAIL.
duane said:
Yes! Primer number one! One of my favorite movies. I do however have to say BttF1 not BTTF2...
lay said:
you are joking right, the 10 greatest and you picked Back to the Future 2?!? that was the worst
Ross Carlson said:
When I saw the title I thought "I bet they don't even know about Primer" - one of the best movies I've seen in the last 10 years. Really made me think - fantastic that you guys put it #1, it really does deserve it!
sangjmoon said:
How about the original Planet of the Apes? Although you list only movies, I think a best-of-time-travel list is amiss without mentioning the Doctor Who TV series.
slacker137 said:
I kick myself in the ass every time I look at one of these "Top-10" lists. "BTTF II" is better than "12 Monkeys"? Are these people actually paid to write this drivel?
LBD "Nytetrayn" said:
I have not yet read the list, but if Back to the Future isn't #1, I'm coming back later with a gun.
alex.sahounov said:
Man, the people on here bitching and complaining...jesus.
BTTF2 showcased time travel in a much more effective way than the first film. While Marty only travelled through time twice in the first film (once to 1955, and once back), BTTF2 had him jumping all through alternate timelines and eras, and culminated in the clever conceit of both him (and Doc Brown, to a minor extent) having to make sure the events of the first film happened correctly.
BTTF1 may have been the better film, but BTTF2 really did showcase time-travel in a much more grandiose way (and the problems that arise from it).
Richard said:
You left out the best -- TIME AFTER TIME, and the most romantic of the genre, SOMEWHERE IN TIME. There's also the George Pal production of THE TIME MACHINE. It pays to know the breadth of available films.
UnklJo said:
12 Monkeys sucked ass! 'Nuff said.
rogerborn said:
MY LIST OF BEST TIME TRAVEL MOVIES/BOOKS
H. G. Wells THE TIME MACHINE (the book)
R. A. Heinlein TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE, et. al. (the books)
SOMEWHERE IN TIME
GROUNDHOG DAY
TERMINATOR (I and II)
PRIMER
12 MONKEYS
FINAL COUNTDOWN
TIME RIDER
TIMESCAPE
TIME COP
FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR
TIME BANDITS
TIME AFTER TIME
THE RETURNERS
THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
PLANET OF THE APES
MILLENNIUM
STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT (or most any Trek TV show or movie)
STARGATE, AND ATLANTIS (the television series)
BABYLON 5
nemryn said:
I am honestly surprised that we got this far without mentioning Bender's Big Score, even in the comments. C'mon, people! Don't make me revoke your nerd licenses!
Kris said:
Butterfly Effect is terrible and doesn't even follow its own rules. Anyone saying it should be on this list needs to have their right to have opinions revoked.
Primer is awesome, anyone who doesn't like it didn't understand it and should probably just stick to watching Austin Powers for their time travel fix.
Wes Grogan said:
I would personally make an argument for Memento. Though not technically the main character traveling through time, the audience does when they experience the world through the main character. Don't know that everyone would agree, but just my take.
Kevin said:
I would have included Back to the Future I over II, and would have put it first. While II deals more with the "science" and hijinks of time travel, the first movie was more successful at capturing the wonder, adventure and human side of it. I think that overwhelmingly made it the better film, and better time travel film.
I would have included Pal's Time Machine, too, although I could see how some people view it as a little stiff.
Thomas said:
A few comments to add late in the day.
1. Bill and Ted was ok as a goofy movie. However it belongs nowhere on this list. The movie is not that good, and it has Keanu Reeves. People have been utilizing the WHO'S RESPONSIBLE THIS?!?! phrase a lot in this list...I say that phrase should be levied at Reeves in general.
2. Army of Darkness is not a real time travel movie. It seems to me that they do more inter-dimensional travel. It does not appear that the place Ash lands is just in the past, but a different version of earth, or a different planet all together.
3. I would say the same thing about Butterfly Effect. It seems like Kutcher just goes to alternate realities than actually going back in time.
That is all. Good article and good show sir!
Kevin said:
The end of Butterfly Effect won me over: Years later, he's fully engrossed in his new life and passes the girl he loved in the former timeline on the street. They never met and she passes on by, likely never to meet this time around. It was a tragically sad moment.
Unfortunately, the makers of the film hate that ending and now insist on the new ending where the main character goes back into the womb and kills himself so he never existed and brought misery to people's lives. Melodramatic, frustrating and over the top.
Jim said:
'90 Years Ago, I was a Freak...Today, I'm an Amateur'.
That chilling line was spoken by David Warner, as Jack The Ripper, in what I think is the greatest time travel film of all, Time After Time, Written and directed by Nicholas Meyer. The effects are rudimentary, compared to todays CGI Marvels, but the story is absolutely bulletproof, and it has something for everyone: comedy, romance, social commentary, and includes an old school editing sequence involving a police interrogation, a stalking, and a resolution that will punch you in the gut. Malcolm MacDowell, Mary Steenbergen, and David Warner are flawless, Especially Warner, who even manages to make you feel sympathy for his monsterous character. Its not here, this list is meaningless
sobank said:
Which idiot made this "great" list?
"Planet of the Apes", one of the most iconic movie, is not included.
diablito said:
get your Parallel / Alternate Universe movies out of my goddamn Time Travel movies!
Kayla said:
C'mon! You guys know nothing about cinema.
A Kid in King Arthur's Court is the best damn time travel movie EVER.
Fucking Sinbad was in it. As well as that kid from "The Rookie," you know, the one that broke his arm and suddenly threw a pitch like 180 km/hr?
IG-69 said:
Japanese import "The Returner" was also fantasgreat.
'Deja Vu' with Denzel.
What about parallel time/alternate reality tales like 'Sliding Doors?!'
Also 'Superman the Motion Picture' cos Kal-El was 'the best of the best' as he DID fly around th' Earth making it rotate backwards thus allowing him to save the day vs. being pwned by a ginormous Kryptonite necklace [removed by Lex's lover with the doubly ginormous cans].
Peter Payne said:
No Somewhere in Time? No TIme After Time? No The Time Machine? Terminator 1 was the movie that made me a raging time travel movie nerd, that deserves to be on the list instead of 2 since 2 basically took a shit all over the neat premise of the first tilm.
pumpkinguts said:
A whole planet of apes > 12 monkeys
jenn said:
whose responsible this?! high five to the writer for not copping out and using back to the future on the list. back to the future 2 though, awesome. nice work, sir. nice work.
jenn said:
whose responsible this?! great list! high five to the writer for not copping out and using back to the future or terminator 1. back to the future 2 though, awesome. nice work, sir. nice work.
Carlos Mal Pacheco said:
Fuck yeah Primer. Amazing movie.
Hachiko said:
No Black Knight?
This site is racist!
question.jcr said:
primer ....perfect option for numer one ...
this web is very clever
atte JCR
Old Fart @ Play said:
I agree with Jim. Time after Time not being on the list is a shame. Great cast and writing. Warner was brilliant as Jack the Ripper, as was MacDowell in the role of H. G. Wells. This is making me want to dig through my collection so I can watch it tonight.
jedieb said:
Wow, BTFII? Really? Not only do I think it doesn't belong on this list, it's universally regarded as the weakest of the trilogy. The western themed conclusion was a definite improvement and ended the series on a high note. The McFly entry that should have made this list was clearly the original. It was simply one of the best movies of the decade.
Chronos said:
Ehmm, not sure I agree with the choices. If you really, really like time travel, visit Ultimate Time Travel: http://www.UltimateTimeTravel.com - the best resources for time travel books & movies!
Mark 2000 said:
The more I think about first contact, the more I realize what a bad piece of fan fiction it is. I mean, a borg queen? Who but an idiot superfan would come up with something so dumb? Going back in time to visit Zephram Cochran? Picard swinging around in a sleeveless shirt? Data having nooky? Come on!
Sesame said:
Thank you so much for putting The Girl Who Leapt Through Time at #8. It's a great film!
Hartz said:
How can a nerd list not have "Somewhere in Time" on it with Christopher Fucking Reeve?
ThatCostumeGirl said:
I figured the man's chick flick 'Somewhere in Time' would be on this list. I have yet to meet a man who doesn't choke up while watching SiT.
The mob has chosen: Time Machine, Time after Time, Time Bandits, and BttF I. Go mob!
yahaboobay said:
I will continue to beat the 'Time Bandits' drum.
A movie about five midgets who steal from god a map of all the holes in time on it? AND Sean Connery kills a minotaur? how can you go wrong?
klinteastwood said:
Primer was boring..sorry guys
Asat said:
Could have added another indie feature by mentioning Run Lola Run. Like Groundhog Day, the time travel is non-traditional but central to the action (and the audience's enjoyment) rather than incidental, as in the Terminator films. Face it, Skynet is just an excuse to have a robot try to kill a kid and his mom. Swell Macguffin, but not really a time-travel plot.
Daniel said:
Good choice for number one. I stumbled upon the film late at night on IFC, one of the best time travel movies ever. Really. It really is. The acting isn't great, but shit, the plot? The paradoxes? The thought provoked? All great.
People who are bitching about an indie film being number one need to take a moment and consider the fact that what makes a good film isn't necessarily a 7 figure budget.
Rdevitt said:
Stop saying Bill and Ted! We all agree it's a great movie, but as far as how it handles the ideas of timetravel, it's juvenile at best.
Of note: Timecrimes is on Netflix Instant Watch
B.C. Cakes said:
Back to the Future Part 1 should have been number 1. While I think BTTF 2 did a good job going back to Nov 15, 1955 and incorporating footage from the first movie, I do have some problems with the rest of the movie.
Problem 1:
When going 30 years into the future, you should not be able to encounter *your* future. You left the timestream in 1985, my friend. In effect, you simply disappeared. You reappear in 2015...but you have not been around since 1985. You shouldn't meet yourself or any of your offspring, because you haven't been an impact on the world since you left back in 1985.
Problem 2:
When Old Biff stole the time machine to take the almanac back to 1955, he should NOT have been able to return the time machine to the 2015 he originally left from. The moment he went back in time and gave himself the almanac, all future history from that point would have changed.
After giving his younger self the almanac in 1955, whatever future Old Biff would travel to after that point would be the one created by Biff winning all the money and taking over Hill Valley, killing George McFly, etc etc. Doc Brown even flat out explains this to Marty when Marty suggests leaving the "Nightmare 1985" and going to the future to stop Old Biff from stealing the time machine.
While the movie BTTF 2 was a fun ride, I don't believe it deserves to be the Number 1 spot. That should have gone to BTTF Part 1. IMO.
Glass said:
Where's Back to the Future???
BookWorm said:
I actually consider Back to the Future Part 3 to be superior to Part 2.
Part 2's first half was so overly dark and bizarre and had none of the charm the first did. The second half then proceeded to simply redo the enitre plot of the first film. It's like it's 2 different movies.
The original Back to the Future should have been on the list.
Walcraeb said:
One afternoon when I was home sick I watched Primer and Requiem For a Dream back to back.
I'm not sure I ever really made it out of that afternoon... not really.
Walcraeb said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9miqKm0aB0
I'm sorry, but the Time Machine (1960) deserves to be on this list.
sunsetsur4 said:
Dude, time bandits! come on...
David said:
I stopped reading this list after you mentioned TimeCrimes. That was just a bad movie. And not really a funny bad movie; just bad.
JOBAH said:
Where is Time Machine?
tiki god said:
primer was a steaming pile of shit, in a steaming pile of shit that is the genre of time travel movies.
wtf were you thinking?
Kevin Edwards said:
How is it that nobody has mentioned "The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Everything"...it even had a sequel "The Girl, The Gold Watch, and Dynamite".
Seriously though, I saw TimeCrimes because of this list and loved it. Primer is one of my all time favorites.
Steve said:
I clicked on this link just to make sure Primer was on the list. So glad its number 1!!! Best movie I've seen that nobody I know seems to have seen. Thanks!
Richard Rodrigues said:
What about "The Blue Yonder" It´s a great movie about time travel with Peter Coyote.
checkur6 said:
primer is the shiznit of time travel movies, all the stupid people that knock it down r just braindead and cant understand a plot that involves a little thinking. fukinridonkulous
The Amazing Rando said:
Why is Millennium not on this list. That movie actually tells us what happens when people fuck with time. The world ends, people die of plagues, or end up exploding in tubes. And any movie with an obviously homosexual robot must be good enough to end up on this list right?
tim said:
1.) The Time Machine - hands down. Can you say H.G. Wells?
2.) Also, the film "Time Ater Time" Where Malcolm McDowell plays HG Wells who is in this version - as not only the famous author, but a time traveller.
Great stuff.
