vincentlynch-moonoi I was one of those people who, though fairly young at the time (30) did not like "A Clockwork Orange". As a result, for years I dismissed anything with Malcolm McDowell. In recent years I began to rethink my avoidance of McDowell, particularly as he grew older...I like him more. Now, after finally watching this film, I'm really going to have to rethink McDowell. This is a great film, and McDowell's performance is superb. And I say that as one who believes that time-travel films rarely work.Strong point #1: The producers and director paid attention to detail, not simply advancing the plot. How would a time traveler act and think in a totally new environment? Well done.Strong point #2: The acting. As I indicated, Malcolm McDowell is excellent here; very believable. David Warner is very good as Jack the Ripper. This was only Mary Steenburgen's second film. At first she comes on as playing dumb, but as the plot moves forward she seems more believable.Strong point #3: There is sentimentality, not just brutality. There is love, not just murder. This is occasional humor amidst all the drama. There is wonder and amazement.This does not mean that all is well. I guess I can't blame the producers for the special effects...after all, it was only 1979. But they are a bit primitive compared to what we have today. And. once the film begins to build toward a climax, it seems as if things get a bit more mundane (I mean really...why would the cops believe someone who identified himself as both H.G. Wells and Sherlock Holmes?).But aside from that, there is little to criticize here, and it's nice to get a glimpse back of modern culture almost 40 years ago.I'm overall impressed and highly recommend the film...and I give it something rare for me -- an "8".

mike48128 A terrific premise: What if H.G. Wells really invented a time machine and Jack the Ripper escaped to the year 1979 in it? Great special effects sparingly used at the start and finish of the film, when the time machine "travels". My only complaint are the hidden "plugs" for the Hyatt-Regency Hotel chain. Even a dinner scene is filmed in their trademark "revolving restaurant" at "The Top of The Hyatt". A bit slow in building up the story. Does not take the cheap way out and does not become a slasher movie. Some blood and a few body parts. A young Mary plays a currency exchange employee. Naturally it's a "London Bank" in San Francisco. Both "The Ripper" and Wells exchange their antique gold coins there. There is a proverbial "game of chess" played between the two. Wells tries to alert the authorities and he gets arrested as the suspect in a string of murders. Using the name "Sherlock Holmes" makes him seem quite mad to the police. As usual, why "Jack the Ripper" is compelled to slash women remains a mystery. Great ending, as Wells returns to his own time and takes "the girl" back with him. They marry. More a love or adventure story than science fiction. Most enjoyable. Several "best" reviews do a wonderful synopsis of the plot. I won't attempt an improvement here. There is one question, however: How did the time machine first get there before Jack the Ripper arrived and how did it end up in San Francisco not London? There is a time paradox there. How the existing museum piece and the "real" machine manage to converge on the same timeline is never explained.

MartinHafer "Time After Time" is the sort of escapist fantasy that you just need to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy--and very enjoyable this film certainly is. Additionally, it's quite romantic and is a movie I strongly recommend you watch.The film begins in London during the time of Jack the Ripper (David Warner). Coincidentally, the famous writer H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) has just built a working time machine and the Ripper uses it to avoid being caught by the police. But Wells knows he cannot allow this maniac to escape and travels to 1979 in search of the murderer. There, Wells falls in love with a lady (Mary Steenburgen) and enlists her help to find the killer.This movie works for a variety of reasons. It's certainly one of McDowell's best performances and it's nice to see him being vulnerable and more multidimensional than his other famous roles (such as in "A Clockwork Orange"). The film also looks and sounds wonderful (with a lovely score by Miklós Rózsa) and is wonderfully directed by Nicholas Meyer. Well worth seeing and a rousing adventure that both men and women will likely enjoy.

Spikeopath Time After Time is directed by Nicholas Meyer who also adapts the screenplay from a story written by Karl Alexander and Steve Hayes. It stars Malcolm McDowell, David Warner and Mary Steenburgen. Music is by Miklos Rozsa and cinematography is by Paul Lohmann.How delightful, a wonderful idea is given an equally wonderful presentation. The makers have come up with the idea of pitching Jack the Ripper against H.G. Wells, in the present day of 1979. This after the Ripper (Warner) used Wells' (McDowell) time machine to escape the Whitechapel police back in 1891, thus forcing Wells to track the infamous killer to San Francisco in the future.There have been so many fish-out-of-water based movies over the years, it's so refreshing to find one that has a genuinely original premise to work from. In the Ripper's case he sees all the violence around the streets of San Fran and believes it's his calling to be in this company. On the flip-side, Wells is perturbed to find that this is not the Utopia he had envisaged, but yet the science lover in him is fascinated by what he finds. Helps, too, that he has caught the attention of a very horny Amy Robbins (Steenburgen), who is equally fascinated by his genteel mannerisms.Naturally the fun has to stop at some point to let the suspense and darker aspects of the story come to the surface. Meyer gets the blend right, dropping in little snippets of evil as Jolly Jack, resplendent with waistcoat and money belt, goes about his bloody business, and then switching to the Wells/Amy axis as they try to build a relationship whilst trying to convince the authorities that a nutter is very much in their midst. It builds nicely, ramping up the tension considerably, and there's always the pertinent question hanging in the air of if there is any hope for H.G. and Amy?Such is the rich characterisations and quality of story telling, we most assuredly care about the outcome to this splendid piece of time travelling cake. 8.5/10