jamesrupert2014 Review of The Time Travelers

The Time Travelers (1964)

Nicely done time travel tale - frugal but clever and original

[8/10 · 11 April 2024]

Nicely done time travel tale - frugal but clever and original A research team discover that their 'window' into time is actually a 'portal' and end up trapped a century in the future on a devastated Earth from which the survivors of Armageddon hope to escape to a world orbiting Alpha Centauri. Ib Melchior's low-budget film offers up an interesting story with an exceptional ending. The script is well-written and reasonably scientifically literate, the cast is fine (albeit in somewhat undemanding roles), and the sets and special effects are inventive and effective considering the resources on hand. Melchior cut corners by substituting magic tricks for film tricks, a cost-cutting gimmick that is primarily used to pad the running time (the 'matter transfer' scene for example) but the inclusion of a man with congenital limb abnormalities (Peter Strudwick) as a 'mutant' was brilliant (Strudwick's story makes for interesting reading). As a bonus, there are lots of pretty girls (as usual, future fashions are baggy for the gentlemen, skin-tight for the ladies) and even a 'nude' spa-scene (anyone interested in seeing more than the chaste movie reveals can find Delores Well's 'Playboy playmate' shots online). On the downside, the film suffers from a sometimes sappy musical score (notably in the overly-long 'android factory' sequence) and limp 'comic relief'. Definitely a must see for fans, especially those who, like me, are suckers for time travel stories.