H.G. Wells - Things to Come
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Movie Reviews of H.G. Wells - Things to Come
Movie Review: A Study in "Ancient" Special Effects Technology
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a special effects buff as I am and love looking at the kind of art that was produced long before today's "sterile" and extremely boring digital age, this film will not disappoint. In fact, I would venture to say that the visuals hold up rather well considering where the technology was at the time, some of the techniques used in a few shots still look practically flawless even comparing to today's technology. Other production values were first rate as well and that's what earns the film it's five stars.
As far as the story goes though, it's extremely dated, therefore it is necessary to transport yourself back in time and place yourself in the mind-set of the apocalyptic types who predicted utter doom and gloom as envisioned before WW2 to continue on for more than a century, as that is the point of view the story is told from, which today of course renders it completely meaningless. The work of pure fiction is very clearly told from the point of view of the Neville Chamberlain appeasement mentality and, given the time it was produced, was very obviously anti-Churchill. Even though the film was British in origin and is nearly seventy years old, the similar beliefs of today's anti-war Hollywood left predominate throughout. The actual outcome of WW2 and the next half century though is what mostly dates this film's storyline into utter irrelevancy.
Make of the story as you will, but the film is pure art at it's best and should be thought of as no more than that. Nothing else about it is timeless.
Movie Review: A Stunning Film
Summary: 5 Stars
Unforunately, you're not likely to find stunning the look of the DVD or VHS transfers. Image Entertainment's DVD is the only one approaching watchable quality. I first saw the film on TV in the 1950s and remember finding it remarkable, so decent prints must have survived at least until then.
That Things to Come was a financial disaster upon its release is irrelevant to its achievement (although central to the failure to preserve its original negatives). It's a visual feast, created with the help of meticulously detailed miniatures, superimposition, rear projection, and dynamic camera movement.
Dated, shmated. It's a story, not history. The acting is, as in a fable, magnificently over the top. Raymond Massey, Ralph Richardson, and Cedric Hardwicke are perfect. And dozens of its indelible images remain with me fifty years after I first saw it.
A bonus is one of the finest film scores ever written, by Arthur Bliss. A shame the sound quality also suffers on these prints. The full power of the score can be heard separately on a number of modern CDs.
Approach the poor prints of this movie as you might an early operatic recording, say of Caruso. The quality comes through despite the limitation of the medium. And one day, who knows, maybe someone will find a pristine print and present this great film as it deserves.
Movie Review: Things to Come
Summary: 5 Stars
The DVD transfer was far from perfect, but better than I expected based on some of the reviews.
My one regret is getting to be 40 years old before seeing this movie. I love old Sci-Fi movies, mostly of the late 1950s genre. I was very impressed by the special effects, considering the year the movie was released. I was also impressed by the art direction, including the camera angles used. The war scenes at the beginning of the movie were surprisingly brutal. As for some aspects of the movie being too dated as some reviewers reported, one of the things I find fascinating about older Sci-Fi movies and stories are the descrepancies between what is written and what actually comes to pass. This movie was more about making statements about society than showcasing special effects, but the special effects were great. But the messages it conveyed gave it much more substance than most older Sci-Fi movies.
Movie Review: One of the best prints available!
Summary: 5 Stars
H.G. Wells - Things to ComeI am an avid fan of this film and I have been for years. I have owned over the years several public domain copies on VHS. This DVD blows them all out of the water. It is not an archival type restoration project like say a Metropolis, but it is a solid crisp transfer that one can really see the film. For instance in the opening credits, you can actually see the clouds behind the opening credits. This version also contains a distribution credit by United Artists, so this was most likely a print that saw American theatrical release, something missing from the old VHS copies if memory serves correctly. In my humble opinion this is the best buy for your money.Movie Review: Incredible
Summary: 5 Stars
And possibly the ONLY H.G. Wells movie NOT to be butchered of all social message.
Booed from theateres in 1936 for predicting a war in the upcoming decade and that the White Cliffs of Dover would ever be crossed by fleets of hostile areoplanes, it is a "Future history". The "Real" future changed after that first prediction, though in many ways the movie could be an exxagerated version of the 40's, 50's and 60's.
This is a film to show to a young child, it will change them and for the good. Just hide the games and cable connection for one day on a trip and leave that so they think its the 'only thing that's on'.