Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		2.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

Timeline Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 3, 2021

Richard Donner's "Timeline" (2003) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on it include exclusive new program with composer Brian Tyler; exclusive new program with Jerry Goldsmith biographer/film music historian Jeff Bond; archival featurettes; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The teleportation machine

I wish I had seen Richard Donner’s Timeline at my local theater in 2003. I remember the promotional materials for it and some of them were pretty good, but they seemed to sell just another flashy blockbuster about time travel. I have just viewed Timeline for the first time and can confirm that it is precisely that kind of a film, but it is really well made and actually plays with some quite interesting ideas. I must admit that it surprised me quite a bit, which is probably the main reason I enjoyed it so much.

The film begins with an odd event in the present. While working at an archeological site, Professor Johnston (Billy Connolly) falls into a man-made wormhole that instantly dispatches him to 14th century France. The brilliant but dangerously ambitious scientist Robert Doniger (David Thewlis), who has accidentally unlocked the wormhole while building a giant teleportation machine, then gathers a crew of young archeologists to follow Professor Johnston and bring him back. Chris (Paul Walker), Professor Johnston’s son, is chosen to lead the crew, but he has only a vague idea what to expect on the other side of the wormhole.

The original material for Timeline comes from Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, which was published in 1999. I have not read the novel, so I don’t know how accurately the film recreates the events that are described in it. However, after viewing the film, I feel quite comfortable speculating that Donner’s treatment of the material is probably as good as it could have been. Why? A couple of different reasons. The film is a terrific feast for the eyes and leaves quite an impression, but at the same time it engages the mind in a very familiar Crichton-esque way. Indeed, while the rescue mission is underway, you slowly begin to ponder plenty of intriguing ‘what if’ scenarios that would not have appealed to you if taken out of context. Crichton’s novels do the same. They engage and entertain really well, but there is usually an element in their narratives that forces you to seriously consider some rather odd possibilities. Another reason is the film’s ability to flawlessly juggle contemporary and historical information without making the two appear incompatible. I fully expect that Crichton’s novel does it a lot better, but in the film, Donner brings the two quite nicely and, in the process, rightfully simplifies the key conflicts so that the drama makes perfect sense. With its duration and scope, the film could not have been the detailed intellectual project that some of its biggest detractors apparently wanted it to be. At best, it could have been a hybrid project, and this is precisely what Donner delivered.

The cast is good. However, it is an undisputable fact that the nature of the journey that is chronicled in the film is such that it becomes very easy to find ‘flaws’ with the characterizations. Can the time-travelers instantly blend in with 14th century English and French warriors? It is very unlikely. In fact, it ought to be impossible. Their vocabulary, their accents, their manners, their fighting skills, and a whole range of other things should instantly reveal that they are outsiders. Does Crichton’s novel present these characters differently? If it does, then its credibility should be questioned as well. If it does not, then the characterizations are as legit as they should be.

Donner and cinematographer Caleb Deschanel shot virtually the entire film on location in Canada. The big clashes between the English and the French soldiers in the second half reveal impressive emphasis on detail and look really good.

The film greatly benefits from a very fine score courtesy of Brian Tyler (Avengers: Age of Ultron).

Timeline Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Timeline arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. (Please note that the film's original aspect ratio is 2.39:1).

The release is sourced from a very disappointing master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. The entire film has a digital appearance that immediately becomes distracting. For example, not only are delineation and depth problematic, but there is so much smearing that on a larger screen it looks like the visuals are constantly being pushed through some sort of a thick glass. In darker areas there is a lot of black crushing that flattens the visuals even more. Colors are stable but balance is unconvincing. In certain areas saturation could be a lot better, while elsewhere entire ranges of supporting nuances are lost (see screencaptures #16 and 17). As a result, even though the film was completed in 2003, many areas look oddly dated. Image stability is good. My score is 2.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to access its content regardless of your geographical location).

Timeline Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English: LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I thought that the quality of the audio was outstanding. There is a lot of action throughout the film with plenty of surround movement and terrific dynamics that are incredibly easy to appreciate. On my system the attack on the fortress at the end felt like quite a treat, and I was not expecting it to be so effective. I did not expect to like Brian Tyler's soundtrack as much as I did, so the strength of the lossless track made an even greater impression on me.

Timeline Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage U.S. trailer for Timeline. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• History Will Change: Composing Timeline - in this new video program, composer Brian Tyler explains how William Friedkin recommended him to Richard Donner and why his soundtrack for Timeline was conceived as a tribute to Jerry Goldsmith. Mr. Tyler also discusses the unique qualities of the music that he felt was right for the film. In English, not subtitled. (18 min).

• Ambushed: Inside the Goldsmith Score - in this new program, Jerry Goldsmith biographer/film music historian Jeff Bond discusses Jerry Goldsmith's great relationship with Michael Crichton and explains why the two were a great match, and comments on the award-winning composer's illustrious career. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Featurettes - the following archival featurettes focus on the production history of Timeline. Included in them are clips from interviews with Richard Donner and cast and crew members as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film in Canada. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Making Their Own History (7 min).
  2. Setting Time (18 min).
  3. Textures of Timeline (19 min).
  4. The Nights of La Roque (21 min).

Timeline Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am firmly in the camp of those who believe that Richard Donner's Timeline is one very entertaining film. I have not read Michael Crichton's novel that inspired it, but I just ordered my copy and cannot wait to get it in the mail. This recent release of Timeline is sourced from a disappointing master that was supplied by Paramount Pictures. However, as usual the folks at Via Vision Entertainment have provided a good selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. If you decide to pick it up, it will have to be for the bonus features. (There is a very attractively priced U.S. release that is apparently sourced from a different master).