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Who hasn't heard of people in a fanciful moment wishing to hold back the hands of time? Well, Dr. Earl
Dopler (French Stewart) has discovered that a person can enter into a state of "hyper-time" where time seems to stop because the individual lives very fast.
However, he cannot figure out how to stop rapid aging when a person stays long in "hyper-time." Henry Gates (Michael Biehn) head of the facility where Dopler works, pressures him to come up with the solution to this predicament. Dpler decides to consult his mentor Dr. George Gibbs (Robin Thomas). Zak (Jesse Bradeford), the teenage son of Dr. Gibbs, happens to find Dr. Dopler's hyper-time device, wears it like a watch and becomes aware of its awesome powers. With it, he impresses his new Venezuelan girlfriend Francesca (Paula Garces). Meanwhile, Gates discovers the loss of a "watch". He and his evil henchmen kidnap Dr. Gibbs and go after Zak. Dopler conducts his own search while Zak tries to save his father.
Unlike most movies that manipulate time, this fantasy/sci-fi film does not transport its characterse to
another period in the past as in The Time Machine or to distant future like in The Planet of the Apes, here is the new twist in the plot:
In hyper-time, the character does not travel through time but stays where he is and lives faster. So much faster than the others around him that they seem to stand petrified while he happily zips by. But the problem is, when he re-enters our "normal time", after a long stay in hyper-time he would look worn and wizened. Producer Nick Nickelodeon's target audience will enjoy this novel idea as well as bicycle stunts and the intriguing special effects like the speeded-up character Zak whizzing around invisible to the other whizzers but emitting a kind of glow. Probably intended for the
Spy Kids
fans, this film has the same high energy, bright colorful sents and fascinating-to-the-young pseudo hi-tech equipment but it lacks much of its charm and wit. Though too illogical and fantastic for adults, the film can entertain. With their adequate performance and the palpable chemistry between them, Jesse Bradford (Zak) and Paula Garces (Francesca) light up the screen with their good-hearted humor and wholesome romance.
Even if this film is a light fantasy, it does show some positive values like family togetherness and
affection, friendship, and the possibility of having a clean yet enjoyable relationship in courtship and romance.
Whereas a lot of teenagers in other moview nowadays are shown to have torrid, objectionable sexual relationships, here Zak and Francesca are wholesomely attractive as well as happily together. No pre-marital sex nor dirty sexual innuendos for them. But some negative values cannot be ignored: Among them, the tendency of young people in the film to borrow without asking permission like Zak getting the "watch" without his dad's knowledge, Francesca borrowing her brother's car for the rescue mission, getting materials and instruments to repair the "watch" without the electronic shop owner's awareness. Dr. Dopler is also guilty of this. Then they simply walk away without going through the check-out counter. This is a case of theft. These are the reasons why CINEMA classifies this film for 14 years old and above. At this age, they are more capable of distinguishing between right and wrong.
(Date reviewed: November 21, 2002)
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